Rivers in Indian Literature 3 The Ganga.

The mighty Ganga has a history rich in legends and myths and forms an integral part of India’s terrestrial, cultural and spiritual life. Ever since the belief that Ganga was the mother of Bhishma, the pillar of Aryan culture, she became a symbol of fertility and a Mother Goddess that nursed, reared and sustained life. Such a river, therefore, struck a chord with Indian writers. 

In Sanskrit literature, the epics and the Puranas she has been portrayed in her most magnificent form. Even though she’s referred to as a mother, she is seen as a young, beautiful and sparkling maiden, vivacious, wayward and sometimes unpredictable. While the Padma Purana mentions her as a lovely-eyed maiden, the Pranatoshni Tanta describes her as of sixteen years.

The Ganga easily lent herself to glorious poetry. There’s a flood of them – Ganga Lahiri by Jagannath Pandit, a court poet of Shah Jahan. Ganga-Varnan by Bhartendu. Ganga Tharanga by Padmakar. Nand Kishore Mishra’s Gangabharan. Ratnakar’s Gangavatra. Surdas and Tulsidas have referred to Ganga for her scenic beauty, religious fervour and symbolic reflection of life. Similies and metaphors acredit rainbow attributes to the river. This magnificence of description is not only a literary marvel but also a fitting tribute to the Holy Ganga.

Writers from different regions have hailed the Ganga too. Tukaran, amongst others, in Marathi. Subramanyam Bharati in Tamil. Vallathore in Malayalam. Bindre in Kannada. Maya Dharam Singh in Oriya. Rabindranath Tagore in ‘Jiban Smriti’ and ‘Rabindra Rachanabal’ considers the river as the sacred thread of Indian Yajna, a thread connecting memories of wisdom, religion and meditation. The flow of the Ganga in itself is an introduction to India. 
Kenya-born G.V. Desani bursts into rhapsody, “Blessed be her stars and the little crescent moon, caressed by her waves, the deathless spirit of the beautiful Ganga too sleeps.”

Contributed by Suresh Yesuthasen