Ganga Dussehra 1963

On the Shukla Dashami of Jyeshtha, in the peak of summer just before the monsoon. It usually falls a day before Nirjala Ekadashi. This year's date is shown above.

From dasha-hara — 'the remover of ten' — because a bath in the Ganga on this day is held to wash away ten kinds of sin (three of the body, four of speech, three of the mind). It is unrelated to the autumn Dussehra of Vijayadashami.

For the ten sins the Ganga carries away: ten dips, ten lamps, ten flowers and ten of each offering are made, and dana of ten items is given.

A bath in any sacred river or, failing that, adding Ganga-jal to the home bath water and worshipping the river with remembrance is accepted; the tradition holds even the remembrance of Ganga to be purifying.