Sacred Water of Ganges
“The Sacred Water of Ganges” explores the stories of the river Ganges and cultural heritage of the fire prayers performed near the river bank. This art installation is the result of a two month journey through India where I traveled from the birthplace of Ganges to the place where the river dissolves into the sea. She is a 1550 miles long living entity and supports 400 million people. Ganges water is known for its curing and curative powers and has the ability to wash off sins and heal. In this project I researched the intersection of science and spirituality around Ma Ganga and how this manifests in the ritual of fire prayers.
According to Hindu religion Lord Shiva came down and slowed the holy river falling from the heavens to the earth through the locks of his hair. Lord Shiva combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the cyclical nature of time. The drops of water from his hair created the river and the goddess Ganga. The concept of the river’s restorative powers is related to bacteriophages (which eat bacteria). The dissolved oxygen content makes it a healthy and healing river that has the ability to cure herself.
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