Preserving the River Goddess.
October 15, 2007
“On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind -THE ENVIRONMENT. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”
I was going to write about organic gardening or seed-saving or living more sustainable, but then I thought it would be fun to post something from our India book project. When we were in Varanassi (Benares), we were fortunate to spend time with Professor Mishra, a ‘guardian angel’ to the Ganges River. I read the book A Bond Between Woman: A Journey to Fierce Compassion (i highly recommend it) during my first trip to Nepal and India. Professor Mishra is another example of someone who lives with fierce compassion. He has been an inspiration for us and so many around the globe. We all want to help the earth and our environment, but the truth is, we need a lot of leaders like him to help guide us.
Preserving the River Goddess
a visit with Professor Veer Bhadra Mishra
by Patrick Shaw, Photos/art by Jenny and Patrick Shaw 
“If we are not living an optimistic life, then what is there?”
- Veer Bhadra Mishra
Each morning, while the sun’s predawn glow radiates from below the horizon on the opposite shore of the Ganga, 60,000 bathers purify their souls in the holy river’s water along the ghats (steps to the river) of Benares. At Tulsi Ghat, where the great poet-saint Tulsidas composed the popular version of the Hindi epic Ramayana 400 years ago, resides the modern day spiritual warrior Veer Bhadra Mishra. We joined Mishra in his unembellished room, stationed at the top of the long flight of steep stairs leading up from the river like a sentinel post above the sacred Ganga. Now in his 60’s, the white-haired, white-clad Mishra, has been the mahant, or spiritual head, of the renowned Sankat Mochan Temple since the age of 14. In addition to his duties as high priest and administrator of the temple, Mishra is also a hydraulics engineer who served as head of the civil engineering department at the prestigious Benares Hindu University. These seemingly contrasting roles prepared the impassioned, yet calm and gentle Mishra to take on an even greater responsibility that he told us is “the mission of my life” – to clean up the heavily polluted River Ganga.
Although the Ganga is spiritually pure, endowed with the ability to cleanse sins and liberate souls, she is also exceedingly saturated with raw sewage dumped into the river along the 7-kilometer stretch of Benares. Wastewater and industrial contamination from upstream add the river’s dilemma, as well as animal carcasses and human remains that end up in the river because of families who could not afford wood for a proper cremation. This noxious combination of toxins breeds a plethora of waterborne diseases including amoebic dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and typhoid.
Professor Mishra told us that despite these health dangers, people continue to bathe because of the centuries-old intimate relationship between traditional Hindu culture and the river, “They cannot live without Ganga as a fish cannot live without water. For them Ganga is divine, Ganga is Goddess. Looking at her with devotion, touching her water, submerging our body into her waters and sipping that water will give you Bhukti and Mukhti – will give you well being in this world and salvation after you leave.” But he also warned, “If they go on using the polluted water, at some point they will die, and with them this culture associated with Ganga. This tradition and these endangered species of human beings will be over.”
Motivated by immense love and respect for Ganga, Mishra spearheaded the formation of the Sankat Mochan Foundation. Sankat Mochan is a name for the Hindu deity Hanuman and literally means “the reliever of dangers and difficulties.” Their vision is to restore the Ganga by alleviating deteriorating environmental conditions, to promote education and health care programs for the less privileged and to maintain the ancient cultural traditions of Benares. With international support, SMF works with the community to educate everyone from children and boatmen to government officials about environmental concerns affecting the Ganga. Mishra tells us, this takes an understanding of cultural sensitivities, “If I start talking with the common people and say that ‘Ganga is filthy, dirty, it’s polluted,’ people would say ‘please do not say this, it is unbelievable, this is disrespect to Ganga Ma.’ But if you take them to a point where the sewage is discharging to the river and show them what is happening, they say ‘this must stop.’”
With the help of UC Berkeley, SMF developed a plan to completely eliminate sewage discharge into the river. It involves an interceptor line that catches the sewage before it runs into the river and feeds it by gravity to a series of treatment ponds that utilize algae to transform the wastewater into usable water for land irrigation and fishery ponds. This technological solution is less expensive to build and operate than the current government-installed system that relies on large amounts of regular electricity (a rarity throughout India) and is not suited to clean up the levels of pollution found in the Ganga. Mishra hopes that once Benares succeeds in transforming their portion of the river, it can be a model for all the cities on the Ganga, all the rivers in India and endangered environments throughout the world.
Although SMF has the support of the residents and the local government for their plan’s implementation, the state and federal government refuses to budge from there failing program. The greatest obstacle to a clean Ganga in Benares has become the power, ego and selfish financial priorities of India’s mired political system even when “they know in their heart of hearts” they must do the right thing. “I know that one has to be persistent and one has to be resilient. So, I’m both,” Mishra told us, “I’m just not creating any tension for myself and I believe in God and I believe in miracles. Some day something will happen and we will be able to clean this river.”
www.sankatmochanfoundationonline.org
11 Responses to “Preserving the River Goddess.”
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© 2012 jenny sue kostecki-shaw · coloredsock@mac.com · 575 586 1726
October 15th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Hey Patrick,
Great article. It is good to hear that both sides of the Ganges preservation are being tended to. I remember when I was there hearing it was one of the most polluted rivers and yet knowing it is one of the most sacred. And I have since heard that the Ganges has some of the highest oxygen content for a river. I guess it is just one more incredible dualities that India holds. Love & Blessings, Ellesa
October 15th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Sri Patrick,
Thank you SO much for this article. Ganga is my Mother. Leaving Her when I learned I had cancer in ’93 ripped my heart open (again). I wanted to buy land in Gangotri, very near Her Source, and I sat by Her every day, swam in Her freezing waters each dawn – up so high I was far north of the pollution of Benares, and even of Rishikesh. She changed my life. I bow to Her.
