By: Vikas

Vikas — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:19:44 +0000

I hear ya … I lived in Bombay for over a decade and i can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times i ventured into the water on the beaches. Its not just the water but the beaches themselves. When i was growing up, Juhu beach and Dadar chowpatty were considered dirty but the others like Gorai, Aksa etc were pretty clean. I’m pretty sure thats not the case anymore. Although they did undertake a “clean the beaches” campaign as part of the “Keep Mumbai clean” drive. But with the vast numbers of people visiting the beaches … i dont think its really helped.
Ganga (Ganges) is considered the “pure” one. But the only place i saw really clean water was at Haridwar (way up in North India near the glaciers). There the water was crystal clear … one could see the rounded stones and pebbles deep down at the bottom. I even saved a nice big (probably weighed about 3lbs) oval stone for myself as a souvenir from that trip (this was when i was about 8).
When i returned home from that trip I showed it to my grandmother who promptly proclaimed it to be Lord Shiva and added it to her “God” collection. So it took all of 4 days for that piece of rock to go from the bottom of the river bed to a prime spot in our mini-temple at home.
Anyways back to Ganga water … there’s millions of people that take a dip in the river every year. In Allahabad the city where Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (the non-existant river) meet there’s a massive gathering every 4 years called the Kumbha mela. Its considered one of the holiest places. You can wash away all your sins with one dip in the water. I lived in Allahabad for 4 years and did not even dare to dip a toe into the river. I was afraid it would melt away or something. My grandma tells me i’ll go to hell for doing that but hey … i’ll take my chances Anyhoo … i do believe the Goa and Kerala beaches are lovely. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

Comments on: This is Not Brazil

By: Vikas