Sacred River or Sewer?

Did you know more than 400 million people reside along the River Ganges?
Locals bathe in the river daily and perceive the river to be a sacred body of water- a link to the heavens. In 2001, for a religious festival called "Kumb Mela," over 30 million people gathered and rinsed their bodies in this historic river. The River Ganges is an extension and manifestation of divine gods.

However, this river is also filled with chemical wastes, sewage and feces. Over 40,000 cremations are performed each year along the river in Varanasi, and many of the bodies are not fully decomposed. Its a river swarmed with water-borne diseases from cholera and hepatitis to typhoid.

I find our perspectives on this river very interesting. Despite the danger of disease, locals still believe this river to be sacred- a gift from god. Westerners most likely believe the river to be an unsanitary dump/ sewage and would not dare to bathe in it.

Makes you think.