Story of Maa Dhari Devi

Gangotri is a significant pilgrimage site located in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. It is renowned as the source of the Ganga River, one of the holiest rivers in Hinduism. Gangotri is situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi River and is home to a sacred temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. It is an essential part of the Char Dham Yatra, drawing thousands of devotees each year who come to worship and seek blessings from the divine river.

The Story of Gangotri

In the Rigveda, references to the Ganga are limited, but it is in the Puranas where detailed stories emerge. One legend suggests that the Ganga was born from the water of Brahma’s kamandalu (water pot). According to this account, after the Vamana incarnation of Lord Vishnu freed the world from the demon Bali, Brahma filled his kamandalu with water from Vishnu’s feet. Another story connects the Ganga’s birth to Lord Shiva, who, after liberating the ragas and raginis (musical modes) from distress, sang a song that caused Vishnu to perspire. This sweat was collected in Brahma’s kamandalu, giving rise to the Ganga. The river then resided in heaven under Brahma’s care.

The epic tale of Ganga’s descent to Earth involves King Bhagirath, a descendant of the Solar dynasty and an ancestor of Lord Rama. King Bhagirath performed intense penance to bring the Ganga to Earth. There is a sacred stone near the Gangotri Temple, known as the Bhagirath Shila, where Bhagirath is believed to have meditated.

The legend recounts that King Sagara, Bhagirath’s ancestor, had performed a hundred Ashwamedha sacrifices. Fearing that his kingdom might be taken away, Indra hid the sacrificial horse near the hermitage of Sage Kapila. The 60,000 sons of King Sagara disturbed Sage Kapila while searching for the horse, leading the sage to incinerate them with his fiery gaze. Kapila stated that their souls would be liberated only when touched by the Ganga’s water.

Despite efforts by Sagara’s descendants, the Ganga did not descend until Bhagirath’s extraordinary penance of 5,500 years pleased the gods. The Ganga was then permitted to descend to Earth, but to prevent destruction from her mighty flow, Lord Shiva agreed to contain her within his matted locks. This is why the place where she descended is called Gangotri.

The Ganga then journeyed from Gangotri to where her ancestors’ ashes were scattered. However, during her descent, she submerged the hermitage of Sage Jahnu. In anger, the sage drank the entire river, but upon Bhagirath’s request, he released her from his ear, earning her the name Jahnavi.

The river, initially called Bhagirathi, changed its name to Ganga upon merging with the Alaknanda at Devprayag. The Mahabharata describes the Ganga’s significance, including her association with Bhishma, who is considered a son of the Ganga. According to another legend, the Ganga took human form and married King Shantanu, bearing seven sons whom she cast into the river. The eighth son, Bhishma, was spared and later played a crucial role in the Mahabharata.