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What do we get in mind if we say INDIA

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Title: What do we get in mind if we say INDIA


1
Water In Indian Culture
  • What do we get in mind if we say INDIA?

2
We get in mind
  • We get in mind, a country, which has the second
    largest population in the world and is a melting
    pot of cultures with natures beauty everywhere
    you look. Such a country, is our India. In such a
    country, water is considered very important.
    Water is used for our various everyday uses, but
    in India, water is also considered sacred.

3
Importance of water
  • In the pre-historic times, when man evolved, he
    settled down near sources of water. Only when he
    settled there did he understand waters
    importance. Life depends upon water. So it is
    considered sacred. Cultural evolution is based on
    water. All the ancient civilizations were formed
    near rivers. Even the Indus valley civilization
    in India is one such.

4
In India
  • In India, rivers are believed to be sacred and
    are respected as goddesses. The God of water in
    Hindu culture is known as Ganapati and those
    who worship him are called GAANAPATYA
    (Worshipper of Ganesh)

5
Which are the most sacred rivers?
  • Some examples The following rivers are
    considered to be holy
  • Ganga (Ganges)
  • Kaveri
  • Narmada
  • Yamuna
  • Gandak
  • Godavari
  • Gomati and
  • Saraswati (imaginary, believed to be running
    under Gujarat)

6
Ganga
  • River Ganga is the longest river in India. The
    Ganges lies at a height of 13800 feet in the
    mountain range of the Himalayas in the Tehri
    Garhwal near Gangotri. The river Ganges is
    considered as the holiest of all rivers in the
    Bhagawad Gita. No other river has been more
    mentioned in the Puranas as the Ganga.
    According to the Puranas, the Ganges is
    considered as the holiest of all shrines. Not
    only man, but even the most mean creatures like
    insects get liberated and achieve salvation. One
    dip in the Ganga is said to free a man from all
    sins.

7
More on the Ganga
  • The holy sight of the Ganges gives knowledge,
    splendour, names, fame etc. Killing of a Brahmin
    and/or a cow gets absolved by a mere touch of the
    Ganges waters. The Ganga is a major river of the
    Indian subcontinent, associated in myth and
    reality with the land and people of India as well
    as neighbouring countries like Bangladesh. The
    people say that the Ganga purifies a man
    immediately after taking bath in its waters.

8
The story of origin of the Ganga
  • The Ganga has an exalted position in the Hindu
    ethos. It is repeatedly invoked in the Vedas, the
    Puranas, and the two Indian epics, the Ramayana
    and the Mahabharata. Ganga is a goddess, Ganga
    devi, one of two daughters of Meru (the
    Himalayas), the other being Uma, consort of
    Shiva. In her youth, Indra had asked for Ganga to
    be given to heaven to soothe the Gods with its
    cool waters. The story of its descent to earth
    appears in slightly different forms in Ramayana
    (Bala Kanda Vishwamitra narrates it to the child
    Rama), Mahabharata (Aranya Parba Agastya
    narrates it to Rama), and in the Puranas. These
    myths are variously dated between 2000 to 400 BC

9
The story of origin of the Ganga
  • The king Sagara had two wives. By a favour of the
    lord Shiva, one wife bore him sixty thousand
    sons, all of whom were to die simultaneously, and
    the other bore him one son, Asamanjas, who would
    continue the dynasty. The sixty thousand sons
    grew to be great warriors, while the mighty
    Asamanjas caused so much misery to the populace
    that his father the king had to expel his own
    son, though a grandson, Ansuman, was left behind.
    King Sagara once performed the horse ceremony, in
    which a horse is allowed to roam at will, and is
    followed by warriors.

10
The origin of the Ganga
  • Stopping the horse is a challenge to war not
    stopping it is a compact of obeisance. In this
    instance, the sixty thousand sons were following
    the horse, but surprisingly, the horse was lost.
    After much recrimination, they dug up the entire
    earth and the underworld, the oceans, searching
    for the horse. Eventually it was found in a deep
    cavern, loitering close to where the sage Kapila
    sat in radiant meditation. The sons gathered the
    horse but they disturbed the great Kapila
    (Vasudeva), who was very annoyed, and instantly
    burnt them to ash with his fiery gaze.

