Running Head: GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? …...

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“Ganga, Gloried or Garbaged?”

A Reflective Analysis on Hinduism and Its Connection to the Development and Deterioration of

The River of Ganges

Sean Eidder Reynon

Kyla Abegail Santos

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

Author Note

The researchers are currently in the second term of the AB MMA program, section DFM7

at the School of Design and Arts Campus of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

This reflective analysis was constructed for the purpose of meeting the demands of the

course REEXSPI under the supervision of Sir Jeff Clyde Corpuz. Contact:

seaneidder.reynon@benilde.edu.ph
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 2

“Ganga, Gloried or Garbaged?”

A Reflective Analysis on Hinduism and Its Connection to the Development and Deterioration of

The River of Ganges

Introduction
Ancient India’s Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata claims the “best of rivers, born of all
the sacred waters” is no other than the Ganges river (Fitzgerald, c.a. 2009).
Geographically originating 2,700 km from the mountains of the Himalaya, and stretches
to the Bay of Bengal—the Ganges River or the Ganga as the Hindu mystics tag it, has a
genesis as immense as its extent (Ahmad & Lodrick, 2019; Cartwright, 2015).
Much like its modern day purpose, the ancient Ganga, who is identified as the river
deity of the heavens, was instructed to descend unto the Earth to cleanse the ashes of
the honorable prince sons of the King Sakara after being incarcerated by the sage Kapila.
Although beneficial, this feat by Ganga was deemed dangerous by the deity Shiva given
the massiveness of the heaven’s river and the impact of its fall. Through the dreaded
locks of Shiva’s hair, Ganga decided to make a descent that had lessened the severity of
the river’s fall on the mundane world. (Haley, c.a. 2014; Teachers of India, 2012) Deemed
by the Hindus as “the most religiously significant body of water in the world. The river is
considered to be sacred and spiritually pure” notes Das (2019), the Ganges river is a
spiritual icon that is the venue for the holy ceremonies and activities alike of its
worshippers. (Richard, c.a. 2019)
Even supposing that it is dubbed as the holiest river which commenced with a clear
and pristine water in India, the legendary Ganges river remains to be exposed from
thriving pollution (Reuters, 2019; IAS Institute, 2015). Encompassing 29 cities with over
400 million people—tantamount to 40% of India’s entire population, the river endures
domestic and industrial wastes, harmful pesticides, half-burned and unburned human
carcass, and mercury contamination (Berke, 2018; Scarr, Cai, Kumar, & Pal, 2019;
Reuters, c.a. 2019). The current disposition of the river made the World Health
Organization (as cited in IAS Institute, 2015) distinguish Ganges as one of the most
polluted rivers in India which exceeds 3000 times the permissible limit on its level of
pollutants (Duckett, 2019; Pafitis, 2017).
Review of Related Literature

Culpability over the current poor condition of the sacred river of Ganges is directed
on human activities. Toxic wastes such as cloth dyes from factories, medical debris, non
putrescible domestic garbage, human and animal carcasses, and even urine and feces
are accounted to be chief polluters of the Ganga. (Reuters, 2019; Ganga Today, 2017;
Rowlatt, 2016) A case study of the river by Sharma (1997) details:
“Along the main river course there are 25 towns with a population of more than
100,000 and about another 23 towns with populations above 50,000. In addition
there are 50 smaller towns with populations above 20,000. There are also about
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 3

100 identified major industries located directly on the river, of which 68 are
considered as grossly polluting. Fifty-five of these industrial units have complied
with the regulations and installed effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and legal
proceedings are in progress for the remaining units. The natural assimilative
capacity of the river is severely stressed.”

Seen as another major contributor to the Ganges river’s jarring pollution are
the religious practices of the Hindus at the river during the celebration of their
religious rites, ceremonies, and practices (Mehta, 2016). An article from
DownToEarth reports:
“But when confronted with facts that Hindu rituals and festivals are also adding to
the pollution, Hasdevacharya dismissed them. He alleged that the allegation was
baseless and shows ignorance of Hindu philosophy; he even termed it as an anti-
Hindu propaganda of other religions.” (Somvanshi, 2015).

