Saturday, April 11, 2015

Young Student + Field of Wheat, Humana People to People India, Banganga, Rajasthan, India, March of 2015


In less than two weeks we will revisit this young girl's school and bid our farewell to her and her classmates for this year. They are now sitting under fans and on top of new rugs while taking in the lessons from their teacher. Behind her is the field of her teacher's family, and behind that her village of Banganga, Rajasthan. This is a magical place for me and the word 'Banganga' means a stream created by shooting an arrow, Ban means an arrow and Ganga is the name of a river in India and is synonymous to all the religious water bodies.

'This holy place is about 5 kms from the Kurukshetra tank and it is claimed that Bhishma Pitamah lying on the bed of arrows felt thirst and asked Arjuna to quench his thirst. As he would not drink the water of the mortal world the great hero Arjuna pierced the Earth with his powerful arrow and water gushed out in the shape of a spring.' 

'Bhishma drank the holy water and thanked Arjuna for his great deed. Pilgrims bathe in this holy tank and earn the combined merit of all the Tirthas. It was here that Bhisma Pitamah rested on his bed of arrows until the end of war and gave his last advice to Yudhistara, the eldest of the  Pandavas.'




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