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The Holy Ganga

The Holy Ganga is a book on the river Ganges that was first published in 2008 by Rupa & Co. and revised edition published in 2012. The author Kaushal Kishore, a known environmentalist and a Ganga activist, writes all three sections of the literary work in twenty-five chapters and discusses the Ganga as a goddess and as the lifeline of India, its pollution problems and solutions. The book received certain excellent remarks from reviewers and experts. The Tribune writes in the book review that The Holy Ganga  is the most suitable for devotees, scholars and environmentalists alike.

The Ganges flows peacefully and sometimes turbulently, through the breadth of India, from her Himalayan source to the ocean.The river sings melodious songs in different voices. She repeats itsometimes softly and smoothly while flowing towards the sea.The sacred waters of the holy Ganga serve all living creatures.She benefits all people irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex,race or wealth.The nature writes the saga of love, in her own language withher own pure ink, and the scribbling goes on and on with thenatural flow. The immortal saga starts as she rises to merge in thearms of her beloved ocean. Lord Krishna defines the Ganga inSrimad Bhagavad Gita. He says, Gam prithvim gachhati itiGanga (the one that descends onto the earth from the heaven isthe Ganga). Again, remember it in the perspective of Ga avyayamgamayatiti Ganga (the Ganga takes one towards the paradise).Today Ganga is the most loved river of the world.The story of her birth and great austerity performed by kingBhagiratha again continues from one generation of Gangaputrato other. Pitamaha Bhishma to Satyagrahi Nigamanand. Most ofthese martyrs suffered on the pin-cushion of pain during variousstruggles. The seers said many things that saints re-asserted.Today, certain sects believe that the river would die as soon asNarmada emerges as Ganga. The river worship cult has its ownbeliefs. Today, the worship of Narmada is an auspicious ritual288 THE HOLY GANGAamong the Hindus. In more recent times, Simhastha Kumbhdepends largely on waters of the Narmada. Because Shipra is nolonger a perennial river. The climate experts further indicate thedreaded future as an outcome of global warming and depletingHimalayan resources.People believed since ages that holy rivers are sources ofprecious gems. The experts of environment, geomorphology andother sciences predict many things. Today certain corporationsare making huge efforts to find gold and diamond in the GangaBasin. Jal Nigam or other such bodies of Urban DevelopmentMinistry are functioning authorities of all precious waterrecourses of the state. Certain indigenous communities fightagainst their policies on some places. Water partnershipprogrammes can bring some new ideas and dynamic leadersduring these struggles.The governing institutions of modern times raise slogans andprepare action plans to save the river. The Government of Indiahas constituted the National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA), on February 20, 2009, for comprehensive and better management of the entire Ganga. The authority promises to treatentire untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents by the year 2020 on proposed venture of US$ 3.5 billion approximately.The international community addressed the issue sincerely on certain occasions. The United Nations, with a single intention tosettle the problem, expected grave presence and unbiased redressal of the Himalayan consciousness at the recent summits.There are thin rays of hope, in present scenario. However,these efforts are insignificant on grass-root-level. There is a necessity of inventing better grounds, strong commitments and new leaders—dynamic and elegant with broad vision. The new generation of India can save the dying river.