11
The story of origin of the Ganga
  • Sagara heard of this fate through Narada, the
    heavenly wanderer, and sent the grandson Ansuman
    to undo the harm. Ansuman descended to the
    underworld and met Kapila, who was much pleased
    with the youth's bearing and conversation. He
    granted that the soulse of the sons of Sagara may
    be released by the waters of Ganga, then resident
    in heaven. Despite much austerity and prayer,
    neither Sagara, nor Ansuman after him, nor his
    son Dilipa, could get Ganga to appear on earth.
    Finally it was Dilipa's son Bhagiratha, who after
    severe austerities, propitiated the Goddess, and
    she agreed to come down to earth. However, the
    impact of her fall would be so severe, that it
    could be borne by none less than Shiva himself.

12
The story of origin of the Ganga
  • Therefore Bhagiratha went into meditation again
    and obtained Shiva's consent after many more
    austerities. Finally, the river came down and
    fell into Shiva's matted hair, and thence to
    earth. This is the presumed site of the
    present-day temple at Gangotri. Bhagiratha led
    the way on horse back and the river followed. In
    this manner they reached the spot where lay the
    ashes of the six thousand sons. They were thus
    liberated, and an ocean formed from the waters
    there. This is the Sagar Island of today, where
    the Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal ("Sagara'
    is also Sanskrit for ocean).

13
More Legends on the Ganga
  • Many other tales are associated with the Ganga
    and points on it. Hari (Lord Vishnu) himself
    bathed in its waters at Haridwar, which is so
    holy that sins as great as the murder of Brahmins
    may be washed away by bathing here. Hindus to
    this day use the water of the Ganga to cleanse
    any place or object for ritual purposes. Bathing
    in the Ganga is still the lifelong ambition of
    many of India's believing masses, and they will
    congregate on its banks for the tremendously
    overcrowded Sangam, Sagar Mela or Kumbh Mela
    which are held on auspicious dates every few
    years.

14
More legends on the Ganga
  • The Ganges has many names associated with its
    many roles in Sanskrit mythology. Bhagiratha
    himelf is the source of the name Bhagirathi (of
    Bhagiratha), which is its initial stream, but is
    also another name for the Hooghly. At one point,
    Bhagiratha went too close to the sage Jahnu's
    meditation site, and the disturbed hermit
    immediately gulped up all the waters. Eventually,
    after more persuasion from Bhagiratha, the sage
    yielded the waters, but Ganges retained the name
    "Jahnavi". Another explanation for the same name
    is based on the word for knee in Sanskrit, Janu
    (akin to genus in latin), the case form for
    "born of" yield Jahnavi this is from a version
    of the story in which the saint released it
    through a slit at the knee.

15
Properties of the Ganga Waters
  • Water from the Ganga has the recursive property
    that any water mixed with even the minutest
    quantity of Ganga water becomes Ganga water, and
    inherits its healing and other holy properties.
    Also, despite its many impurities, Ganga water
    does not rot or stink if stored for several days
    (This is true, I think, though it may have
    alternate explanations).

16
A Quote on the Ganga
  • The Ganga, especially, is the river of India,
    beloved of her people, round which are
    intertwined her memories, her hopes and fears,
    her songs of triumph, her victories and her
    defeats. She has been a symbol of India's
    age-long culture and civilization, ever changing,
    ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga.   -
    Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India,
    born in Allahabad on the Ganges.  

17
Another legend of origin of the Ganga
  • There are many versions of stories regarding the
    origin of Ganges. According to the Valmiki
    Ramayana Ganges was the daughter of Himalaya
    and Maina. The deities abducted her and took
    her to heaven. From that time onwards, Ganga
    started living inside the Karmandala (a
    spout shoped vessel). According to Kritivas
    Ramayana the deities had taken Ganga to Lord
    Shiva to get her married with him. When Maina
    did not find her in the house, she cursed to
    attain the form of water.

