A police officer in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj has gone viral for a rather unusual display of devotion—offering prayers to floodwater that entered his home, calling it a divine "blessing."
The officer, Chandradeep Nishad, shared two videos on Instagram, where he is seen treating the waterlogged street outside his residence and inside his home as a holy manifestation of the Ganga river.
The videos have triggered mixed reactions online. While many praised his devotion and sense of humour amid adversity, others raised concerns about the deteriorating flood situation across Uttar Pradesh.
In uniform, Nishad is seen pouring milk and sprinkling rose petals on the water while chanting, “Jai Ganga Maiya ki” (Hail Mother Ganga).
“Mother Ganga arrived at our house while leaving for duty this morning. Got blessings by worshiping Maa Ganga at my doorstep. Hail Mother Ganga,” he wrote in the video caption.
In another clip, the floodwater inside his house has risen above waist level. Nishad, who describes himself online as “PSO Hon’ble Justice High Court Allahabad, national swimmer & UP Police swimming champion,” is seen swimming in the murky waters and chanting “Jai Ganga Maiya” repeatedly.
{{/usCountry}}In another clip, the floodwater inside his house has risen above waist level. Nishad, who describes himself online as “PSO Hon’ble Justice High Court Allahabad, national swimmer & UP Police swimming champion,” is seen swimming in the murky waters and chanting “Jai Ganga Maiya” repeatedly.
{{/usCountry}}At one point, he says: “Thousands of devotees come to you (Ganga), but you yourself came to bless me.”
Some users slammed UP authorities of negligence, one wrote, “Failure of UP government…no proper drainage system.”
One Instagram user also took a sarcastic jibe, saying, "If there is power in your devotion and in Mother Ganga, then she should never leave your home. We pray to Mother Ganga that she always remains in your house like this, so that you and your entire family may be truly blessed."
While, one praised the cop's perspective, saying, “There must have been a lot of damage to the house, but if the heart is pure, then everything is fine.”
Another wrote, "If the mind is pure, then even a small vessel holds the Ganga." He used a popular Hindi saying meaning that true devotion doesn't need a grand setting – ‘Man changa toh kathuti me Ganga.’
Rainfall expected to intensify
The viral moment comes as the state braces for more rain in the coming weeks. Forecasts suggest that most regions in Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall in August and September.
Climate models from the Monsoon Mission indicate that neutral El Niño conditions will persist this season, while the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is expected to turn negative by the end of the monsoon, according to a Hindustan Times report.
“At present, western and southern Uttar Pradesh may witness below-normal temperatures in August, whereas eastern UP is likely to record normal to above-normal temperatures,” said Atul Kumar Singh, senior scientist at the Lucknow Meteorological Office.
Low-lying areas, especially those in eastern UP near the Bihar border, remain at high risk of flooding as rainfall intensifies.