Additionally, quoting from Jay Wexler’s title When God Isn’t Green: A World-Wide Journey
to Places Where Religious Practice and Environmentalism Collide (2016):
“Religious practices have caused water pollution in lots of places around the world —
anything, for example, that harms the land, like the pilgrimages I talked about earlier, will
also likely threaten water supplies — but the country where this problem takes center
stage is India.”

Leading the list of religious festivals commemorated by the Hindus in their holy
river is the Kumbh Mela—with a rotating pilgrimage at the four sacred stations of the
Ganges river held over the course of 12 years. The Kumbh Mela, also known as Kumbha
Mela is regarded to be the largest Hindu celebration and gathering on Earth. In 2013, the
most recent occurrence of the Kumbh Mela had housed 120 million people escalating
from the 41 million participant count from its forerunner in 2001. Practices during the
Kumbh Mela include bathing in the river (both clothed and nude), floating candles and
dried flowers and pouring of religious syrups among others. (Zeidan, 2019; Rashid, 2013;
Taylor, 2013)
Gangavataran or the river deity Ganga’s descent unto Earth as the Hindu
mythology accounts, is observed every June into what is called the festival of the Ganga
Dussehra. Still, thousands of Hindus flock to the rivers to purify themselves from sins.
Merchants and businessmen take advantage of the heavy traffic of people by capitalising
on them through selling of their products nearby. As the Ganga Dussehra is observed,
the worshippers float dried flowers, religious images, and lamps to the river.
(MapsOfInda.com, 2018; Agarwal, 2018; Agnihotri, 2016; Gupta, 2010)
Persistently confused with Diwali, Dev Deepavali is a festival of lights with its own
sacred rites. Memorializing the triumph of Shiva over the demon Tripurasur, Dev
Deepavali or Tripurotsav is celebrated 15 days after the Dev Diwali which is also a festival
of lights. As the jamboree’s name suggests, lights fill the banks and even the waters of
the Ganges river. Hindus would have light spectacles involving fire, torches, candles and
lamps set afloat to the stretch of the Ganga. (Srivastava, 2017; Varanasi City, n.d.)
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 4

To relieve themselves from Samsara or the cycle of death and rebirth, the Hindus
take the ultimate panacea literally through the Ganga. Ashes of their dead loved ones are
spread unto the environs of the river as this is believed to be the most instantaneous way
of achieving Moksha or soulful liberation. While cremation of carcasses by the riverbanks
is done by the people on their own without any professional help, the stakes remain high
with the Ganges river as potential diseases and health risks ensue due to the dispatch of
half burned bodies in the waters of the Ganga. Albeit cremated ashes are proven to have
no biohazard properties, ergo it is safe for human contact, Hindu families suffering from
poverty are incapacitated to provide for combustible wood—which leaves them with
unburnt carcasses to be sent to the Ganges despite its perilous state especially towards
the bathers of the river. (Fraser, c.a. 2018; The Guardian, 2016; Singh, 3015; McBride,
2014)
Just recently, the Hindus have dedicated efforts to succor the Ganges river from
its weakly state when the majority, spearheaded by advocates of saving the said body of
water have decided to consult the government for legal assistance in registering the
Ganga as a personal entity that would give it human rights to cease the abuse towards it.
(Environmental Justice Atlas, 2019; Ganga Today, c.a. 2019; The Indian Express, 2017;
BBC News, 2017) Hindus have high respect for the living with their principle of Ahimsa
that is explained as:
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term that translates roughly into non-injury to living beings or
dynamic harmlessness. Ahimsa tends to evoke images of monks wearing cloths
over their faces to avoid breathing microscopic beings and sweeping the insects
off the path in front of them as they walk so they won't accidentally crush one under
their feet. One cannot easily live in today's world without causing some harm to
other beings - but that does not mean we shouldn't try to keep it to a minimum.
(Doniger & Stefon, 2015; Marked by Teachers, c.a. 2015)
Furthermore, the Hindus should also observe environmental protection through the virtue
of the Dharma, and its teachings which are the following as listed by Jain (2011):
1. Pancha Mahabhutas (The five great elements) create a web of life that is shown
forth in the structure and interconnectedness of the cosmos and the human body.
2. Ishavasyam — Divinity is omnipresent and takes infinite forms.
3. Protecting the environment is part of Dharma.
4. Our environmental actions affect our karma.
5. The earth — Devi — is a goddess and our mother and deserves our devotion
and protection.
6. Hinduism’s tantric and yogic traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality
and contain teachings and practices to unite people with divine energy.
7. Belief in reincarnation supports a sense of interconnectedness of all creation.
8. Non-violence — ahimsa — is the greatest dharma.
9. Sanyasa (asceticism) represents a path to liberation and is good for the earth.
10. Gandhi is a role model for simple living.

