Ganga Dussehra is one of the major festivals celebrated in India in the honour of holy river Ganges. It is the celebration day of avataran of the Goddess Ganga from heaven to earth. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the Dashmi tithi i.e. tenth day of Shukla paksha of Jyeshtha month of the Hindu calendar.
In the year 2021, the Ganga Dussehra/ festival of Gangavataran is being celebrated today, on June 20. The festival is celebrated one day before Nirjala Ekadashi but sometimes Ganga Dassehra and Nirjala Ekadashi fall on the same day.
Ganga Dusshera 2021, Tithi
The Dashami Tithi begins on June 19, 2021, at 18:45 and will end on June 20, 2021, at 16:21.
Ganga Dusshera 2021, Rituals
On the celebration day of avataran of Goddess Ganga on earth, the devotees perform a number of rituals. People wake up early in the morning and take a dip in the holy river Ganga. They read the Ganga Stotra while standing in the waters of Ganga and give alms to the poor to earn blessings.
In the evening, devotees perform Ganga Aarti and offer flowers, diya, betel leaves, fruits and sweets to the Goddess Ganga. They also meditate on the banks of river Ganga.
However, this year the Ganga snan scheduled on June 20 in Hardwar has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Ganga Dussehra, the district borders will be sealed and no one from other states will be allowed to enter.
Also Read: Important events that occurred on June 20 in India
Ganga Dusshera 2021, Significance and history
Ganga is the holiest of rivers for the millions of Hindu, and Ganga Dussehra is celebrated with full enthusiasm in India. People take bath in the rive and offer watermelons and kakdi as a ritual.
It is believed that on this day, Goddess Ganga descended to the Earth to purge the cursed souls of Bhagiratha’s ancestors and brought the purity of heaven to earth.
Ganga flows from several states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and devotees gather to these places to take a holy dip.