RIVER GOMATHI

Dear friends

This is part 14 of the posting under the above title and I have covered all the rivers told under the title. 

I am continuing under the same title since many members responded expressing the desire to post about other rivers also and felt the title good.  

I am writing about River Gomathi in this posting and   will be continuing in next posting also. 

Sincerely,

Gopala Krishnan    11-4-2010

1. Introduction

Name Gomathi has fascinated me much since one among twenty Brahmin girls has Gomathi as the name. Short named they may  be mostly called as Gomu by other Brahmins and Gomathi ammal, by other communities. 

I never knew in my boy hood days Gomathi is the name of a River. Even Later when I read about Rivers in Kerala and Tamilnadu, Gomathi never figured in them. It is very late I understood it is a tributary of Ganga. In fact Dwaraka is/was on the banks of Gomathi. If I would have read Bhagavatham on boyhood days probably I would have known it. 

There was one Gomathi ammal as colleague to me in Telecom circle office at Trivandrum. She made all attestation of my pension papers copies.  Let me go to river Gomathi details. 

2. Gomathi- Daughter of sage Vasistha 

River Gomathi is considered as the daughter of Sage Vashistha. One can get emancipated of all sins by taking a holy bath in her water. 

The virtues attained by taking a bath in the holy water of Gomathi is said equivalent to the bath taken in the river in Kurukshetra, during solar eclipse.

3. Tharpana in Gomathi waters is equal to Gaya sraadha

The performance of 'tarpan' of the deceased ancestors gives liberation even to the souls suffering in the hell or born as meanest of creatures like insects. An offering of 'tarpana' made even without 'Akshat' (rice grain) and Kusha (grass), but with the holy waters of the Gomati, liberates the souls of the dead ancestors, and is equivalent to the 'Shraddh' performed at 'Gaya'.  Please note the wordings EVEN WITH OUT AKSHATH AND KUSA.

My note on 14-5-2020. Kindly note the liberation of souls of ancestors. Whether in Gaya srardha  or tharpan in Gomathi liberate souls. Once the souls are liberated, they leave pithruloka to Devaloka.

If we ask any sasthrikal they will say- Such things are told of all rivers. We can consider it astheertha srardha or bada khana. Nothing more. 

River Gomati is considered as a supreme liberator of all the sins. bathing in the waters of the Gomati on Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the Sanatana Dharma-Hindu calendar) can wash away one's sins. According to the major religious work Srimad Bhagavatam, the Gomati is one of the many transcendental rivers in India 

4. Tarpan on makara samkaranti at Tirth mukh

About two lakh people took a holy dip in the River Gomati, despite a chilling temperature, on the occasion of last Poush Makara Sankranti at the famous Tirthamukh fair near Tripura

A dip in the River Gomati, on this occasion, is believed to wash away earthly sins, hence, the occasion witnesses one of the largest congregations of people in the region. 

Tribals and non-tribals jointly celebrate this day in Tripura spreading the message of oneness, the spirit of brotherhood and exhibition of exuberance, while thanking the almighty for a bountiful life on earth. 

Though some devotees say the tradition has a scientific basis. 

Devotees pay respect to the souls of their fore-fathers (tarpan). Many of the devotees perform the rituals after the death of any family members in Hindu system, as they believe that on this day, the Gate of the Heaven is open. 

People not just from across the country but neighboring Bangladesh too arrive here for thisone-day religious fair. "Bengalis and tribal from different places including Assam, Meghalaya and even Bangladesh gather here. They do the Hindu rituals after death in this river Gomati.

This annual congregation takes place on the day of Makar Sankranti on which Bhishma had died. This is a holy pilgrimage spot," said Kangal Mani, one tribal priest. 

Tirthamukh is nearly 140 kilometers southeast of Agartala, the capital of Tripura state and the river Gomathi originates from here. A slight different version of origin is in wikipedia. We will read further in NEXT POSTING.