Devotees In Gokarna Celebrate The Union Of Lord Shiva And Goddess Ganga In A Unique Way

Karnataka’s Gokarna town is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus. It is known for one of its religious sites, Mahabaleshwar Temple, which is a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Recently, the town has been in the limelight after the human populace made arrangements for marriage between the Gods. This extraordinary practice has left many astonished. In Gokarna, the devotees take it upon themselves to make extravagant arrangements for the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Ganga. This rare and unique tradition unfolded in North Karnataka’s town, where people assembled to celebrate the marriage. The entire town unites to play a role in the union.

On the day of Gangashtami, the devotees celebrate the union of Mahadev and The Ganges of the Gangavali region. In fact, some devotees pretend they are from the bride’s side and others from the groom’s side. As per traditions, the marriage ceremony takes place six days after Gangashtami, which is on Naraka Chaturdashi.

As per the scriptures, milk vendors of the Gokarna region participate in the ceremonial procession, as they are given the esteemed duty of carrying the palanquin. This procession is usually accompanied by melodic musical instruments, as everyone sets out to go to the river. Devotees take a ritualistic dip in the Ganges river in the early morning of Gangashtami. Then they set out for the temple to catch a glimpse of the Goddess before her marriage.

In a ceremony witnessed by thousands of devotees and onlookers, Goddess Ganga gives her consent to marry Lord Shiva. This takes place under the moonlight as the women express their approval of the marriage. Six days later, on the upcoming Narak Chaturdashi, on Diwali, the grand wedding of the divine couple will take place.

According to myth, Goddess Ganga deeply loved Lord Shiva and wanted to marry him. Lord Shiva was married to Goddess Sati. After Sati’s death, Ganga approached Shiva and requested him to marry her.  Shiva told her that he cannot think of anyone else as his wife as he loved Sati. However pleased with Ganga, he gave her a boon that she will remain pure till eternity and will be known as the embodiment of purity. Also, her presence will remove all the sins and negative karma.