The Ganga River is renowned in Indian mythology and culture for its sacredness and the numerous legends associated with it. One such legend explains why the Ganga River is also known as Padmavati.
The story begins with King Bhagirath, an ancestor of Lord
Rama, who performed intense penance to bring the celestial Ganga to Earth. His
goal was to purify the ashes of his ancestors, the sons of King Sagara, who
were cursed by Sage Kapila and turned to ashes.
During their journey to reach the Ashram of Rishi Kapila,
King Bhagirath and the divine river Ganga traversed through various places on
Earth, sanctifying the land wherever Ganga flowed. As they moved forward, they
came upon the ashram of a pious sage named Rishi Padma.
Rishi Padma was renowned for his devotion and spiritual
prowess. When Ganga touched the grounds of his ashram, the sanctity of the
place multiplied manifold, and in honor of the holy presence and the confluence
of spiritual energies, the river was blessed with the name Padmavati, which
means "daughter of the lotus" or "possessor of lotuses".
The name Padmavati symbolizes purity, spiritual wealth, and
divine beauty, reflecting the qualities of both Ganga and the sacred lotus. By
this encounter, the river Ganga not only continued her journey to purify the
ancestors of King Bhagirath but also left an indelible mark of divinity on
Rishi Padma's ashram, earning another venerable name in her many legends.
Thus, the Ganga River, revered for its purifying and
life-sustaining qualities, is also known as Padmavati, honoring her sacred
journey and the spiritual legacy of Rishi Padma.