18
Why the Ganga is called Jahnvi
  • JANHVI Another name of the Ganga is Janhvi.
  • Ganga followed Bhagiratha who was on his chariot.
    Because of her tremendous speed, all the
    villages, Forests, etc in the way were either
    getting submerged or drowned. Sage Jahnu who was
    doing a yagya in his hermitage got angry when his
    hermitage was submerged in the Ganga. He drank
    whole of the Ganga by his yogic power. At this
    the deities, and the men became restless and they
    requested Jahnu to release Ganga. Jahnu
    released Ganga from his thigh by cutting it and
    for this reason Ganga is also called 'Jahnavi' or
    'Jahnusta'.

19
What is the TRIVENI?
  • The three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati
    (now believed to be extinct), have a confluence
    at Allahabad. This place is called as Triveni
    The river passes the holy bathing sites at
    Haridwar, Allahabad (where the Yamuna River
    enters the Ganges), and Varanasi. Below Allahabad
    the Ganges becomes a slow, meandering stream with
    shifting channels.

20
Yamuna
  • The Yamunas confluence with the Ganges is
    sacred to Hindus Allahabad is a major pilgrimage
    center. Along the Yamunas banks are many
    historic monuments, including the Taj Mahal at
    Agra. Formerly an important trade artery, the
    Yamuna is now the source of irrigation for Uttar
    Pradesh and Punjab states. The East Yamuna, West
    Yamuna, and Agra are the major canals on the
    river.

21
The Legendary Introduction to the Yamuna
  • People say that the water of the Yamuna purifies
    a man in seven days after bath in its waters.
    Yamuna, the great among the greatest rivers is
    also known as the Queen consort of Lord Shri
    Krishna. Goloka the divine abode of the Lord is
    the home of Yamuna. When the Lord dictated Yamuna
    to descend on the earth, she first went round
    Shri Krishna. Thereafter, with great force, she
    descended on the peak of Sumeru Mountain. Her
    journey began thence towards the southern side of
    the great mountain chains. In the course of her
    journey Yamuna crosses many lofty peaks.

22
The story of origin of Yamuna
  • Right among the peaks, the dark-complexioned
    Yamuna parted with the fair-complexioned Ganga,
    and reached a peak Kalind, to start her journey
    downwards since Yamuna began her journey
    downwards from the peak Kalind, hence she got an
    epithet Kalindi. Crossing and piercing many peaks
    and wetting expansive planes in the way, Yamuna
    reached Khandav Vana, where the modern city of
    Delhi stands.

23
The story of origin of Yamuna
  • Yamuna had longed to see almighty Lord Krishna as
    her husband. Hence taking the guise of an
    extremely pretty woman, she began severe penance
    in Khandava Vana. Lord Surya, Yamunas father,
    built an under water palace there for her to tale
    rest. It is believed that she still resides
    there. From Khandava Vana, Kalindi travel fast to
    reach Vrindavana and Mathura in Vraja region.

24
The story of origin of Yamuna
  • In Gokul, the extremely pretty Yamuna
    constituted a group of teenaged girls to
    participate is Raas of Lord Krishna. She also
    selected an abode there for permanent stay.

25
The Story of origin of Yamuna
  • From Vraj, Yamuna continues her journey due south
    and south-east ward purifying many regions in the
    way. She reached Prayag, the holiest among all
    the holy places of pilgrimage. There she meets
    again with Ganga. Both of them travel together
    from Prayag onwards upto Ksheer Sagar.

26
The story of origin of Yamuna
  • Near the sea, with over whelming Yamuna says
    Gangey, you are great that you originate right
    from the feet of Lord Krishna. You are venerable
    in all the three world. From here, I am ascending
    again to reach the abode of Shri Hari. If you
    wish, you may also accompany me.

