Rivers...Holier Than Holy

Hello all. It's been a while since I've written anything, mainly because I returned from India four weeks ago. I'm not quite sure how long I will continue to write in this blog. Will I start a new one, or let them go altogether? Who knows. And most likely, most people who were reading this are no longer doing so. Still, let's just pretend I have at least one reader...

Hindus in India have a belief and subsequent ritual that confused me for a long time. As I'm sure you know, the Ganga/Ganges is considered the holiest river in India. Of course, don't forget about the Indus, the Krishna, the Yamuna, the Saraswati (which doesn't really exist anymore), the Godavari, the Brahmaputra, the Cauvery (or Kavery), etc., not to mention the three most important rivers in Gujarat: the Sabarmati, the Narmada, and the Tapti. All of these rivers, along with the hundreds more, are holy. So holy, in fact, that prayer is essential at each one. Mandapams, temples, and shrines line the shores of each one. Often, as people drive cars or ride trains over rivers, they touch their hands to their hearts in a sign of reverence. Many bless a paise or so before throwing it out the window into the water below. Signs of respect. So, the question is: Why?

I raised this question with a few folks, and the response was always religious: Because she is one of our goddesses...um...okay. Rivers are shes, that's normal. And sure they are goddesses. But is that why they are holy? Or have the rivers been manifested as goddesses because they are holy? The religious explanation explains the result, not the cause, of the holiness. Plus, why should anyone believe it? I may believe in the goddess Narmada Devi, but why should I believe in a Brahmaputra Devi, since I've never even seen the river?

Then, I heard the perfect explanation, one that wholly changed my view of rivers forever. Rivers are, in one word, life. As a student of anthropology and archaeology, I should have thought of this. Essentially, every civilization in the world came about due to a river. Rivers are the source of flowing, fresh water for trade, irrigation, waste disposal, drinking and cleaning, and bathing. Lakes are too stagnant to sustain any growing civilization. Seas and oceans are too salty. So, rivers it is. Without rivers, where would we be? Well, I certainly wouldn't be here, writing a blog that probably no one will read. No, there wouldn't be any civilization. There wouldn't have been tribes, which led to chieftains, which led to states. None of that would exist. Sure, perhaps we would have made it work. But not to the point of getting where we are today.

Rivers are holy because without them, we wouldn't exist. It's as simple as that. So, the next time you pass by a river, show it some reverence. Touch your right hand to your heart, even for a moment. (I wouldn't recommend throwing money out of a moving car...you'll probably hit someone or some vehicle with it.) Show respect. Be reverent. And thank every river you see for giving you everything you have.