Gangapuja festival held at the Ravi bank


Express June 22, 2010

LAHORE: The local Hindu community celebrated their first Gangapuja Dusehri festival at River Ravi yesterday. Hindus, mostly from Sindh, participated in the event. Local Balmikis refused to acknowledge the festival.

Festivities were also held at the Neela Gumbad Temple yesterday. Bhagat Lal, temple’s pundit, said, “this is the first time a festival is being held to mark the birth of Ganga Mayya (River Ganges) in Pakistan.”

“In India, the festival runs for ten days, however, we will only hold it for a day,” he added.

Susheela Raj, who came from Karachi, told The Express Tribune that Hindus, residing in Pakistan, are celebrating the event at the banks of River Ravi for its accessibility.

Elaborating the rituals, she said, “We normally visit and bathe in River Ganges. We also take Ganga Jal (Ganges water) home and use it for ‘purification’.”

“We float offer coconuts and oil among other edibles, to the river while reciting various religious hymns.”

“This morning, Pundit Bhagat and I performed the rituals together,” she reiterated.

Krishna Temple president Dr Munawar Chaand, the Balmiki community leader, said he had no knowledge of the festival.

Responding to a query, he said, “No festivities were held at the Krishna temple.”

Festival history

Rajesh, an Umer Kot resident, also attending the festival told The Express Tribune that the festival is celebrated to mark the birth of River Ganges. In Hindu mythology, he said, “Ganges is considered the daughter of the Himalayas and goddess Mina.”

“It is believed that Ganges, at one time, took human form and married King Shantanu. Together, they bore Bhishma, who has great relevance in Hinduism, for the wars he fought,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2010.

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