Data

To further the researcher’s knowledge on the relation of Hinduism and its practices
to the development of the Ganges river, the students have opted to hold an interview as
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 5

a methodology for this study. Personal communication is seen to be the most fit form of
data-gathering from the interviewee which is profiled as the following:
Complete Name: Sneha Bhatia
Age: 19 Years Old
Educational Background: High School at Operation Brotherhood Montessori
Center & College at Mapua University, BS Computer Science
Occupation: Student
Religious Affiliation: Santa Dharma, Hinduism
Number of Years in the Religion: Since Birth

It was considered that the aforementioned person be the primary source for this
analytical paper as the interviewee is a devout Hinduism worshipper and have beliefs,
cultures, and practices imbibed in her. Throughout the length of the interview, the topic
was only limited to the connection of the religion to the Ganga, and how it has arrived and
be relieved from its current status. See Appendix for the full transcription of the interview
(Sneha Bhatia, Personal Communication, 2019).
Reflection and Recommendation

Referencing from the conducted interview with the primary source and supported
by the facts previously stated in the review of related literature—the researchers have
arrived at the following conclusion regarding the matter of Hinduism and its contributions
to the Ganga.
Religious rites contribute greatly to the pollution of the Ganges River. With
the dense population of India and its majority being worshippers of Hinduism, their sacred
practices, especially those concerning the Ganga manifests a high potential for pollution
in the route of human activities. Although their efforts are intended at religious inspiration,
ceremonies and rites observed by the Hindus such as dispatching half burned carcasses,
oil and clay lamps, explosion of chemical-induced powders and liquids, wax candles
among others all play a key role in the deterioration of the Ganges river’s quality. The
government can work on this by endorsing religious products that are indissoluble, so
these would perish should it be offered to the depths of the river. Citing from the
interviewee, rituals involving the Ganges River is impossible to be ceased. What can be
done is to discipline the worshippers to observing religious practices while exercising
environmental precautions.
Hindus are in denial of their own faults and contribution to the environmental
problem they face. Despite the dire conditions of the Ganges River, the people still see
it as holy as it has ever been as suggested by its mythical origins. Somvanshi (2015)
reports:
“Dung by virtue of being dung is not pollution if it is in its rightful place –the toilet
or open field. But dung in the house or kitchen is pollution. In other words, out of
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 6

sight out of mind. Thus Ganga carrying away all the filth to somewhere else justifies
the act of putting dirt in it.”

This prevailing belief has misdirected the mindset of the Hindus regarding the hazardous
capacities of polluting Ganga—thus the populace have no rigorous stance in terms of
protecting the Ganges from decimation as reports prove how the people blatantly dispose
their wastes on the banks of the said body of water.
Ahimsa can be raised to halt the violence over Ganga. Considering that the
Hindus have spiritual principles and virtues, such as the Ahimsa or non-violence, the
government and the religious institutions may work collaboratively in achieving success
in convincing the population into being more keen with their practices towards the Ganges
River. Provided that the Ganges River is ruled as a living entity, religious guides and
leaders can remind the worshippers of their principles of peaceful outlook towards all
living beings including the Ganga. By instilling this disposition to the majority, the
population will be compelled to observe the said virtues and become careful towards their
use of the Ganges River.
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 7

