Soon, get Gangajal at home by post

You could soon receive holy Ganga water by post as the government endeavours to tap the e-commerce platform to bring the holy water at the doorsteps.

“I used to get several request that with vast network of post can we get Ganga water. I have directed department of posts to utilise e-commerce platform and make arrangement for providing pure Gangajal from Hardwar, Rishikesh to people. They have assured that they will take proactive step to address cultural needs,” communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.

Mr Prasad said by the end of this year all postmen in urban centres will be given smartphones, and handheld devices will be provided to postmen in 1.3 lakh rural post offices by March 2017. “If postman can deliver, mobile phones, saris, jewellery, apparels then why not Ganga water,” Mr Prasad said. He said parcel revenue of post offices has increased by 80 per cent during his regime by delivering e-commerce products.

According to reports last year, India Post sold holy water from the Godavari sourced during the auspicious Pushkaram period from July 14 to 25, 2015.

Those bottles were priced at Rs 20 each and contained 500 ml of water that the postal department had named GOD-JAL after Godavari Jalam.