The Myth of river Ganges
When I was in first year of college, I got an opportunity to visit my native village with my mother. It is always captivating and thrilling experience to visit the place. I can clearly remember; it was a winter season. I think it was mid of January.
On that day early morning we went
to the holy river side i.e. river Ganges. In India River Ganges is considered
as the most sacred river and it is associated with the internal as well as
spiritual purity. I didn’t know that the day was full moon and it is a custom
in Hindu tradition to take bath in the holy river and offer prayers to the God.
As soon as we reach to the bank of
the river along with the other family members, I witnessed a large crowd;
everyone was busy in taking sacred bath. The bank was quite dirty and honestly
speaking it was not an ideal place to take a bath that too in an open sky. The
atmosphere was kind of spiritual and it was a pure of Hindu festival.
For the first time in my life I
witnessed such type of Hindu ritual and at the same time it gave me some kind
of divine feeling but I was little sacred about the bathing. The temperature
was very low, luckily it was not freezing. The water was very cold and there was
a strong wave of water along with the cold breeze. Luckily, I was wearing a jacket
and it was more than enough to preserve the body temperature.
Afterwards, one by one all the members
of family took their respective baths. One good thing, I noticed that the
bathing place was distinctly divided into two assemblies, one was for male, and
another one was for female. Eventually my turn came and straightforward I
refuse to take bath in river bank. I said “mother water is not clear and how
can I take a bath that too in an open area. I am feeling shy. Please forgive
me.” With the sort of excuses mother
became angry and in reply she said “it is said that an individual who visits
the holy river on the auspicious day of full moon, he or she has to
compulsorily take the bath. If, he or she returns without taking bath,
according to the legends in next birth he or she will be born as a donkey and
for many reasons they need to cross this river again and again.”
“Mom don’t make a joke, this is a
21st century and I am not a fool like other people,” I said.
Mom – no son, it is true, if you
don’t believe you can ask my aunty also.
Aunty – yes son she is right, I am
commanding you follow to the instruction of your mother.
Between this, an old man came and
said “son, this is true and it is said that if anyone returns without taking
the bath he or she will be born as a donkey in their next life. As per the
sayings, you came here and you have to take the bath, and it is up to you.”
Mom was bit tensed and unhappy and
I didn’t feel good about her. Finally I decided to take the bath for the
satisfaction of my mother only. The water was spine chilling but it was nothing
against the happiness of my mother. Quickly I took the bath and afterwards I
took the blessing from all the elders.
I don’t know the birth of donkey is
a myth or real but whenever I get the opportunity to visit the place, without
thinking for a second I used to dive into the waters of holy river Ganges. 10
long years has been passed for the incident and river Ganges still reminds me
about the memory of my mother.
