Gangashtami
Water, one of the five elements of nature, is basic essential to life and symbolizes purification, creation, fertility, and transformation. Wherever water flows, life seems to spring up within and around it. Every drop of water is as sacred as Ganga. Gangashtami (Ganga pooja) is celebrated to honour mother Ganga or water on Aashweeja Krishna Ashtami (Aashweeja or Ashwin masa Krishna paksha Ashtami tithi).
History
Since Vedic period, water is considered as the center of life and held a divine energy. Ancient people who were farmers, without modern scientific knowledge, were capable of recognizing the importance of water in their lives and duly worked to protect, save, and honour it. Being farmers who grew irrigated crops, they understood that water is necessary to create and sustain life. And, they worshipped the creation of life. Maintaining the meaningful tradition of worshipping Ganga or water to value her presence in our life we celebrate Gangashtami.
Customs
On Gangashtami, we go to water sources usually to well or pond in the early morning. We clean the banks of the water source and decorate with rangoli, flowers, kunkum, arishina (halidi), and akshata. We offer prayers and perform aarati chanting mantra, and singing devotional songs. We fill and get water in pot from water source to home. Then the same water is poured into decorated Kalash and kept in pooja room and is worshipped during daily pooja rituals offering fruits, milk, and sweet dish in naivedya. On the next day the Kalash water is watered to plants.
