Kashi Celebrates Ganga Dussehra With Sacred Rituals and Massive Devotee Turnout

The sacred ghats of Varanasi came alive on Tuesday with the celebration of Ganga Dussehra at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. From early morning, the temple trust led a series of rituals including the ceremonial bathing and worship of Mother Ganga’s idol amid Vedic hymns. Pilgrims arriving from distant states lined the riverbank, immersing themselves in the holy waters and later seeking blessings inside the Vishwanath shrine. Scriptural references describe this day as highly auspicious, when contact with Ganga water frees the soul from the cycle of birth and death. Speaking to the press, Neelkanth Tiwari recalled the Prime Minister’s personal devotion to Ganga and the launch of cleaning initiatives under Namami Gange. In Prayagraj, religious leaders underlined the overlapping observance of Nav Tapa and Hanuman worship, considered beneficial during peak summer. The day’s main programme at Devi Ahilyabai Ghat featured fifty-one priests conducting a 21-litre milk abhishek, sixteen-step worship, and the traditional Ganga aarti under priestly guidance.