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On a recent trip to India, I was walking along a beach in Gokarna (historically known as an important Hindu pilgrimage destination). I was observing whilst some Hindus were making offerings of fruits and coconuts to the sea, as well as committing the ashes of a deceased relative to the waves. It was interesting to watch the ceremony and I was told by the person I was with, that Hindus believe that all holy rivers join the sea, and that by throwing the ashes into the sea, they will be mixed with all the holy rivers of the world. There were also a huge amount of coconuts washed up on the beach which had been offerings. As well as coconuts and bundles of fruit, I came across some wooden body parts of what I think must have been deities – a tiger’s claw and the forearm of a woman. Now with London not being a tropical destination, it may seem odd that it was the coconuts strewn on the beach that day in India, which reminded me of the River Thames, where the evidence of many different religious beliefs is also found washed up along the foreshore. We have found many religious artefacts over the last couple of years, including an awful lot of coconuts in varying states of being - from plain hairy ones to beautifully painted ones adorned with coloured silk or sequiny bling, or carefully wrapped in cotton. So this blog entry is dedicated to these discoveries. Please do forgive my ignorance of some of the official meanings behind them. Any extra knowledge or comments would be greatly welcomed and I apologise in advance if I have made any mistakes in interpreting these religious objects. In India, the most sacred river is the River Ganges, and many offerings are thrown into the Ganges as an offering to Godess Ganga. For the large community of Hindus in London, The River Thames has become a substitute for that holy river, and indeed all rivers are seen as holy by Hindus so I have been told. It is not just Hindus though that consider the Thames a holy River. Hereafter is range of the statuettes of deities we have found in the Thames, along with other objects of religious significance. We have found artefacts belonging to Hindus, Muslims and Christians. I should add that we have left most of these objects which were deliberately thrown into the river as offerings, where we found them, out of respect for those who threw them in. Below is a statuette of Ganesh, Hindu God of Knowledge and Remover of obstacles. Also, Shiva, who is one of the most important gods in the Hindu religion. This calendar below, depicting the Hindu holy trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma was found on the foreshore near Greenwich. This photo was found on the foreshore. Was he someone's guru once upon a time? This offering was found near Rotherhithe and I believe it is Chinese There are also many icons and statuettes of a Christian origin to be found in the River Thames. Some thrown in and some almost certainly lost in the River. Below are just a few of the items we have found. This statue of Madonna and Child was found near Greenwich, although the River has worn away poor Jesus! And the little bottle of the Virgin Mary once contained holy water from Lourdes. Below are other items with a Christian connection, including a St Christopher's medallion, a pendant from the Guild of St Helena, a Catholic icon and what I think is a very old Pilgrim's badge possibly from the 17th Century, depicting a dragon. I have found a few of these little purses on a string (an amulet called a Ta'wiz, and on this occasion, I opened it to see what was inside). From what I have been told, I think that it is of Muslim or Sufi origin. I found it under a stone at low tide, and even though it had clearly been in the River for a long time, the accompanying text on paper was so well wrapped up in wax paper, that you can still read it (well you can see the writing, but I can’t actually understand what it says – so I did send it out on twitter to see if I could get some enlightenment). Someone kindly came back to me explaining that it is some verses of the Quran, and one of the reasons it would have been worn would be to ward away evil spirits. There is an explanation on wikipedia here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta'wiz This message in a bottle, contains foreign text and again, through twitter I was told that it contains verses from the Qoran I also found this mysterious folded paper during a mudlarking expedition,bound with red thread, and it contained a very lengthy prayer about a forthcoming court case. Each one of these religious objects had a meaning for the person who offered them to the River, or who lost them in there. What a River of Mystery runs through our City, and what a lot of secrets, prayers, dreams and hopes it keeps underneath those swirling currents. Every religion and faith is represented within it! I will continue to be fascinated with each and every one of these finds. By the way, if any of what I have written is completely inaccurate, please let me know!!
16 Comments
Maria-Teresa
13/8/2014 03:24:10 am
A friend shared this with me and yes the Thames is sacred. An old friend collected hundreds of pilgrim badges from the Thames, many are now in the Museum of London. Another friend regularly performs rituals down by the Thames .. I will share this with him and finally last year same friend and a small group of us dedicated and released a small statue of Sekhmet into the Thames as guardian of London. Interestingly Mani actually collected mud from the Thames several days earlier dried it and made the statue which we then painted. He waded into the Thames to release her and we watched as she returned to the river and hopefully the sea .. perhaps part of her has now returned to the Nile.
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Thank you Maria Teresa. That is fascinating. Where did the ceremony take place? I would absolutely love to be there if ever this ritual was performed again. Or if you have any photos and you or your friend wouldn't mind me putting it on my blog, that would be wonderful. Nicola
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14/8/2014 02:49:32 am
Hia Nocola ..
