The Ganges

The Ganges river is in many way the heart of Indian civilization. For many, the Ganges is a source of daily life. Additionally it is the most sacred river to Hindus. For Hindus, the river personifies the goddess Ganga. The story of the Ganges' genesis is told in the Ramayana.  

Sakara, one of Rama's ancestors had many sons. His sons hastily tried to kill a saint they believed responsible for hiding the horse sacrifice in the depths of the Earth. The innocent saint, with only a glare burned them to ashes. Years later, Sakara's grandson, Bhagiratha wanted to bring their spirits to rest. He prayed and meditated for 30,000 years to gain the spirituality necessary to bring the Ganga down from high heaven. Her force hitting the Earth would tear it apart, so Shiva appeared and allowed the full force to come down his head, then hit the Earth. The clean waters flowed across the Earth, filling the pit that Sakara's sons dug while looking for the horse. This pit became the Earth's oceans. This water descended down to the ashes of Sakara's sons, releasing their spirits. The waters then nourished the people. Its waters can grant salvation. 

Thousands today rely on the Ganges and bathe in its waters to ensure their salvation. 

Here are some pretty pictures of the Ganges river.... 

January 20th- Sikhism

Our latest class was a basic overview of India's history. It was nice to learn about the history of the area I will be living in all  summer. What it made me realize is I scarcely know anything about India's history. Sure, I've read a few books about India, but all that was recent history, primary British imperialism.  I vaguely remember a fifth grade report I wrote on Inda, but besides that I am woefully ignorant. So, the next few posts will be the results of my attempts to educate myself. I will begin with the religions of India, namely Sikhism. Sikhism is a relatively new monotheistic religion formed in the 15th century. Sikhs are mainly found in the Punjab region (on the border of Pakistan) in India. It is the fifth largest religion with 25 million followers. Its was founded by Guru Nanak Dev and continued by ten successive Gurus. Sikhs view themselves as a saint-soldier. Their basic doctrines are faith and justice. Self control over vices is emphasized as well as pursuing worthy virtues. They must have the courage to defend all those who are persecuted regardless of race, religion or beliefs. I was inspired by the beauty of their beliefs. It seems the more I learn about other religions, the more surprised I am at how similar our teachings really are.