I am sure I have taken dip in
much colder and lesser polluted waters (streams mush closer to the Himalayan
glaciers), but I wonder what is so special about the dip in the Ganges in
Haridwar. Is it the peace of mind or the belief that all your misdoings will be
washed off by dunking yourselves in the gushing waters of one of the holiest
rivers in India that makes it so different?
I am one of those persons who
hate going to religious institutions in pursuit of god. I am also the person
who, by sheer chance, gets to go to such institutions a lot. My first trip to
Haridwar was never motivated to appease anyone for my misdoings, nor was I encouraged
at the thought of getting up at early morning hours just to go to one of the
ghats and immerse myself in the gelid waters. I merely wanted to see how many
people gather to do just that.
I was more inclined to do white river rafting at Rishikesh
and Haridwar was on the way. When I got to know that Ganga Aarti, performed
everyday at sunrise and sunset, at the Har-ki-Pauri ghat can give me a sense of
people’s faith & belief in god, I decided to make a halt at Haridwar and
witness it once. Although the morning aarti mayn’t exactly replicate the
impression that evening aarti creates but I had to make do with the morning one
as I was reaching Haridwar at odd morning hours.
I reached Haridwar at about 3
a.m. with another friend, found a place to sleep for the next couple of hours,
just to get up again to experience the chill of taking a dip in the holy
Ganges. We took our clothes with us and reached the Har-ki-Pauri ghat before
sunrise. While the weather was gentle in May, water in the Ganges, which originates
from the Gangotri glacier, at 5: 30 a.m., was understandably extremely cold. Only
courage or faith can make you plunge that time. At that moment, courage helped
me make the dive and boy, wasn’t it invigorating!
It was an experience I would not
ever forget all my life. Neither the extreme pace of the mighty river ready to
take one along nor the low temperature making it harder to breathe would make
me come out. I remained in the river holding the supporting chains as long as I
could. But coming out, I was at peace with myself. I felt overwhelmed. It was
surely not cold. But even after taking the dip twice now, I am still scratching
my head to understand what is it that makes you so relieved and unburdened
after the dip. It made me feel alive and excitedly I joined the crowd for the
Ganga Aarti. I can’t really say that I started believing in god from that day
but now I do enjoy coming to Haridwar just to be part of the mass that show
their trust for god.
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