India's post offices are now selling bottled holy water from the Ganges

Along with regular mail, Indian post offices have started selling Gangajal, or water from the Ganges River, which is considered to be holy by the Hindus. The new service can also be availed through online orders on India's Post's website, with the bottled water being delivered at homes across the country.

Online marketplaces such as Amazon and Snapdeal already sell bottled Ganges water, but India Post may have the advantage of cheaper pricing. The water will be sourced from Gangotri and Rishikesh in 200 and 500 ml bottles, and has be priced between Rs 15 and Rs 35. 

Yet, the river's water is also remains severely polluted due to industrial effluents and human waste. This seems to have made little difference to eager customers. The first batch of bottles sold out like hot cakes in the eastern state of West Bengal, with post offices in cities like Kolkata and Jalpaiguri quickly running out of stock.

"I used to get several requests that with a vast network of post offices can we get Ganga water. I have directed Department of Posts to utilise e-commerce platform and make arrangement for providing pure Gangajal from Haridwar and Rishikesh to people," India's telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a few months ago, adding that the step was being taken to address "cultural needs".

India's 180-year-old postal department has been trying to reverse its losses by tapping into its large network of 155,000 post offices and 460,000 employees for e-commerce partnerships and deliveries. Over 400 e-commerce companies, including the likes of Amazon and Flipkart, have tied up with India Post to make deliveries in rural areas, where over 90% of its post offices are located.

"If a postman can deliver mobile phones, sarees, jewellery and apparel, then why not Ganga water?" Prasad asked.   

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