The festival remembers an ancient
cataclysmic ecological event when a
severe need for fresh water threatened to
destroy human civilization. The Puraanic
texts record that Bhagirathi, a descendent
of Emperor Sagar’s children who were
burnt to ashes, suffered severe hardship
to bring down Ganga from the heavens
to revive them. An annual award, an
ecological mantra, discourse and folk songs
are part of the nature festival.