BHAGYASHREE BAVARE
Somaiya Vidyavihar University bhagyashree.bavare@somaiya.edu
GAṄGĀ AS A RIVER AND THE GODDESS: EXPLORING HER DIMENSIONS THROUGH SELECTED STOTRAS Gaṅgā, the holy river is worshipped in Indian culture not only for her nourishing aspects but as a purifier of sins. Ancient literature exhibits her elevated status from an important river to a goddess. Soon she became the epitome of the motherly love with which she cleanses the sins of her children approaching her with piety and prayers. These shifts can be observed through the mahātmyas in Epics and Purāṇas and the stotras sung with devotion. Stotras help transcend the geographical boundaries of a river and move closer to her divine form. Various eulogies of Gaṅgā like the ones attributed to sage Vālmikī, Śaṅkarācārya or even up to Vāsudevānanda Sarasvati, all help in understanding the continuity of the faith, shifts in the devotional practices and beliefs. Thus, this article will examine some selected stotras of Gaṅgā to explore—(i) how the geographical features transform into theological landscape of tīrtha, (ii) How the faith in the divine power of the waters and purificatory rites gets woven into the stotras, and iii. how stotras define their own efficacy of granting the profits