Environmental and Human Disruptions on the Ganges River

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The various sacred traditions and beliefs of the Hindus capture the attention of people from diverse cultures around the world. From believing the Brahman is perceived as an impersonal form of God to performing Bhakti yoga to surrendering the soul to God, Hinduism promotes innovative ideas to calm and relax the bod, mind, and spirit. In addition to these particular practices, Hindu’s respect their geographical surroundings of the Indus River Valley. It is said that from this “valley,” ritual purity was important and often achieved by bathing or using water. In accordance with the previous statement, a certain tradition sparks further research amongst historians. This tradition involves the cleansing and bathing of the body, the sacrificing of animals, and the burning of deceased bodies in the Ganges River. Today, these purifying rituals have arguably yielded rise to not only the most detrimental health problems and diseases spread amongst the bank-side dwellers of the sacred Ganges River, but also have caused unwanted environmental disruptions.

An article entitled “A Sacred River Under Assault” from the New York Times highlights the so-called “assaults” to the Ganges River, “…a sacred river, in a holy city, under assault from shovels, pickaxes and earth movers…large stones and boulders are pulverized by loud machines that coat orchards and villages in dust.” The Ganges River has become worth millions of dollars within recent years due to mining. The impact of the mining on the nearby towns and the river itself includes pollution, dust clouds, and “profound disrespect to Hinduism’s holiest river” (Morrison). This controversy has brought about multiple court proceedings and fasting rituals by advocacies of Hinduism w...

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Singh, A. K. "Chemistry of Aresenic in Groundwater of Ganges-Brahmaputra River Basin." (n.d.): n. pag. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

"Swagatam | Vishwa Hindu Parishad | Official Website." Vishwa Hindu Parishad Official Website Swagatam Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.

"Tehri Dam Rehabilitation Issue Hots up Again." The Times Of India. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.

Tomalin, Emma. "Biodivinity and Biodiversity: Perspectives on Religion and Environmental Conservation in India." n. page. Web.

Van Voorst, Robert. Anthology of World Scriptures. 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011. 49. Print.

Wax, Emily. "A Sacred River Endangered by Global Warming." The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 17 Jun 2007. Web. 2 Oct 2013.

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