27
The story of origin of Yamuna
  • Ganga says Yamuney you have the power of
    sanctifying the whole universe. You originate
    from the left part of Lord Krishna. You are an
    embodiment of the supreme joy. You are the queen
    consort of Lord Krishna, hence venerable in the
    whole world. Your sight is rare, even to the
    gods. I greet you. But I cant accompany you.
    With Lord Krishna dictate, I now go to the Patal
    Loka.Thus, both of them greeted each other and
    went to their respective destinations. Yamuna
    ascended in the form of jog like stream, on the
    tops of the peaks. Thence, rising sky wards, she
    reached to the heaven. From there she reached
    Lords Krishna Goloka via Brahma Loka, her
    original abode.
  • This is the story of the origin of the Yamuna.

28
Kaveri
  •        Kaveri is predominantly the
    river of southern apart of India, which is 475
    miles long, originating from the hills of
    Kurya, some 20 miles away from Arabian Sea. It
    flows towards the south-east direction and passes
    through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and ultimately
    merges into the Bay of Bengal, after making a
    delta at its mouth.An island named as Shiva
    Samudram and situated approximately 35 miles
    east of Mysore, divides its course into two
    parts. This river is considered so sacred that it
    is called the Ganga of the South.

29
Legends about the Kaveri
  • The Kaveri, Indias second most sacred river, is
    sometimes called the Ganges of the South.
    According to Hindu legend, Vishnumaya, daughter
    of the god Brahma, was born on earth as the child
    of a mortal, Kavera Muni. In order to bring
    beatitude for Kavera Muni, she became a river
    whose water would purify all sins.

30
Legends about the Kaveri
  • In India the river Kaveri has been famous since
    times immemorial. It is believed to be an
    omnipresent river. If a bath is taken on the
    fourteenth day of the Paksha, falling on Tuesday
    and having Vyatipat yoga, it gives immense
    benefits. Those people who get killed by weapons,
    can attain heaven, if Ekodisht Shradh is
    performed at the banks of Kaveri and Seasame
    seeds which is mixed with the water of Kaveri are
    sprinkled in their names.

31
Legends about the Kaveri
  •       South of Narmada, a sacred place known as
    Kaveri Kund has been unearthed. By merely
    taking a dip in its holy water,a man achieves
    godliness. There is also a Siddh Linga called
    Kundeshwar, which is worshipped by the deities
    and the Siddhas alike. If any person worship this
    linga even unknowingly, it gives immense
    benefits.The benefits attained by taking a bath
    in the holy water of Kaveri is simply
    incomparable .

32
Gandak
  •        This river originates from the Himalayas,
    and while flowing in the southwest direction,
    enters India. In Nepal this rivers is known as
    Salgrami in Uttar Pradesh it is known as Sapta
    Gandaki, and Narayani. Before reaching the
    Mountain Triveni, an auxiliary river Trishul
    Ganga merges with it. Altogether it covers a
    distance of 192 miles and ultimately merges into
    the Ganges near Patna.

33
Gandak
  •        Since it gets water from the melting snow
    perennially, it poses danger of floods to the
    plains during the rainy season. Because of its
    perennical flow it is also known as River Saata
    Meera.
  •        At the source of Gandak, Shaligram
    stones are found which are considered as the
    embodiment of Lord Vishnu, and worshipped
    throughout India.

34
Godavari
  • The Godavari River is sacred to Hindus and has
    several pilgrimage centers on its banks. Godavari
    is a famous river of India. This river flows in
    the southern part of India, starting from the
    western ghats towards the eastern ghats. Godavari
    originates from a large reservoir situated among
    the hills at the back side of the village
    Tryanibak in the Nasik district of Maharashtra.

35
Godavari
  • Before getting merged into the ocean, it travels
    some 60 miles through the narrow and high walls
    of the mountains. Ultimately it merges into the
    Bay of Bengal, making a delta near Daulekharam
    and getting subdivided into seven streams. Out of
    these seven subdivided streams, Gautami and
    Godavari are the main rivers.

