Why one should avoid bathing in rivers after sunset

Bathing or taking a dip in sacred rivers is an ancient tradition for Hindus. These rivers, especially the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, are held in high regard. For Hindus, they are not just water bodies, they are an embodiment of God. And so, for centuries now, people have come from far and wide to take a dip in these holy rivers and waters. This is also known as ‘snan’, and is said to have purifying benefits. From peace of mind to removal of sins and evil, these sacred dips do it all.

The practice of ‘Ganga Snan’ or bathing in the Ganga river in Haridwar, Rishikesh, or another city is especially very famous. Ganga is not just a river, for she is referred to as ‘Maa Ganga’, the holiest of all. Hindus believe that a dip in the Ganga river purifies the soul and leads to moksha. Festivals like Makar Sankranti, Kumbh Mela, and Ganga Dussehra always have millions of people coming from far away for cleansing their sins in the Ganga and leading a better life.

With change in generations and age, some alarming new trends are now coming up. From youngsters playing Masan Holi to groups of people taking a bath in the sacred rivers after sunset or during the night, acts like these are increasing. People feel that after sunset or during the night the temperature will be lesser, or there will be less crowd, or there will be some privacy, and then decide to take a dip after sunset. But, they do not realise that this is a wrong practice and has always been shunned by priests and sages. While people might think that the peace and calm of night will be better for their spiritual intentions, it is simply not true.

Well, according to elders, experts and legends, one of the most powerful reasons why people or humans let’s say should not take a bath in sacred rivers after sunset is because of the ancient belief that night-time, or the hours post sunset are for the other-worldly beings.
According to tales and legends, night time is the time for the Yakshas to take a dip and sit close to the sacred rivers. Now, Yakshas are not evil spirits, but rather nature spirits linked to water, forests, trees, etc. These beings are believed to be active during the night, and it is thought to be disrespectful to enter their areas during their time.

This simple division of time between humans and the other-worldly beings should be respected by people. The division of time into these periods is only logical as the early morning hours are considered to be the time for humans, and the late nights have always been associated with spirits, and entities of other-worlds.

And so, when humans respect these boundaries and timings, they acknowledge the presence and significance of these otherworldly beings.