Uttarakhand: The flow of the Ganges was stopped; people on the ghats began searching for coins, gold, and silver. This process will continue for 15 days

In the holy city of Haridwar, there’s a saying: “The flowing Ganga showers blessings; if it stays still, it bestows wealth.” This comes true during the annual closure of the Ganga Canal. As soon as the water flow stops, thousands of people gather in the Ganges, searching for Lakshmi. This same scene began late Thursday night. Families, who earn their livelihoods through small businesses, spend 15 days searching for the wealth of their dreams in the Ganges’ uninterrupted flow.

From the Haridwar highway to Kanpur, Niarias, searching for their necessities in the Ganges’ lap, often find a great deal. Niarias find wealth and prosperity along with their necessities. When Mother Ganga flows for approximately 350 days a year, they earn money by providing facilities to devotees. People from all over the country and the world come to Haridwar to attain salvation. Those who bathe, donate, and perform aarti in the Ganges’ uninterrupted flow wish that Mother Ganga will bless them.

Searching for the glory of their dreams in the Ganga during the Ganga Bandi

At the same time, many families find a means of livelihood during the annual Bandi. This time too, the flow of Mother Ganga was stopped on Dussehra. As soon as the flow stopped at 11 pm, many families jumped into the Ganges. All received coins, gold, and silver dedicated to Mother Ganga by devotees.

The Niarias’ work primarily consists of offering flowers and applying tilak on the ghats. During the annual Bandi, they abandon this work completely and search for the sand and gravel of the Ganga. These include those who come from other states to run rickshaws, carts, and other businesses. The largest number are working families from various states, who search for the glory of their dreams in the Ganga during the Ganga Bandi.

Jeeva found a cylinder, and Sanjay found a freezer buried under the sand

Many families gathered for the annual Bandi. Jeeva, who makes a living in the fair area by putting up tents and polythene sheets, is the happiest. He says that after the Ganga Bandi, he removed sand and gravel from a spot and discovered a large iron object with a magnet. When he dug, he discovered a cooking gas cylinder beneath it. However, another Niaria, Sanjay, regrets that he also dug, also using a magnet, but found a refrigerator. Members of the Niaria community say the items may have been washed away by the recent floods in Dehradun. Others say the disaster in the mountains is a testament to the devastating damage to homes there.

Thousands of people flocked to the Ganga Bandi

Before and after the Haridwar Har Ki Pauri, almost every ghat is crowded with Niaria families. These families have brought everyone from young children to the elderly to the ghats. Some say they collected a lot of coins, while others report finding small silver and gold ornaments. An elderly member of one family says she’s happy just to have clothes that are wearable. Ramavati Devi says that she used to receive a lot of things, but now the situation is such that people have started donating them elsewhere instead of throwing them into the Ganga. Even coins that shopkeepers refuse to accept are being found.

Railway line spotted again in the Ganges River

The railway line in the Ganges River is a topic of discussion every year. This time, it was spotted again. However, this time, some sections of the line have been worn down by about three feet. Furthermore, the line has been uprooted in several places. Under the bridge in front of the CCR, the railway line has bent and is in the opposite direction for about five feet. It is believed that heavy rains, concrete gravel, and stones, along with the strong current, have damaged the railway line.

It should be noted that the railway line is also a testament to the technology and development of the British rule. It is said that this railway line was connected to IIT Roorkee when the current IIT was known as an engineering college. From there, development projects including the Har Ki Pauri, the barrage, the canal, and other projects were carried out. Local resident Ramesh Chandra Sharma says he is in his 80s. According to what the elders told him, the British government laid a small railway line to transport construction materials.

Construction materials arrived in trains with three to four carriages. These trains carried the necessary materials for the construction work. Using these resources, the British completed various projects, including canal construction. The same railway line still exists today. In many places, it has been buried due to highway construction and the Kanwar track.