36
Religious Beliefs about Godavari
  • From the religious point of view Godavari is
    considered as one of the most sacred rivers of
    India as she emancipates people of all the sins.
    After every twelve years, Pushkaram fair is
    organised at its banks, near Rajmundri Andhra
    Pradesh. Performing of Tarpana (libation of
    water to the deceased ancestors) liberates people
    from all their sins, and they attain the
    blessings equivalent to the donation of thousands
    of cow.

37
Gomati
  •        River Gomati is considered as the daughter
    of Sage Vashistha. One can get emanipated of all
    sins by taking a holy bath in her water. The
    virtues attained by taking a bath in the holy
    water of Gomati is equivalent to the bath taken
    in the river in Kurukshetra, during solar eclipse.

38
Legends about the Gomati
  • The performance of tarpan of the deceased
    ancestors gives liberation even to the souls
    suffering in the hell or born as meanest of
    creatures like insects.An offering of tarpana
    made even without Akshat (rice grain) and Kusha
    (grass), but with the holy waters of the Gomati,
    liberates the souls of the dead ancestors, and is
    equivalent to the Shraddh performed at Gaya.
    River Gomati is considered as a supreme liberator
    of all the sins.

39
Geographical Position
  •        River Gomati flows in the state of Uttar
    Pradesh in India. It originates from a small
    reserviour named Gomat tal,which is situated
    approximately 20 miles east of Pilibhit in
    Uttar Pradesh. After covering a distance of 35
    miles,river Joknai merges into it, after which it
    becomes broader. Many other small rivers too
    merges with it subsequently.       Gomati,
    finally merges into river Ganges, some 20 miles
    north of Varanasi.

40
Narmada
  • In the present times, river Narmada has its
    source in the mountain series of Maikal and it
    submerge into the ocean at Bharonch. Narmada is
    also known as Reva, Samodbhava and
    Mekhalsuta. The sacred pilgrimage of
    Kanyatirtha was also situated at its
    bank.       Narmada is the most important river
    of Madhya-Pradesh and Western part of India.

41
Legends about the Narmada
  • There was a king called Pururva in the ancient
    times. He was the descendant of the Chandravansh
    (Moon). One day he asked his courtiers about the
    means by which a man who attracted by sins could
    attain heaven, without performing religious rites
    like Yagya etc.The courtiers replied that only
    river Narmada is capable of doing that. But, she
    will first have to be brought down to the earth
    from the heaven.

42
Legends about the Narmada
  •        Pururva decided to bring Narmada to the
    earth. He commenced a tremendous penance to
    please Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva after being
    pleased, appeared before him, and asked him to
    demand any boon.Pururva demanded river Narmada to
    be sent down to the earth. Lord Shiva expressed
    his inability, and asked him to demand anything
    else, by saying that this demand is rare even for
    the deities.But Pururva did not relent. Lord
    Shiva then ordered to descend to the earth.
    Narmada said that how could she descend to the
    earth without any base.

43
Legends about the Narmada
  • After hearing this Lord Shiva called the eight
    mountains and asked them as to who was capable of
    giving a base to Narmada.The mountain Vinshya
    said that his son Paryank is capable of
    achieving this feat. But ultimately when Narmada
    descended the whole earth including the
    mountains, Forests etc was flooded with its
    water. The deities requested Narmada to maintain
    some discipline, which she did by controlling her
    force.Pururva performed the tarpana of his dead
    ancestors by the holy water of Narmada
    consequently all of them achieved liberation.

44
The Purification Strength of various rivers
  •        The water of river Saraswati purifies a
    man in three days. Yamuna purifies a man in seven
    days. The Ganges purifies a man instantly after
    taking a bath. But the Narmada absolves a man of
    all his sins, and makes him pure, by merely her
    divine sight.

45
Conclusion
  • By all these examples, we know that Indian
    culture is intricately dependent on water.
  • All of these show that water is given a very
    important place in Indian culture and that water
    is inseparable from it.

46
By
S.Aishwarya VIII-A
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