Ganga

गङ्गा

Ganga Maiya, the river Ganges as a divine mother who purifies and frees souls

Ganga is the river Ganges honoured as a goddess and as a mother, Ganga Maiya. Devotees tell that she flowed in heaven until King Bhagiratha's austerities called her down to free his ancestors, and that Shiva caught her in his hair to break her fall. Accounts of her birth differ: some texts link her to Vishnu's foot, others call her Himavat's daughter and Parvati's sister, and in the Mahabharata she is the mother of Bhishma.

People turn to her for purification, forgiveness and the liberation of souls. They bathe in her waters, light lamps for her at dusk and gather for evening aarti; Gangotri is regarded as her seat. Ganga Saptami, Ganga Dussehra and Dev Deepawali, when lamps glow on the ghats of Varanasi, are among her festivals. In Bangladesh the river is worshipped as the Padma.

गङ्गा

No. 063

How to recognise Ganga

Makara mountShe stands on the makara, a water creature that is part crocodile and part fish with a curled tail, and its look varies by region and period; early medieval sculpture also shows her emerging from its mouth.
KalashaA round-bellied water pot holding sacred water or the nectar of immortality is her most constant attribute, and it is often shown tilted down, releasing her waters.
LotusShe holds an open or budding lotus, a symbol of purity.
Four arms and mudrasIn the common four-armed form one hand holds the kalasha and one the lotus, while the other two make the abhaya (protection) and varada (boon-giving) gestures; two-armed images with kalasha and lotus also exist.
Face and dressShe appears as a beautiful woman in flowing drapery and traditional jewellery, with a calm, gentle look that suggests both motion and stillness.
Flowing waterWaves or a stream beneath and around the makara remind the viewer that she is the river itself.
Attendants and YamunaSome sculptures add attendants holding a parasol (chhatra), and at temple doorways she is paired with her sister river goddess Yamuna, who stands on a tortoise.

Names and titles

Ganga MaiyaMother Ganga, the loving name devotees use for her
Descent from HeavenGangavataran: her descent from heaven to earth, celebrated at Ganga Dussehra
BhagirathiThe name that remembers King Bhagiratha, whose penance brought her to earth
Caught in Shiva's HairShiva broke her fall so the earth would not break
Rider of the MakaraShe stands on her mount, the makara