Ganga Dussehra

गंगा दशहरा

Kumaon & Garhwal · Haridwar

Priests raise flaming aarti lamps at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, after dark
Priests raise flaming aarti lamps at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, after darkPhoto: NID chick / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

What Ganga Dussehra marks

Marks the day the Ganga is believed to have descended from heaven to earth. In Uttarakhand, where the river begins, it is one of the most important riverside festivals, above all at Haridwar and Rishikesh.

How it's celebrated

Pilgrims bathe in the Ganga, temples and homes paste the coloured Dwar Patra on their doorways for protection, and the ghats at Haridwar fill for a grand evening aarti. It is considered especially cleansing to bathe on this day.