WHY IS GANGA ALSO KNOWN AS BHAGIRATHI ?? WHAT IS THE REASON BEHIND GANGA FALLING FROM SHIVA'S HEAD.

Well , the story begins with a Suryavanshi king  named Bhagirath . The ancestors of the King were cursed by Kapila Muni as they had caused certain disturbance to the Muni's meditation (Tapasya) for which the muni turned them into ashes . The king wondered whether his ancestors could live again or attain Moksha and how to set his family free from such a curse . He went to Kapila Muni and asked for the remedy .  The Muni told him that only if he could immerse or pour the ashes of his ancestors in River Ganga , they will be eligible to have a rebirth and attain moksha .

At that time Ganga used to be a river of the heaven .Earth was not a part of her course . King Bhagirath did a rigorous meditation (tapasya)also known as  BHAGIRATH TAPASYA / BHAGIRATH PRAYAS, pleaded with maa Ganga and persuaded her to come to earth . Ganga Agreed but warned the king of the disaster she will be bringing with her . She told the king that the force of her fall will be so exorbitant that it will end up destroying the earth . Bhagirath then approached Shiva and requested him to save the world from such a disaster . Shiva allowed ganga to fall on his head and contained the force that she brought with her in his locks and made her fall on earth with reduced strength .King  Bhagirath was then able to immerse the ashes of his ancestors in the river and they were reborn .

This is the reason why ganga is seen falling from Shiva's head . And just because king Bhagirath did rigorous tapasya to call Maa ganga to earth , it is also known as Bhagirathi .

Special thanks to Devdutt Pattnaik for enlighting us .