Appendix
Sean: May napanuod akong documentary about Ganga River tapos parang sinasabi lang
ng mga environmentalist, gusto sana nilang i-replenish kaso what’s stopping them is yung
people throwing, aside from toxic is yung-
Sneha: It’s not toxic, it’s ashes. It’s not full toxic.. In our religion, ashes are, they symbolize
something important to us. Yeah, maybe it’s not good right now but the factories
Sean: What?
Sneha: The major thing that’s inside Ganga River, it’s actually called Ganga, there’s
actually backstory why its called Ganga
Sean: I think I read about it, something like related to the God Shiva
Sneha: Yeah
Sean: Yeah, it’s somehow like that
Sneha: Yeah, she wanted to marry Shiva but Shiva said no because I’m married to
Parvati so what happened she tried to suicide there so what Shive said, from there, this
river will be Ganga and who ever takes take a shower/ dip in that river or that bank cause
Ganga is not only connected in one cit, it’s in multiple cities, so it’s called Gangotri, it’s a
bank and there’s a river. Actually there’s a river that connects Ganga: Yamuna, Jangna,
Ganga.
Sean: Tapos diba they put their ashes their kasi para ma-relieve yung cycle ng samsara
Sneha: it’s parang salvation
Sean: Yeah
Sneha: Yeah
Sean: Ano yun? Moksha?
Sneha: Moksha
Sean: Ayun, tas parang, gusto namin malaman kasi like paano ba magagawan ng paraan
na they still follow tradition ng Hinduisim but still they can still ano...
Sneha: Actually, did you know, there’s also a thing, if you want to go to Ganga, you need
to get injection or vaccine before going inside. That’s what I heard from my mom but im
not sure.
Sean: Vaccine for what?
Sneha: For going inside the Ganga
Sean: No, like, what is the vaccine for? And have you been to the Ganges?
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 8

Sneha: I have never been there

Sean: To the Ganga?
Sneha: No, only my dad cause when my grandfather passed away, he was the one and
his brother who went and got his ashes.
Sean: Kasi it’s really important to-
Sneha: Yeah, the son does it not the girl.
Sean: Oh okay, kasi diba it relieves from the burden of your reincarnation
Sneha: It’s almost like that, one time for getting your peace. It’s not that it’s your salvation,
parang it’s just giving that person / soul peace. Like okay, you’re going to, inside like, to
a holy river and yun parang yun yung symbolization.
Sean: What else, so yun paano mabibigyan ng solution?
Sneha: Based on me, Hinduism, it’s very, it’s gonna be a very big politics, magiging
sobrang big politics. It’s very big politics, that if we gonna stop that right away, it’s gonna
be very big politics, and Ganga is a very sacred and holy, parang Indians will fight for that,
hindi pwedeng ganon because first of all, it has a lot of stories, first of all its one kind of
pilgrimage para samin, so basically it’s not gonna be nice if they’re gonna stop that
tradition right? Cause Hinduism is the oldest religion and we don’t know who is the
founder but Hinduism, Hindu is not the real name of hinduism, its Sanatana Dharma, thats
the real name of Hinduism, Hindus are the followers, and revamping, or yeah you could
say that start curing it, start cleaning it, start like stop the factories. Yeah you can do it,
but thinking to stop putting it there or submerging into that is not gonna stop, it’s gonna
be a very big debate in India. If that stops, it’s gonna be very bad in India, cause there is
one issue called Raman, to build a Raman temple that’s been a very, it’s been a case for
30 years in India.
Sean: The Raman temple?
Sneha: The Raman temple. So the Muslim’s wants to build a Masjid there, a Masjid
meaning a Mosque, Masjid is another word foMosque, and Hindu wants to also build a
temple there, so they want to built a temple and a Mosque so its not happening, its been
keep on delaying cause the other religion is saying why we cannot build that, why cannot
built this so parang nagkakaclash siya. What if it’s gonna, if we’re gonna stop being
submerging the ashes into the river, it’s gonna be a bigger matter. Just building a temple
/ mosque is being a high elaborate controversy in India, what if you stop that for
Hinduisms. As Indians comprises 80% of Hinduisms and 20% minorities of Christians,
and other religions.
Sean: What would you suggest?
Sneha: I would suggest the factory base revamping by cleaning it, but stopping what my
parents have done, what is our tradition, I don’t think it's gonna stop.
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 9

