Ganga’s Arrival on Earth: Bhagiratha’s Quest

This story lets you know about the Ganga’s Arrival on Earth as per the request of Bhagiratha!

In June of each year, immense grey clouds appear in the sky. The presence of water makes these clouds gray. Additionally, these clouds are spread across India by supplying water to wells, lakes, and rivers and watering the fields. Everybody, and we mean everyone, including men, women, children, and animals of all kinds, anticipates the rains.

According to Hindu Mythology, Once, for a long time, there was no rain for twelve years. Wells and rivers ran dry. There was no water for food cultivation. There was no drinking water. Both hunger and thirst were present. The animals stopped drinking water and started dying slowly.

The land’s King, Bhagiratha, could no longer bear to watch his people suffer as there would be no rain. He declared, “I will travel to the Himalayas and beg the King of mountains to send a river to our land.”

He went to the Himalayas after leaving his kingdom. The King of the mountains was surprised. He summoned the young King and inquired why he had strayed so far from his kingdom.

My land has not seen rain in 12 years. Animals and people are dying. Crops are wilting. I want to prevent their deaths. Please send me a river from your many rivers. Bhagiratha begged to take the river to his kingdom.

“I would have sent my Ganga, my only daughter, to assist you. However, she is no longer with me,” the King of the Himalayas stated.

“Where does she go?” anxiously asked Bhagiratha.

The King said, pointing up, “Up there, where the Gods stay.”

“Could you possibly ask her to come back to earth?” Bhagiratha asked.

The King of the Himalayas sighed. “If only children listened to their parents. Ganga is a naughty girl. No, Bhagiratha, it is better if you ask her.”

Bhagiratha bowed his head. He said, “Oh Ganga, daughter of Himalaya, people here on earth need you,” and extended his hands in salutation. “I beg you to come down.”

Ganga was aware of the people’s predicament and readily granted his request. Bhagiratha expressed happiness. He yelled, “Come on, Ganga, come down to earth!”

Ganga interrupted, “Wait, Bhagiratha. I will descend with such force if I jump from such a high height that the ground will be washed away.”

Bhagiratha said, “Let me think of some way which allows or makes way for you to get down to earth and also protect the earth.”

The King of the Himalayas advised him to seek assistance from Lord Shiva. Bhagiratha, therefore, prayed to Shiva.

Bhagiratha said, “Lord Shiva, only you can catch Ganga as she comes down. Let her gently fall after you catch her before she hits the ground.”

Shiva concurred.

He called out, “Ganga, I’m ready for you,” as he stood on a high peak and gazed up at the heavens. “Get down.”

With his hands folded, Bhagiratha looked up at the sky as he stood near Shiva.

Ganga asked, “Are you sure you will be standing still as I come down, or will you be washed away?” with a sly smile. Shiva knit the brow of his eye. Bhagiratha said, “Please do not get angry right away. You are here to assist me and millions of others who are in need of water.”

“Alright, Ganga, come down with all the force you have,” Shiva said with a grin. “I am prepared for you.”

The assembled devas witnessed Ganga’s descent to earth in the sky. Ganga called out to Shiva, “Here I come,” jokingly. “If you can, get me.”

As Ganga plunged from the heavens to the earth below, Bhagiratha was amazed to watch. The Ganga’s waters sank with tremendous force. Ganga’s water was now connecting the heavens and the earth.

Bhagiratha was in awe of it. Bhagiratha saw a sheet of a waterfall at once, then vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.

“Where are you, Ganga?” In disbelief, Bhagiratha cried out.

In order to accommodate Ganga, who was entrapped there, Lord Shiva had tied his matted hair into a dam on his head. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to escape Shiva’s hair!

“Oh Lord, I know Ganga has been mischievous,” Bhagiratha prayed once more to Shiva. “However, you are here to assist the hungry and thirsty individuals and me. Please let Ganga flow out of you.”

Shiva gave in, and the Ganga water began to trickle down his matted hair.

Bhagiratha thanked Shiva and asked Ganga to follow him as he got into his chariot.

Ganga rode with Bhagiratha as he rode down the Himalayan hills. Bhagiratha kept checking his shoulder to see if Ganga followed him as he drove. He looked back as he abruptly turned after crossing the Sage Jahnu hermitage. Ganga had vanished, shocking him!

She had deviated to enter Sage Jahnu’s monastery. As he felt his lower limbs getting wet, the sage, who was in a state of deep meditation, shook. He found himself neck-deep in Ganga’s waters, laughing at the sage’s predicament as he slowly opened his eyes. The wise man took a sip from the water in his hand after becoming enraged by her. Ganga was surprised when she saw herself being dragged into the sage’s cupped hand and then into the sage’s stomach!

Bhagiratha yelled, “Ganga, where are you?” at Ganga.

A weak voice said, “Here, King, I am in Sage Jahnu’s tummy!”

Bhagiratha dropped to his knees and pleaded, “Sage, Ganga is having fun. Would you please pardon her and let her go? We require her because our land lacks water.”

Ganga was able to escape from Sage Jahnu’s ear.

Ganga joined Bhagiratha as he returned home. She didn’t take any shortcuts this time.

People and animals flocked to her as the Ganga moved through the region. After bowing to her, they took a sip of water from their hands and exclaimed, “Oh, Ganga, you saved our lives.” Crops that had dried up came back. The plants turned green. The flowers opened.

Ganga brought happiness to people, animals, and plants wherever she went.

Bhagiratha called out to her as she got closer to the ocean’s bed, which had also dried up. “Ganga! Flow onto the ocean’s bottom. Put your water in it.”

The ocean grew to capacity quickly.

The ocean’s new life made the sun happy. The ocean was drained of water by his rays. Soon, it started to rain everywhere as clouds formed.

Rain covered the ground and laid out a green carpet. The people of the land praised Bhagiratha for bringing Ganga to earth.