Join Ati on her magical journey from the bustling city of Bangalore to the serene hills of Devprayag. Written by Pritha Ghosh of Class V, Epic Public School, this enchanting tale beautifully captures the bond between roots, stories, and the timeless beauty of the Ganges.
Ati lives in Bangalore, a city quite far from the beautiful hills of Devprayag, where her ancestral home stands. She grew up listening stories from her parents’ about the majestic hills, the pure air, and the lovely Ganges flowing right beside their home. She had never been to Devprayag so the beauty of Garhwal remained a vivid picture in her imagination. That day when her father returned home, he announced that they would be visiting Devprayag during the winter vacation. Ati could hardly contain her excitement. Since that day she started counting the days.
December had finally arrived, marking the start of the winter vacation, and her family was on their way to Garhwal. They boarded Samark Kranti express from KSR to Ambala Cant. When they reached Ambala on the third day of their travel, Ati stepped onto the platform, and experienced a crisp winter breeze brushed against her face. Bangalore’s weather is pleasant year-round, with a touch of chill in winter, but this was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The sharp, refreshing cold sent a delightful shiver down her spine. She quickly slipping on the cosy winter jacket her mother had bought for her from Orion Mall just days before.
They hired a car for the remaining 27-mile journey to Bandasa, the village in Devprayag where her grandparents lived. The winding road was so captivating that she couldn’t close her eyes, even though she was drowsy. The valleys stretched far below as the car made its way up the hills, revealing a view more enchanting than anything she had ever seen.
About thirty minutes into the journey, she heard a strange sound. She was curious, she turned to her father.
“Babuji, what’s that sound?” she asked.
“Ah, my dear, that’s the Ganges,” he replied with a smile.
“The Ganges? But I can’t see the river!”
“You will, just wait a moment.”
As the car took a turn, Ati got the first glimpse of the Ganges. There it was—the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda—just as her Dadi had described in her stories shining under the sunlight. Adding to her thrill was the refreshing coolness to the air. She was speechless as what she saw was much more then what she had expected. Nature’s beauty is far more exciting than any Netflix series, she thought.
After a while they reached the village and Ati instantly recognised the place from the pictures her Dadaji had shown her earlier. The wooden houses stood in perfect symmetry, and looked fascinating against the serene hills. And there, waving joyfully, was her Dadi. Ati dashed out of the car, throwing her arms around her grandmother and gave her a hug before respectfully touching her feet. Her parents too followed her.
“Maaji, kan chee?” Ati’s mother asked, bowing to Dadi with folded hands.
“Ma theek chaun,” Dadi replied with a smile.
After freshening up, the entire family gathered in the kitchen for lunch. Ati’s Dadaji had returned by then, and another round of feet touching gestures continued. With that ritual complete, they settled down to for their meal. Ati relished the flavours of Phaanu, Kafuli and Roat, for the first time. For dessert, they had Arsa and Jhangora ki Kheer. With each bite she felt mesmerized and felt a strange connection to her roots with these traditional recipes.
The long journey, combined with the hearty lunch, soon took Ati away to the world of dreams.
In the evening, Ati’s curiosity got the better of her as she wondered how the Ganges would look under the fading light. She approached her Dadaji and asked eagerly, “Dadaji, how does the river Ganga look at this time of day? Can I see where it starts its journey and where does it go?”
Her Dadaji smiled and replied, “Not now, my dear. It’s quite cold at this time of the day, I will show you tomorrow.”
Though she was disappointed, Ati understood that her Dadaji rarely said no to her, so if he refused, he must have a good reason. Trusting his wisdom, she nodded and readily agreed.
Later in the evening, after dinner, Ati went to Dadi’s room to sleep. Dadi, was a great storyteller. When her Dadi saw her, she could sense Ati was disappointed. She asked gently, “What’s the matter, Ati? Why do you look sad?”
Ati narrated the entire episode on how she had wanted to see the Ganges at night. Dadi smiled and said, “I understand, dear. Since you couldn’t see the river tonight, let me tell you about it. That way, when you see it tomorrow, you’ll appreciate it even more.”
Ati’s face lit up with excitement as she settled in, ready for one of her grandmother’s magical tales.
“You know, Ati,” Dadi started, “the Ganges is considered the purest river in India.”
“Yes, Dadi, I heard that,” Ati replied eagerly.
“Well,” Dadi continued, “the Ganges begins its journey at Gangotri in the Himalayas, and flows through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and finally into Bangladesh, before joining the Bay of Bengal.”
“It flows through Bangladesh too?”
“Yes, my dear. There, it’s called Padma. And do you know some of the cities that lie along its banks?”
“Which ones, Dadi?” Ati asked, leaning closer.
“It starts with Rishikesh and Haridwar, then the river passes through Kanpur, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Patna, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, and then into West Bengal and Bangladesh.”
“Wow! So many cities along one river?” Ati expressed.
“Indeed. And Kanpur is the largest city along the Ganga. But it’s not just cities—the Ganges touches some of the most sacred places. It emerges from Gaumukh at Gangotri and enters the plains at Haridwar, which is called the ‘Gateway to the Gods.’ Every evening, the Ganga Aarti there is a sight to behold.”
“Haridwar sounds beautiful.”
“It is,” Dadi agreed. “And so is Rishikesh, with places like Tera Manzil, Triveni Ghat, Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula, and Neer Waterfall. Then there’s Kanpur, home to landmarks like the JK Temple, Anandeshwar Mandir, and Bithoor. Varanasi, or Banaras, is where you’ll find iconic ghats like Dashashwamedh, Manikarnika, and the newly developed namo Ghat. You can also find Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sarnath, Panchganga Ghat, and Bharat Mata Mandir here.”
By the time Dadi finished, Ati’s eyes were heavy with sleep. Her mind drifted into a dream, imagining herself as the River Ganga, flowing through these enchanting places, connecting cities, stories, and lives along the way.