Sean: Pero ano eh, not yung ashes nila kasi diba most of the people na walang money
they’re forced to dispatch yung half burned bodies, what do you think?
Sneha: It’s not actually, it’s not only the toxins comes from the ano, from that river. It also
comes from the city, from mga metro city, napupunta yung toxic sa Ganga river kasi it’s
one of the open part parang...
Sean: Parang yun nga its connected, so...
Sneha: Kasi it’s no, there are three major waters in India, as I said Jangna, Yamuna, ang
Ganga. These three are connected. So itong part na to, yung northside ng India
napupunta yung waste ng Deli, ng Mumbai, and all.
Sean: And it’s connected sa Ganga?
Sneha: Ganga, yes, it goes.
Sean: Wala bang efforts yung government?
Sneha: Our prime minister is very devoted to that, when he fights for his seat, he fights
from Banaras where Ganga is. It’s called Banares, or Varanasi.
Sean: Yeah that’s what I read.
Sneha: Actually, the real name is Banares but its called Varanasi now, the new name is
Varanasi. So, he fights from Ganga so he always says “I’m the son of Ganga”.
Sean: So may effort talaga yung government?
Sneha: Yeah it has many efforts kasi masyado maraming ka-close sa prime minister ng
India.
Sean: Paano yung ano, kasi sometimes hindi rin aware yung people na nagmemerge ng
ashes nila, but yun they also offer flowers and candles which contain insoluble materials.
Sneha: Actually in India, it’s not in plastic kasi diba, have you ever visited a temple, hindu
temple? We don’t use plastic, everything we use is either steel, even if we have food, we
don’t give it in plastic, we use a paper, alam mo yung parang paper na ‘to, we don’t use
plastic, and for there ano, alam mo yung special type of ano made of a leaf na ano, where
they put their flower, that’s biodegradable. Plastic is hardly ano, ginagawa.
Sean: Meaning to say na yung cause pollution ng Ganga River, factory waste-
Sneha: Factory, people not, city waste, factory also.
Sean: Do you also use plastic statues and religious images?
Sneha: That part, Ganga has, what do you call this, has many banks. Some bank is
somehow ginawang holy, for some ginawang livelihood. Parang it’s divided pero when
you go to Banares, their famous for their Ganga aarti, meaning their aarti they do, you
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 10

what aarti right? The worship, the puja, the prayer we do, it’s like that. I’m sorry i’m saying
a lot of hindu words.
Sean: Ano pa ma-susuggest mo sa government?
Sneha: Me? Actually there are initiatives taken by the people...
Sean: What initiatives?
Sneha: Like what I heard, kasi two years ago, TedTalk released a segment on TedTalk,
specific TedTalk, people used to talk about what people are doing in their country, so I
encountered one lady, revamping like cleaning the banks and all, and what do you call
this, in Ganga like in the Gangotri. There a different banks, ang dami ng banks doon. For
the river, it’s not just one or two, there’s more than I can tell. So yeah, the revamping is
really going on but it’s not advertised or it’s not fully supported yet by the people lately.
Pero nangyayari yan, government’s agenda is there kasi the Prime Minister fights from
there eh. So he will make sure that city or that place has to be good.
That city should have electricity. India is known for hydro-electricity cause it’s gonna be
the first country that like Prime Minister just been into Houston, Texas for summit with
Donald Trump. So they had so many agendas how are we gonna revamp the country like
India was used to known the 130th country to do business, now India’s in the 100th. So,
India’s been digitalizing like yung when it came to what do you call this, banning the 500
anfd 1000 bill, yung it also happened 10 years ago here that the banned. Diba they
changed the bills. Pakistan is very scared from India now.
GANGA, GLORIED OR GARBAGED? 11

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