And to you for bringing Her Call into print. May many many people hear this story. And care.
And may they all “believe in God and in miracles!” And be agents of both….
GANGA KI JAI JAI !!!
Your sister, Sara,
now of Silver City
October 15th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
what a fascinating account of a river, an angel and a dilemma that is so TYPICAL of so many problems in india.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
dear Patrick and jenny,
thank you for sharing your blog, very beautiful and inspiring words and images. the world seems to be coming to a place where science, religon and spirituality merge, they have in fact become the same thing.
india and other developing countries are facing a great challenge in holding their rich culture and traditions while reaching for technology and modernisation in order to improve the quality of life for future generations.
the world is becoming smaller and we all have so much to learn from each other. may we all find our passion to benefit ourselves and others. Jai Ma, Wyndham
October 16th, 2007 at 2:57 am
Dear Patrick and Jenny:
a haiku for you:
The river, like life,
meanders through all our days.
Bank on it, for sure.
Swimmingly,
Mike F
October 16th, 2007 at 7:38 am
thanks everyone for your thoughts–all unique to you and moving and valuable in this time we live. Ganga is particularly special to us, but as Wyndham wrote, this is just one example of challenges all over the world that threaten our environment and cultures. and yes, Sara, may we all care, and ‘believe in God and in miracles’…that’s what it will take.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:51 am
the river is flowing,
flowing and growing,
the river is flowing,
down to the sea
Oh Mother carry me,
your child i will always be,
oh Mother carry me,
down to the sea.
good work Patrick, your words are as healing as your hands. peace and blessings, elaine
October 16th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Patrick,
Thanks for sharing this informative post. It is beatifully written and entirely educational. We can get very tunnel visioned here in the states forgetting just how global these issues are and how inevitabley they do relate to all of us.
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 am
I think it is appropriate to share a similar story.
While in college ,we had done a project on Bagmati river ,one flowing along pashupatinath temple,for our annual exhibition(the same you both attended,but a year ago).Our project entitled “Bagmati:A glace from its origin”,we had intended to see the faces of the river from originto where it ended in Kathmandu valley.For a whole month I was partaking in Bagmati’s journey .The water at the source was so clean and wholesome while the purity diminished as it entered the city.It was so embarrassing to see how she was sullied.Garbages lined her banks (miserly shrunk and replaced by buildings),drainage pipes from industries and toilet & sewage outlets from the houses,incongruously emerging from sides ,made her feel intolerable to digest anything.Trucks and trucks of sands and pebbles and stones(hardly any left now )taken from her bosom made her suffocate to death.We could do noting but feel her pain and empathise.ALL we were able to do at the end for our project were:collect the water samples from different spots where she flowed and take a few pictures of her sad life story.We thought we were not yet so strong as to help her ,but yes we surely revealed or attempted to do bring forward the story that many are unaware and many ignorant about.
And one interesting thing :we met had met another Professor Mishra here .Huttaram Badhya shared his stories of his assotiations with Bagmati since his knew her from his childhood .he was a man who saw many faces of Bagmati for last 80 years.He recalled his days when Bagmati flowed with her profound real beauty ad charm.The first agro-engineeer ,Baidhya has been devoting his life for the revival and revitalization of what he calls “My mother: Bagamati”.He has done all possible on his part being involved in his organization.His articles often published in dailies regarding the stories of Bagmati and his complaint against ignorance from the concerned authorities are still struggling .
I hope his struggle finds a good place and Kathmandutians will soon see the original Bagamati.
Patrick I think I have added one guide .As you say we really need guides like Mishra and Baidhya to save our nature and it would be even better if everyone of us are guides in anyway we can(like you were with this article) in that case. love, surya
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:30 am
Go for it,Patrick. Wonderful article, I’ve know for so long the Indian River problem, and with time all problems are solved.
I’m definitely going to read Prof. Mishra’s book, whenever.
Keep writing. I do.
Sincerely, Grace (Non-fiction class)
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:03 am
Dear Patrick and Jenny,
Thank you so much for sharing the blog. I also like to thank you for making possible for us to visit Banaras, a holy place, and the river Ganges. I am very much fortunate to get such an oppertunity to have a holy bath.But when i saw it was not possible for us to get a holy dip. we had to go to the other side of the river to find a suitable place. Seeing the condition,me and Mr Dhakal was so much sad. It is great work of you Patrick to start to write something about the preservation of the holy river.Goof luck for it. Hope this will go further and do the best.
Neeru