Hinduism and the Ganges River

1
Hinduism and the Ganges River
2
I. Hinduism Core Beliefs

• Believe in many gods
• Reincarnation the rebirth of souls after death
• Moral consequences of a persons actions karma
• People have certain moral duties, known as dharma

3
I. Hinduism Core Beliefs

• Caste system is a system of social classes
• Four basic castes
• Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras
• A person can move into a different caste only
  through reincarnation
• Puja worship

4
II. Ganges River

• Flows more than 1,500 miles
• Provides water for drinking, farming, and
  transportation
• Spiritual significance Ganges is known in India
  Mother
• The Hindu beliefs, the Ganges is a sacred river
  that brings life to its people

5
II. Ganges River

• Believe its waters have healing powers
• In some places, wide stone steps lead down to the
  water
• Pilgrims come from all parts of the world to
  drink and bathe in its waters
• They also come to scatter the ashes of deceased
  family members
• Varanasi thousands of people gather to Puja

6
Ganges in Trouble

• One of the most polluted rivers in the world
• Millions of gallons of raw sewage and industrial
  waste flow into the river every day
• Bodies of dead animals float on the water
• Human corpses are thrown into the river
• Water is poisoned with toxic chemicals and deadly
  bacteria
• Industrial waste
• Pollution in the Ganges remains an enormous
  problem
• According to many Hindu believers, the Ganges is
  too holy to be harmed by pollution