The Simplicity of devotion in the country folks...A Bathing ritual at Dev Prayaag...

My attention was drawn to them because of their cries, while I was on the confluence of River Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at this holy place called Dev Prayaag from where the river takes its famous name Holy Ganges to travel 2000 miles to reach the far corner of India at Ganga Sagar to meet the Sea. I looked towards the sound of cries to find that the women folks were holding one of the women while she was taking a dip in the river. The River was flowing with freezing cold water and pleasant noise so typical of waterfalls and of this river even when its in plains. Her face was in deep reverence and she was shaking her head side to side like a woman possessed. I thought that it might be a reaction to the cold water but I find the women holding her hands in deep devotion and their face full of reverence, which did tell me that it has nothing to do with cold water. This comes from within, although it may be a reflex action of the cold water hitting the body but above all the thought behind the immersion of ones own body to cleanse is a pure thought and spiritual in nature.