The auspicious Ganga Saptami was celebrated at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills on Thursday, 23 April 2026. Ganga Arati commenced at 5.30pm followed by Satsang. The Satsang programme comprised readings from the book, Mother Ganga by Sri Swami Sivananda, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message, Kirtans and Bhajans.
Sri Swami Sivananda considered the Ganga to be the most sacred river of India, and says that Ganga Saptami marks the day when the sacred waters of the Ganga descended from the heavens. Lord Siva received Mother Ganga in His matted locks on this day.
In the reading entitled, “Lord Siva Receives the Ganga”, from the book, Mother Ganga, Sri Swami Sivananda, said, “Again, Bhagiratha sat doing rigorous penance for a full hundred years. It is needless to say that Lord Siva, the Protector of all His devotees, was immensely pleased with the king and readily accepted to check and control Ganga through His matted locks. With surge, fury and foam, Ganga began to descend from celestial regions. Flashes of lightning, thunders from clouds, and the uncontrollable flow seemed as if a deluge was about to devour the whole world. But Lord Siva coolly received Her in His matted locks and let Her drip over Him. This is the Ganga Saptami Day”.
In the poem, “O Adorable Mother Ganga”, Sri Swami Sivananda extols the grandeur, beauty and divinity of Mother Ganga. He portrays Mother Ganga as: a Divine Mother - compassionate, ever-forgiving and nurturing all beings; as a Purifier - cleansing not only physical impurities, but mental and spiritual ignorance as well; as a Liberator - granting freedom from the cycle of birth and death, and as an Embodiment of Grace - flowing endlessly, just as divine mercy flows towards all.
Pujya Swamiji’s audio message focused on the themes of self-surrender and Divine Grace. He cited the anecdote of a disciple of Sri Aurobindo, who had a deep and abiding desire for God. Despite her simplicity, lack of qualifications and credentials, she realised God after 20 years, only because of her self-surrender, faith and yearning for God. Similarly, Grace can descend on any sincere disciple when the time is right. He said, “Today, Gurudev’s Grace is a matter of common experience, at least to me”. Pujya Swamiji encapsulated whatever thoughts came from Sri Gurudev into the booklet, Faith and Self-Surrender, a booklet which is the panacea for all problems. He said that initially he didn’t know anything about self-surrender. Upon deep reflection, he realised that the path that Sri Gurudev wanted him to follow was the path of self-surrender. When one is tested and tried, and if one succeeds, then it is a sign of surrender. One can realise God within, but one needs not change one’s external nature. Sri Gurudev encouraged complete change on the path of transformation, for which self-surrender is a necessity. Self-surrender will enable one to get rid of sorrow, suffering and pain. Complete transformation is a sign of self-surrender. He said, “Because we resist, we delay our progress”, thus limiting transformation and self-surrender.
Sri Swami Sivananda often encouraged devotees not only to bathe in the physical Ganga, but to internalise her purity, and to let the “inner Ganga” flow through pure thoughts, selfless actions, and devotion. His love for Mother Ganga and the esoteric meanings he attributes to Her, remain a powerful blueprint for devotees, laymen, modern youth and generations to come. He advocates selfless service, urging us to give like the river which sustains everyone, without discrimination. This promotes social harmony and altruism in a self-centered world. Furthermore, he emphasizes resilience. Just as the river flows around every obstacle to reach the sea, we must persist steadfastly towards our goals. His focus on purity - keeping the mind unpolluted by negativity, offers a spiritual remedy for modern-day challenges and problems. Ultimately, it’s about transforming our lives into a steady, purposeful flow towards higher consciousness, namely inner transformation through self-surrender.
