Virtual Yatra to Himalayas (Part 4)

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font-weight:bold">Sai Ram Brothers and Sisters

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font-weight:bold">This is the “Part 4” of the Virtual Yatra to

Himalayas series …….

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font-weight:bold">GEOLOGY OF GANGES

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As explained earlier

the Gangotri glacier one of the biggest glacier of the Himalayas (54km) is the

source of river Ganges. But, as per the new

information gathered by scientists at the Jawaharlal

Nehru University

in India, the glaciers in

the Himalayas are retreating. The glacier

above Gangotri, from which the Ganges

River starts, has

retreated about one kilometer in the past 20 years or so. They further say that

all of the glaciers in the middle Himalayas

are retreating and warn that many of the glaciers in this region could

disappear by 2035. New fears are that the meltwater could produce catastrophic

floods as mountain lakes overflow.

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font-weight:bold;font-style:italic"> (As reported in an article by Charles

Arthur in the June 8, 1999 edition of The Independent in England)

(Disappearance

of glaciers is happening through out the world. The Alps

have lost nearly 50% of their ice in the last 100 years. The Major glacier at Mt. Kenya

has lost 8% of its size, and 14 of the 27 glaciers in Spain are gone forever. It stated

that there were more than 150 glaciers in Glacier

National Park in Montana back in 1850. Now there are only 50,

and it is expected that these will also disappear within the next four decades.

color:gray">This is primarily blamed on the increase in global temperatures by

only one degree since the 1800's. Glaciers, because of being too solid and

stable to show short-term variations in climate, are particularly good

barometers of global warming.)

Geologists

use Sarasvati River as a typical example for their

forecast. This river which was flowing years ago now has totally disappeared.

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color:navy">They further say that the origination mouth of the Ganges, at the

ice cave called Gaumukh above Gangotri, is retreating farther away as the years

go by and thus state that Ganges would

disappear one day.

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font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">“The

Ganga, especially, is the river

of India, beloved of

her people, round which are intertwined her memories, her

hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories

and her defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture

and civilization, ever changing, ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga.

-

By Jawaharlal Nehru, First

Prime Minister of India,

born in Allahabad on the Ganges.

Ganges

had been the source of human civilisation in Indus had been nurturing the lives

for many long years and been the spiritual backbone of India. Will this holy Ganges which

is part and parcel of the spiritual culture and India cease to flow?? What does

Swami say about it?

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color:green">“The great Ganges which is

considered sacred takes its birth on this mountain. Just as the Ganges can

never become dry, so also the Indian culture can never be rooted

out.”

font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">(From the Summer Showers in Bridavan 1972

– Chapter : Customs and Character.)

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color:#003300">The sources of Indus and the Brahmaputra are also geographically

fairly close; the former goes through Himachal Pradesh and fans out through

Punjab and Sind (Pakistan)

into the Arabian Sea. The latter courses for

most of its tremendous length under various names through Tibet/China, not far

from the Nepal or Indian borders, and then takes a sharp turn near the

northeastern tip of India, gathers momentum through Assam before joining the

major stream of the Ganga near Dacca in Bangladesh to become the mighty Padma,

river of joy and sorrow for much of Bangladesh. About 250 miles before reaching

the ocean, the river divides itself into several streams, and drains into the Bay of Bengal

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font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">Himalayas

color:blue"> the treasure box of the earth not only retain the sacred Kailash

and Mother Ganges but also the holy places of Rishikesh, Devaprayag, Badrinath,

etc. Before we virtually reach Badri - the holy abode of Lord Shiva &

Narayana, let’s take a stop at the other sacred places as well.

 

font-weight:bold">RISHIKESH :

 

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As the name says

it’s the place of the saints and spiritual people. It

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color:blue">is located at a height of about 1,360 feet above sea level and

represents the gateway to Himalays

color:blue">. The great Rishis

Vedavyasa, Narada, Sanakasanasada, Sanathkumara, Kapila muni, Goutama, Jaimini,

Yagnavalka, Bharathwaja, Dattareya, Jadabharata, etc attained salvation in this

holy place.

color:blue">According to Ramayana Lakshmana performed Tapas (penance) here too.

There is a Vyasaghat a few miles away where Vyasa did penance.

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Saintly people still

can be found all over the place; under the trees; in the caves, in the

mountains. Each one was in their own state of mind, oblivion of the

surroundings. Some in padmasana; some with eyes half closed; some in deep mediation;

some not conscious of their corporal body; some appearing lifeless; some in a

state of silence; and some acting as lunatics. They spend their pious lives in

contemplation of God and acquiring spiritual wealth.

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font-weight:bold">DEVAPRAYAG :

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color:blue">Devaprayag is situated at a height of 1,700 feet above sea (70 km

from Rishikesh) where the two rivers Bhagirathi and Alakananda meet. From here

only it’s called as “Ganga”.

It is about 14 miles from Rishikesh. Adi Sankaracharya did penance and

installed a Shiva – Parvathi Lingam. As per the legend Lord Rama came to

this place to do penance to nullify the sin of killing the Ravana. At

Bilva–keda nearby, Arjuna went through rigorous asceticism to acquire

from Lord Shiva the weapons for the up – holding of Dharma.

 

 

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font-weight:bold">KARNA – PRAYAG

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This is the place

where the Mandakini coming from Kedarnath joins the Alakananda. According to

Mahabaratha Karna prayed for years and years to get a vision of Lord

Surya.

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font-weight:bold">RUDRAPRAYAG :

 

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Situated 18 miles

from Srinagar

this is the place of the confluence of two rivers Madakini and

Alakananda. It is at this point that the two paths of Kedernath and Badri meet.

Here sage Narada did penance in order to become the singer of divine glory and

for the dharshan of the Lord Shiva. It is believed that Maha Rishi Kanva is

still doing his penance in Nandapryag. There is a temple of lord Shiva here.

Since lord Shiva is worshipped here by the name “Rudra” this place

is called Rudrapyarag.

 

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font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">SRINAGAR

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19

miles from Devaprayag is Srinagar.

During the period of Satya Yuga a king by the name Sathyasand worshipped Sri

Yandra (a talisman). This talisman is now in the river Alakananda in an upside

down position. Here Sri Rama is said to have engaged in penance to realise

Himself in the Shiva Form.

 

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font-weight:bold">To be continued ……………

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font-weight:bold">Sai Ram

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font-weight:bold">Shivathmika

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