The Ganga Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Maa Ganga, the sacred river goddess, recited for purification, peace and the washing away of sins.
जय जय जय जग पावनी, गंगा सुर सरि धार।
करहु कृपा निज दास पर, उतरहु भव से पार॥
जय जय जननी हरण अघ खानी। आनन्द करनी गंगा महरानी॥
जय भगीरथी सुरसरि माता। कलिमल मूल डालिनी विख्याता॥
जय जय जहनु सुता अघ हननी। भीष्म की माता जग जननी॥
धवल कमल दल मम तनु साजे। शीश मुकुट मणि सुन्दर राजे॥
जग पावन त्रयताप नसावनि। तरल तरंग तुम्हीं मन भावनि॥
विष्णु पद से प्रकट तुम भईं। शिव की जटा बीच फिर रहीं॥
भगीरथ तप कर तुम्हें बुलायो। हिमगिरि से तब भू पर आयो॥
सगर पुत्र तुम तार सिधाये। पावन गंगा सब जग गाये॥
हरिद्वार है धाम तुम्हारा। काशी प्रयाग सकल जग प्यारा॥
तुममें नित जो नर अन्हवावे। पाप ताप सब दूर सिधावे॥
मरत समय जो जल मुख आवे। मुक्ति सोई नर सहज सो पावे॥
तुम्हरी महिमा कोउ न जाने। वेद पुराण सब तुमको माने॥
तुम बिन तीरथ अधूरे माने। गंगा बिना सब सूना जाने॥
दशहरा पर्व बड़ा सुहावन। गंगा पूजन अति मन भावन॥
जो जन तुमको शीश नवावे। पाप मुक्त सो नर हो जावे॥
श्रद्धा से जो ध्यान लगावे। सो नर निर्मल मन हो जावे॥
गंगा जल जो घर में राखे। पावन रहे सकल अभिलाषे॥
मातु तुम्हारी कृपा अपारा। उतरहु भव से दीन हमारा॥
जो यह पाठ करे चालीसा। पूरण आस करे जगदीशा॥
गंगा माँ की कृपा जो पावे। सो नर भव सागर तर जावे॥
गंगा माँ चालीसा, पढ़े सुने जो कोय।
पाप ताप सब दूर हों, निर्मल जीवन होय॥
Jai jai jai jag paavani, Ganga sur sari dhaar.
Karahu kripa nij daas par, utrahu bhav se paar.
Jai jai janani haran agh khaani. Aanand karni Ganga mahraani.
Jai Bhageerathi sursari maata. Kalimal mool daalini vikhyaata.
Jai jai Jahnu suta agh hanani. Bhishm ki maata jag janani.
Dhaval kamal dal mam tanu saaje. Sheesh mukut mani sundar raaje.
Jag paavan trayataap nasaavani. Taral tarang tumhi man bhaavani.
Vishnu pad se prakat tum bhai. Shiv ki jata beech phir rahi.
Bhageerath tap kar tumhe bulaayo. Himgiri se tab bhoo par aayo.
Sagar putra tum taar sidhaaye. Paavan Ganga sab jag gaaye.
Haridwaar hai dhaam tumhaara. Kaashi Prayag sakal jag pyaara.
Tumme nit jo nar anhvaave. Paap taap sab door sidhaave.
Marat samay jo jal mukh aave. Mukti soi nar sahaj so paave.
Tumhri mahima kou na jaane. Ved Puraan sab tumko maane.
Tum bin teerath adhoore maane. Ganga bina sab soona jaane.
Dashahara parv bada suhaavan. Ganga poojan ati man bhaavan.
Jo jan tumko sheesh navaave. Paap mukt so nar ho jaave.
Shraddha se jo dhyaan lagaave. So nar nirmal man ho jaave.
Ganga jal jo ghar me raakhe. Paavan rahe sakal abhilaashe.
Maatu tumhaari kripa apaara. Utrahu bhav se deen hamaara.
Jo yah paath kare Chalisa. Pooran aas kare jagdeesha.
Ganga maa ki kripa jo paave. So nar bhav saagar tar jaave.
Ganga maa Chalisa, padhe sune jo koy.
Paap taap sab door ho, nirmal jeevan hoy.
Frequently asked questions about Ganga Chalisa
When is the Ganga Chalisa recited?
At Ganga Dussehra in Jyeshtha and Ganga Saptami in Vaishakh, on Kartik Purnima and Makar Sankranti, and whenever a bath in the river or a puja with Ganga jal is made.
Why is the river addressed as a goddess?
Because the tradition holds her to be a devi who descended, brought down by Bhagirath for his ancestors and received in Shiva's hair - which is why the Chalisa calls her Bhagirathi and Jahnu suta. She is asked for what a mother is asked: to carry her children across.
Why is she called the mother of Bhishma?
Because Bhishma was her son by Shantanu in the Mahabharata. The Chalisa names it as one more claim on her: the river is woven into the human story, not standing apart from it.
What is Ganga jal used for at home?
Abhishek, sankalpa, purifying the altar, and the final rites. Every household shrine keeps a small vessel of it, and it is topped up rather than replaced.
What must not be put into the river?
Anything that does not return to it - plastic, polythene, synthetic cloth, oil-soaked wrappings. Flowers and nirmalya go in freely. The Ganga aarti page says more about the evening worship on the ghats.
About the Ganga Chalisa
The Ganga Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Maa Ganga, the sacred river goddess, recited for purification, peace and the washing away of sins.
A chalisa is a devotional hymn of forty (chalis) verses (chaupais), framed by opening and closing dohas (couplets). The Ganga Chalisa above is given in both Hindi (Devanagari) and English (Hinglish, Roman script) so you can read it in whichever script you are most comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above. It is traditionally recited with devotion, often after a bath and before the deity, especially on the day associated with the deity.
A chalisa is forty verses. It is not the short lamp-song (that is an aarti) and not a longer Sanskrit stotram. Other forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index. For japa of a compact formula use a mantra. If you are keeping a fast, the story is under Vrat Katha.
