Praying & Rafting in the Ganges

Of Rafts and holy waters...

The Ganges is the holiest of all the rivers in India. It is said to be so pure and blessed that even Gods can’t resist the temptation of having a dip in its waters. God’s grace and benedictions make the waters ever more pious and sacred. People from all over the world come to the river for ablution of their souls and to sanctify their lives. The holy water is said to possess a surreal and magical healing quality that can wash away all sins committed in the past. This drives the pilgrims and hordes of other travelers to the highly revered lands of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The Ganges here is flanked by numerous temples and Ghats on both sides.

 

Tourism is thriving not just as a result of pilgrimage per se, river side camping on river beaches and white water rafting also play a hefty role in the flourishing tourism industry. Not to forget, it is the humility of the great river-which provokes the travelers to step out of their sedentary and prosaic lives, and also allows the people involved in tourism industry to make a living for themselves.

Standing in the river with ice cold water at a comfortable height and bathing on the safer banks of the river where the flow is streamline and gentle is one thing, being stranded in the middle of the ferociously gurgling white waters on a wobbly and weightless raft is totally another. More so if you are along with a bunch of jejune rafters like yourself who are quivering with fear, and a callow guide who keeps mum and lets the waters do all the talking and rafts do all the dancing. The rapids are no less horrifying and intimidating than the waves in the ocean, the only differences being -a petite raft in place of a fortified ship and a dissonant team of rookie rafters in place of a crew of seasoned sailors; you know what I mean? It makes for a well cooked recipe for disaster.

  

                                                            

Rafting is a skillful sport which should be left to the professional rafters and enjoyed on television from the safe havens of our homes. The seasoned sportsmen have the required acuity and dexterity in rafting and managing the wobbly air filled tube in tortuous waters.

Caveats pertaining to the inherent dangers and involved risks are elucidated before rafting begins but it does not deter the public from going into the shrieking river. Guides don’t push further as it would be like setting free a trout that was trapped in the net after much waiting. This attitude of the ignorant people clubbed with the acquisitive intents of the private rafting agencies has led to an unprecedented success of the rafting business in Rishikesh than anywhere in the country.

I am one of those ignorant people who jumped onto the raft without a second thought and one of those rookies who had a constant prayer on his lips while rafting. My experience was a concoction of pure exhilaration, anxiety, excitement and much more. It is difficult to completely describe that feeling. If you want to feel the same, go crazy and foolhardy to take up the rafting challenge.

                                                   

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