Ganga Mayya leaving Gangotri
Jai Ganga Mayya
The already short winter days are further shortened as Surya Bhagawan appears only after around 10 a.m. He has to scale the massive peaks surrounding Gangotri! He is lost by about 2 p.m. behind the adjacent peak!
Military bands perform to the accompaniment of the puja during the closing ceremony of the temple.
The way from Gangotri to Bhairon ghati (located 10 Kms downstream) is dotted with extremely beautiful mountain peaks.
Soldiers of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) provide great service to the returning devotees. They serve very sumptuous meals along with hot tea. Devotees completely forget the exhaustion of the tiresome pilgrimage. The soldiers and officers of ITBP request the devotees with folded hands to accept their service! Such humility and devotion among army personnel is really unparalleled!
Following is a view of Mukhimath temple located in Mukhwa village where Ganga Mayya will be worshipped during the winter.
The village is located next to the spectacular Harshil valley. This valley is exceedingly beautiful.
Ganga Mayya will stay in this beautiful valley for the next 6 months. She will be taken back to Gangotri in May of the next year.
May the blessings of Ganga Mayya shower aplenty on Her true devotees.
Among the holiest of all places is the temple dedicated to Ganga Mayya at Gangotri in the Himalayas. This temple is open for devotees for 6 months in a year from May to October. The temple is closed for 6 months from November to April as the place becomes inaccessible due to heavy snowfall during winter.
During this period Gangaji is worshipped in Mukhimath temple located in Harshil valley which is about 20 Kms downstream from Gangotri. The idol of Ganga Mayya is carried in a beautiful procession from Gangotri to Mukhimath via Bhairon ghati on the day following Deepavali.
In the Deepavali of 2018, Gangotri had already received almost 2 feet of snow. The snow around the temple was cleared with much difficulty.
Most of the nearby Ashrams and hotels wear a deserted look as they are covered in snow.
The already freezing waters of Gangaji becomes ice-cold. Die-hard devotees who dare to take bath in Gangaji are drenched in ice cubicles. She is just transforming from glacier to river.
Most of the Ashrams become almost unlivable as they are frozen under a thick blanket of snow in Deepavali itself! All the water turns ice.
Even the bridges are not spared. They become very slippery.
The already short winter days are further shortened as Surya Bhagawan appears only after around 10 a.m. He has to scale the massive peaks surrounding Gangotri! He is lost by about 2 p.m. behind the adjacent peak!
Even during such freezing cold, pujaris and devotees excitedly sing bhajans and perform the evening Ganga arati.
The spectacular nearby peaks add greatly to the mystic feeling of Gangotri.
18 Kms from Gangotri is the actual place of origin of Gangaji. This place is known as Gaumukh. The way from Gangotri to Gaumukh is breathtakingly spectacular.
Military bands perform to the accompaniment of the puja during the closing ceremony of the temple.
The idol of Ganga Mayya is brought out around 1 p.m. Several dignitaries including local MPs, MLAs, leading spiritual leaders, and top Police and Military officers lend their shoulders.
Sadhus, cops, military men, pujaris and devotees vie with each other for walking along with the Mother Goddess.
Devotees excitedly chant "Har Har Gange, Jai Ma Gange". The atmosphere is charged with powerful waves of devotion.
Soldiers of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) provide great service to the returning devotees. They serve very sumptuous meals along with hot tea. Devotees completely forget the exhaustion of the tiresome pilgrimage. The soldiers and officers of ITBP request the devotees with folded hands to accept their service! Such humility and devotion among army personnel is really unparalleled!
Following is a view of Mukhimath temple located in Mukhwa village where Ganga Mayya will be worshipped during the winter.
The village is located next to the spectacular Harshil valley. This valley is exceedingly beautiful.
May the blessings of Ganga Mayya shower aplenty on Her true devotees.
Har Har Gange! Jai Ma Gange!!
Thanks Nachiketa for sharing these pictures and the story of your journey. You are blessed to have this journey and experience it for yourself.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog and nice photos. So, winter due to ice, Ganga has less water. as seen in last photo? Cheers! Om Sat Tat.
ReplyDeleteWow.. Great information about Ganga Mayya. You seem to have taken a lot of effort in taking the pics along the way. Thanks. Keep posting....
ReplyDelete