Here you can see one of the weirdest graffitis which I have ever seen in my life. The writing on the wall, beside the serene and picturesque banks of the river Ganges in Rishikesh goes like this:-''HOLY GANGA
NO BIKINI
NO SMOKING''
(An inverted Swastika has also been etched adjacent to it).
As we were enjoying the cruise along the placid river, basking in the warmth of the sun, spellbound by the beauty of the river and the surrounding mountains, this graffiti suddenly caught the attention of one of my friends,who couldn't help himself from clicking this photograph. This graffiti suddenly came out of nowhere and it seemed like the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. But nevertheless it ensured that all of us had a hearty laugh, It soon became one of the most viewed photographs, worthy enough of providing embellishment even to Orkut and Facebook albums.
But this euphemistic writing on the wall poses a grave issue in front of us. Since time immemorial, the mighty Ganges has been at the heart of the Indian civilisation. By virtue of its might, it has carved a niche for itself by providing an identity to Indians. But how has it been repaid for all that it has offered? Year after year it has been the dump-yard of tons of sewage,chemicals and innumerable obnoxious toxins and pollutants. The result has been the gradual killing of India's most treasured natural resources. Crores of rupees pumped in by the Government, amidst a lot of fanfare has resulted in nothing but failure, as the river continues to suffer even more than before. Amidst lost hopes, this graffiti is perhaps a desperate attempt by the locals of Rishikesh to avoid further embarrassment and disrespect to the Ganga by reminding people atleast not to bathe in its waters wearing bikinis. Their apprehension is that this would certainly be the final nail in the coffin and put an end to the epic journey of this magnificent river. The inverted Swastika ,in its own hidden manner also probably signifies the sorry state of affairs. Hence it is all in our hands to invert the Swastika and remove forever this stark writing on the wall.
