Ganga Dussehra is a sacred festival celebrated by the Hindus on the river banks of holy Ganga in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal from where the Ganga river flows and Haridwar, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Prayagraj, Garhmukteshar, and Patna are the important locations of celebrating Ganga Dussehra. According to the mythological stories, Goddess Ganga descended from heaven in the form of a holy river on the earth.

When is Ganga Dussehra actually celebrated?

As per the Gregorian calendar, Ganga Dussehra 2020 falls on the 1st of June month. According to the Hindu calendar, this festival is celebrated on Dashami Tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Jyeshtha.

Ganga Dussehra Significance

The sacred Vedas and Puranas say that there was a king named Bhagiratha who performed severe penance to bring Goddess Ganga on earth and relieve the souls of his ancestors from their curse. Goddess Ganga was pleased to see Bhagiratha's strict penance and she appeared to him. Bhagirathi requested Goddess Ganga to come down to earth to give peace to the souls of his ancestors. But, Ganga said that with the speed of her coming to the earth there would be severe destruction. Then, Lord Shiva accommodated Ganga in his jatas to control the flow and she descended as a river on earth. Bhagiratha Muni immersed the bones of his ancestors in the river and liberated them.

This auspicious day when Goddess Ganga reached earth as a river is celebrated as Ganga Dussehra.

What to do on Ganga Dussehra?

On the holy festival of Ganga Dussehra, all the devotees of Goddess Ganga gather on the banks of the river Ganga. All the devotees take a dip in the holy waters of the river Ganga 10 times in a row to get rid of their evil deeds and sins and then they take a bath in the holy water of the river Ganga so that their sins are washed away in the waters of the river Ganga. After taking a bath in the river Ganga, devotees meditate on the banks of the river Ganga and then the Aartis of the river Ganga is performed with magnificent lamps by devotees, pundits and other people gathered there. At this time her devotees bow to Goddess Ganga for deliverance from their sins and for a bright future.

Benefits of Ganga Dussehra

Some of the major benefits of offering a prayer to Goddess Ganga on the holy occasion of Ganga Dussehra are mentioned below:

• Mother Ganga washes away the sin of every devotee who takes a bath in the holy water of river Ganga.
• She gives reward for every good deed of the one who sincerely worships the river her and she forgives every bad deed.
• Goddess Ganga gives wisdom to her devotee not to do bad deeds
• The river Ganga fulfils every wish of her devotee and health, wealth flourish in the life of that devotee.