KANPUR: Thousands of people thronged various Gangaghats here on Tuesday on the occasion of GangaDussehra. 'Deep daan' and special 'Gangaaarti' were performed at Parmat and Sarsaiyya Ghat to mark the occasion.

Community charity events were organized in various parts of the city in which people donated clothes and food to the needy and poor people. The members of 'Ganga Suraksha Sena' distributed 'boondi' at Sarsaiyya Ghat and made people aware not to follow puja rituals at ghats causing filth. They motivated the people to clean the ghats.

A large number of people are expected to throng Ganga ghats on Wednesday to observe the rituals of 'Nirjala Ekadashi'. But no preparations have been done by the authorities concerned at the ghats. Parmat Ghat was dirty with heaps of garbage outside the temple. This gave tough time to the devotees who thronged the ghat to observe Ganga Dussehra.

The condition of Sarsaiyya Ghat was almost same. The stairs were unclean. At the Massacre Ghat there was hardly any space for devotees to perform rituals. "We make complaints to Cantonment Board to get the ghat cleaned but no initiative had been taken. The ghat is cleaned by the people of the area," said a visitor to Lalita Mata temple at Massacre Ghat.

Ganga Dussehra is celebrated in the month of Jyeshtha (in June) to commemorate Gangavataran, the descent of the Ganga to earth. "The first ten days of the month Jyeshtha known as 'Dashahara', are dedicated to honour the Ganga. It is believed that if one offers prayers on this day, he/she attains salvation from ten sins. The festival's name Dussehra is derived from 'Dus' which connotes ten and 'hara' which means defeat," said a priest.

He added that after Ganga Dussehra people will observe 'Nirjala Ekadashi' on Wednesday. Women would observe fast. Charity and worship are held to mark the end of 10-day Ganga Dussehra period.