Deven Bhurke
13/8/2014 07:27:58 am
A very fascinating read Nicola. As soon as I saw Lord Ganesha I could not resist myself from reading your blog and I am glad I did. They say changes happen but they happen gradually and specially if it is a belief with which you have grown up. Hinduism is very deep rooted and it takes a conscious effort on part of an individual to make a change happen. On my recent trip to India last year and having a Ganesh idol in my own home I have seen the changes that have come over. in several cities now they have started providing a designated area with a small water-tank for the "Visarjan" (immersion in water) of these deities so that people can still follow their customs and beliefs but at the same time save the environment. But as you say it is amazing what these water hold beneath them and how much we can learn about a religion from these artifacts.
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13/8/2014 08:03:46 am
Hi Deven. Thank you for your post. II'm glad you enjoyed reading my blog today. I find it very touching that people have such a strong faith that they are able to let go of these deities into the River as an offering. Thanks for giving me the right word for the immersion ("Visarjan"). That's interesting that designated areas are being provided in certain cities. I wonder if that will happen everywhere after a while. When I find a deity or statuette, it represents to me someone's strong belief in their God(s) and I find that reassuring in this present world we live in. Sort of like throwing a prayer out there, and letting go of the outcome as it joins the flow of the River. Thanks again. It's great to have an insight into this. Nicola
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Deven Bhurke
13/8/2014 09:16:45 am
Ganesh festival is celebrated largely by Maharashtrians in the state of Maharashtra and there is a history behind the whole 10 days celebration started by Lokmanya Tilak to reduce inequalities due to caste system in India and bring everyone together. I am not sure providing designated areas happens in many cities and if it will eventually happen everywhere. I am a strong believer in Lord Ganesha and I completely relate to what you say about throwing a prayer out there, and letting go of the outcome. It is the "BELIEF" which keeps us and the world going! So thanks again for sharing.
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Anita Carey
14/8/2014 11:34:12 am
Hi Nic
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Phillip
3/1/2015 03:13:43 am
Hi was fishing in the Brisbane River today in QLD,Australia I found a Lord Shiva statue in the mud. I have taken it home to clean it and will this evening offer it back to the river in honour of the person who first offered it up. I am a Jew, however I have a deep respect for the Hindu religion and draw much comfort and strength from its teachings.
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3/1/2015 02:43:10 pm
Hi Philip. Thanks for your post. Like you, I also have a deep respect for the hindu religion and have a Ganesh in my living room, although I am a Christian. I think we can gain a lot from accepting other religions. We are all really seeking peace and love, and surely that is what the teachings of all these faiths/religions is about at the end of the day. I love the idea that all these icons and religious artefacts are in our rivers along with all the other mysteries beneath the waves!
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dan
18/9/2016 09:38:52 pm
Nice going beyond birth death old age and disease. ie science of self realisation
dan
18/9/2016 09:36:55 pm
Nice
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tim
23/3/2015 03:44:47 am
i found a two foot 8 ganesh on the thames in london and was woundering if its the 1931 one
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Chris Backhouse
12/3/2016 10:35:56 pm
I work in a west London local authority and every year we get several enquiries from Hindu groups wanting permission or asking advice on ceremonies on the Thames. They normally are taking lord Ganesh to immerse him in the waters or wash him, and it would not be impossible they have lost one or two. It has been a source of surprise to the enquirers that a cockney sounding londoner knows exactly what they are talking about and has been to the Rathayatra celebrations in Trafalgar Square. I am a Pagan myself but had a wonderful time among so many happy and devout people celebrating in the open air. Look it up and pay a visit.
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dan
18/9/2016 09:41:44 pm
Have you visited George Harrison country estate in hertsmere borough council in rqadlett watford it's called Bhaktivedanta Manor it's free to the public as is the food. Amazing place
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Sue
21/3/2016 10:45:09 am
Hi Nicola. I am very interested in your blog and follow your Twitter posts. I like that you are respectful and careful as well as curious about the objects you find, and have a question. (Apologies if it's answered somewhere on the blog but I haven't seen it.) Do you take the sacred objects you find away from the river? If so what do you do with them? I have understood that mudlarks are expected to register what they find with the Museum of London, and possibly need a licence of some kind. It's the ethics around dealing with these religious artefacts that interest me, because the objects and what is done with them represent deep feelings such as memorialising of ancestors. Of course individuals never know what will become of the objects they bring once they are in the river, but possibly similar thought may be given to them as to the remains of bodies found in the ground. I raise this not to criticise but as someone who is fascinated by the implications of religious and spiritual practices.
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Remi
2/5/2017 06:24:51 pm
Interesting blog.. working on a renovation project in the thames at battersea.. I found a strange red object very carefully wrapped in red cloth .. my curiosity got the better of me and i fished out the object only to find a coconut but also a small tin size of a vasseline pot with Ganesh carved into the lid.
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