OH! GANGA By Minakshi

This is a very interesting incident which took place whilst our stay in Auckland.

We visited Auckland sometime mid June 2007 and were there for about six weeks.

One cold evening we decided to go to New Zealand’s favorite destination, Taupo and Rotorua along with our friends holidaying a few good miles away from Auckland. We spend the night in a nice holiday resort and awoke to a glorious sunshine. After the desperate windy evening the sun proved a welcome relief.

We finished our breakfast and headed towards to visit the largest fresh water lake “Lake Taupo”

For sometime we were wonder-struck, spellbound by the gorgeous beauty seeing the stunning blue water, pristine and clean. The lake is naturally protected by the rough and sturdy mountains.

We went for the Jet Boat ride which was all fun and excitement till we reached the base of the foaming “Huka Falls” .Here I would like my readers to know that “Huka” is a Maori, (the native inhabitants of New Zealand) word for “Foam”.

The Waikato river is very wide and suddenly narrows to just one tenth of it’s width as it crosses a hard volcanic ledge. The calm and peaceful water roars and rumbles at great speed along the pass before bursting into the majestic “Huka Falls”

When the water comes down, it gracefully spreads its gown forming into layers with innumerable white and blue beads blowing into soap bubbles playing hide-and seek inside the folds of the decorative layout.

It was here when one of our friends told us “Well I have heard a lot of India” then suddenly with knitted eyebrows as if a hundred questions came up together in his mind and he asked “Why do you call the river Ganges Holy”.

I smiled back and answered “If you fill up a bottle of water from any lake, river and keep it for a few months the water will change color and later on have worms whereas if you fill a bottle of Ganges water and keep the water for years, neither the color will change nor will the water have any worms”

I do not know how far I could convince the gentleman but I could make out he did give a thought to and weighed up every word whatever he had heard from me.

Oh! Ganga

The water is so pure and serene--------- the mighty Ganga begins it journey from the higher Himalayas and elegantly flows down the plains, so rich and resplendent carefully maintaining her augustness passing through many cities and later joins a few more rivers till it empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Today what are we doing to our rivers?

Are we doing justice to nature? We are throwing our wastage, rubbish into the rivers. The mighty Ganga and many more rivers have now become home to many of our carelessness. That day is not far when things will be beyond repair.

I know my article will be read by many people and will soon become a forgotten chapter. I wish I could write a hundred times this is an understanding, self-realization, “Learning in practice” when you read books you just try to remember those things which you like, but when you practice, it works.