The Ganges in Myth and HistoryNo river has kindled Man`s imagination like the Ganges. From its icy origins high in the Himalayas, this sacred river flows through the holy cities and the great plains of northern India to the Bay of Bengal. In a country where the red heat of summer inspires prayer for the coming monsoon, the life-giving waters of the Ganges have assumed legendary powers in the form of the Hindu goddess Ganga, the source of creation and abundance. Pilgrims flock to her shores to cleanse and purify themselves, to cure ailments, and to die that much closer to paradise. Steven Darian writes of the human experience and the legendary myths that surround the Ganges. While collecting material for this book, Dr. Darian lived by the Ganges, explored her shores, and was a pilgrim to the Ganga Sagar festival at Sagar Island off Calcutta where the sacred river and the ocean merge. |
Contents
The Waters of Creation | 14 |
The Indus Legacy | 39 |
The Transformation of Myth | 58 |
The New Vision | 79 |
Ganga Shiva and the Hindu Temple | 97 |
The Image of Ganga in Indian Art | 114 |
The Ganges in Bengal | 135 |
The Image of Ganga in the West | 161 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agni Alexander Allahabad Ancient India animal Archaeological Arrian Artemis Aryan Asia Badrinath Banaras bathing Bengal Bhagiratha Bharhut birth boat Brahman Buddhist Calcutta celestial century B.C. Christian civilization Courtesy crocodile culture Delhi delta descent of Ganga describes early earth east eastern Figure flowing Ganga and Yamuna Ganges Valley Ganges water Gaur geographical gods Greek guardians Gupta Hastinapura heaven Himalayas Hindu Hindu temple image of Ganga Indian art Indus journey Kailasa king kumbha later lingam literature Loeb London lotus Mahabharata makara Mamallapuram medieval Megasthenes Mela merchants miles Mohenjo-Daro Mother mountain myth Naga Nile ocean paradise Pataliputra Pattadakal Phison pilgrims pillar port Prayag Purana region religion religious Rig Veda ritual River Ganges river goddess role Sagara Sanchi Sarasvati sculpture serpent settlers seventh century ships Shiva stone story stream stupa symbol Tamralipti tion trade Travels tree vahana vase Vedic Vishnu worship yaksha Yamuna York