A history about river ganga, and a more in depth look at why we perform ganga Aarti.
River Ganga is considered a goddess which was originally living in heaven. Saint Bhagirath made a long meditation to give liberation to his ancestors (reduced to ashes due to curse of sage Kapil). He was blessed with Ganga by gods.
Lord Shiva held her to reduce her mighty flow. When Ganga flow on the remainings of acncestors of Bhagirath they got Moksha (Liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth). Following the same tradition still Hindu people offer remainings of their dead relatives (after bunring the body) to the river Ganga and expect the moksha for them. In the name of the saint Bhagirath river ganga is known as Bhagirathi at the source and gets name Ganga when it is meeting Alaknanda River at Devprayag.
Since hundreds of years people are considering river ganga as holy river and it became part of their life where they come to get moksha for their relatives which passed away and to remove their sins. The Ganga Aarti is kind of thanks giving to River Ganga.
Ganga Aarti is the most sort after ritual that takes place in Haridwar Uttarakhand, the place is visited by many Hindu pilgrims and many of them do pooja and rituals, with the help of local priests. Ganga Aarti is a religious prayer that takes place at the bank of the sacred river Ganga at the Har Ki Pauri ghat and all the other Ghats in Haridwar. Bringing in tourists and devotees from all over the world, it is a ritual of light and sound where the priests perform prayers with bowls of fire and the ringing of the temple bells.
Visitors float “diyas” (small candles) and flowers, surrounded by the chanting of the mantras and the reflection of the lights off the surface of the flowing river, which is said to be blessed by the Goddess Ganga.
Night Ganga aarti is generally visited by individuals as opposed to morning. There is no passage expenses or charges for the service. Night at dusk priests perform Ganga Aarti here, when lights are determined to the water to float downstream. This is the most astonishing and soul touching scene. Countless individuals accumulate on both the banks of waterway Ganges to praise its enthusiastically. Aarti is finished by the priests chosen by Ganga Sabha.
Ganga Sabha is NGO which is managing Ganga Aarti since it is started. Ganga Sabha is also managing the ghat along with help of govt.
The priest holds large fire bowls in their hands, the bells in the temples at the Ghat start ringing and the chants flowing out of lips fill the air. People float diyas (candle), with burning flickers and flowers in them as a symbol of hope and wishes. The golden hues of floral diyas reflected in the river Ganges present the most enchanting sight. Reach little early to get good place to view the ceremony.
When you plan your trip to Haridwar for this auspicious Ganga Aarti, make sure you book a good place that makes the experience authentic and pleasant.
For a great stay and an amazing experience, you can book Dharma Ganga Cottages, they have their own private ghat for Ganga Aarti, a private ghat ensure no out side nuisance from public, this will be an ultimate premium experience. With lesser people on the ghat its peaceful, here at the cottages you can book however many cottages you want to according to you need.
If you are planning on coming in with a joint family or a large group of friends who are passionate about spirituality and serenity, you can book two, three, four or more cottages, these cottages are posh looking, well maintained, with a ton of services. The cottages are family friendly, they provide play area for kids, there plenty of private parking spots, the kitchen is shared, they also provide delicious hoe cooked food.
Located in Haridwar at a prime location that is near to every place one wold want to visit when staying at Haridwar, 7 km from Mansa Devi Temple and 5 km from Har Ki Pauri, Dharma Ganga Cottages also provides accommodation with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and access to a garden, the staff is very polite and cooperative.
A stay here, at dharma Ganga Cottages will be an experience of a life time, Every evening of every day, you can come here on the banks of the Ganges River to honour the river Goddess Ganga with great ceremony – bells, mantras, music, fire, incense and flowers.
The great thing about staying in a cottage with its own private ghat is, If you wish to have a private Ganga Aarti with your family folks, you can do so by hiring a well-known local priest, You can arrange your own ganga Aarti on the private ghat of Dharma Ganga Cottages, the Aarti can then take place according to holy hours, you and your loved ones can enjoy a very personal experience without the chaos of any crowd, and you can enjoy the good view of the river Ganga, this will be the most peaceful experience on could get in Haridwar. With Ganga Aarti at Dharma Ganga Cottages, may your spiritual journey take a higher lane as you move forward in life going through holy experiences.
