In Hinduism, the Ganges river is considered sacred and personified as goddess Ganga. Hindus worshiped her and believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates Moksha and that the water of the Ganges is considered very Holy. Pilgrims plunge the ashes of their loved ones into the Ganges, which they see as a way of bringing the spirits closer to Moksha. Makara an animal with the head of a crocodile and tail of a dolphin is her Vahana.
There are several holy places for Hindus on the banks of the Ganges, including Gangotri, Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi and Kali Ghat in Kolkata. During the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand, candle floats are launched in the waterways to pay homage to Gautama Buddha and Goddess Ganga for their good fortune and to erase sins.
Sri Ganga Devi Namavali:
om gangayai namah ।
maha-bhadrayai ।
maha-mayayai ।
vara-pradayai ।
nandinyai ।
padma-nilayayai ।
minaksyai ।
padma-vaktrakayai ।
bhagiratyai ।
padma-bhrte ॥ 10 ॥
jnana-mudrayai ।
ramayai ।
parayai ।
kama-rupayai ।
maha-vidyayai ।
mahapataka-nasinyai ।
maha-srayayai ।
malinyai ।
maha- bhogayai ।
maha-bhujayai ॥ 20 ॥
maha-bhagayai ।
mahotsahayai ।
divyangayai ।
sura-vanditayai ।
bhagavatyai ।
maha-pasayai ।
maha-karayai ।
mahankusayai ।
vitayai ।
vimalayai ॥ 30 ॥
visvayai ।
vidyun-malayai ।
vaisnavyai ।
candrikayai ।
candra-vadanayai ।
candralekha-vibhusitayai ।
sucyai ।
surasayai ।
devyai ।
divyalankara-bhusitayai ॥ 40 ॥
sitalayai ।
vasudayai ।
komalayai ।
maha-bhadrayai ।
maha-balayai ।
bhoga-dayai ।
bharatyai ।
bhamayai ।
govindayai ।
gomatyai ॥ 50 ॥
sivayai ।
jatilayai ।
himalaya-vasayai ।
krsnayai ।
visnu-rupinyai ।
vaisnavyai ।
visnupada sambhavayai ।
visnu-loka-sadhanayai ।
saudamanyai ।
sudha-murtyai ॥ 60 ॥
subhadrayai ।
sura-pujitayai ।
suvasinyai ।
sunasayai ।
vinidrayai ।
mina-locanayai ।
pavitra-rupinyai ।
visalaksyai ।
siva-jayayai ।
maha-phalayai ॥ 70 ॥
trayi-murtaye ।
trikala-jnayai ।
tri-gunayai ।
sastra-rupinyai ।
samsararnava tarakayai ।
svaccha-pradayai ।
svaratmikayai ।
sakala-papa-vinasakayai ।
sivasyajatare-sthitayai ।
maha-devyai ॥ 80 ॥
makara-vahinyai ।
dhumra-locana-madanayai ।
sarva-deva stutayai ।
saumyayai ।
surasura-namaskrtayai ।
karunyai ।
aparadha-dharayai ।
rupa-saubhagya-dayinyai ।
raksakayai ।
vararohayai ॥ 90 ॥
amrta-kalasa-dharinyai ।
varijasanayai ।
citrambarayai ।
citra-gandhayai ।
citramalya-vibhusitayai ।
kantayai ।
kama-pradayai ।
vandyayai ।
muni-gana-supujitayai ।
svetananayai ॥ 100 ॥
nila-bhujayai ।
tarayai ।
abhaya-pradayai ।
anugraha pradayai ।
niranjanayai ।
makarasanayai ।
nila-janghayai ।
brahma-visnu-sivatmikayai ॥ 108 ॥
