Unable to get to Ganga, HP residents perform ash-immersion in local rivers

Manali: With ash immersion of the departed loved ones at Ganga Ghat in Haridwar becoming an uphill task during lockdown, the local rivers of Himachal have become “Ganga” for most people who are performing the ash-immersion rituals at the nearest river.

Beas, Chenab, Satluj, Ravi and Yamuna rivers, which are also considered as holy as Ganga, are the new destination for hundreds of people who are unable to reach Haridwar.

Traditionally, after cremation, people of Himachal visit Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar with the mortal remains for immersion. Earlier, people could not get curfew passes and now they need to undergo institutional quarantine for 14 days after return from Haridwar. So, majority of people are taking urns of ashes to the nearby rivers to perform the rituals.

Chaman Lal Sharma, a priest, said, “Our ancestors used to immerse ashes in our local rivers, which are considered as holy as Ganga. Very few people can afford going to Haridwar, as it involved weeks of walking. In a way, we have come full circle. We are taking ashes to our rivers for immersion. In Kullu, people are going to Jia, the confluence of Beas and Parvati rivers, for immersion. However, some local residents requested the priests of Kullu and upper Mandi to find another site in the area for the ritual, as the main confluence point is used for other holy rituals.4”

Paonta Sahib is the preferred destination for ash-immersion in Satluj and Tattapani for immersion in Yamuna. Ravi river in Chamba has also witnessed some ash-immersion rituals in recent days. Residents of Lahaul immerse ashes at Tandi Sangam, the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga rivers which then give birth to Chenab river. “People had forgotten the importance of our rivers. Now, when reaching Haridwar is not easy, we have known that our rivers are important for both the living and the dead,” another priest Kapil Sharma said. According to him, going to Haridwar for ash-immersion and other post-cremation rituals are only a few decades old practices. “The custom has now changed for many who are being advised by their priests to perform all rituals at local river. However, some have preserved the ashes for immersion in Ganga in the future,” he added.

In 2018, the mortal remains of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were immersed in Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Yamuna and Satluj. The mortal remains of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal were also immersed in Chenab river in Lahaul in 2016.