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Frances "Fanny" Price
Frances "Fanny" Price (named after her mother) is the heroine in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. The novel begins when Fanny's overburdened, impoverished family--where she is both the second-born and the eldest daughter out of 10 children--sends her at the age of ten to live in the household of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, and his family at Mansfield Park. The novel follows her growth and development, concluding in early adulthood. Key events include the arrival of the charismatic Crawfords from London, the temptations of Sotherton, the family theatrical controversy, the coming-out ball, Fanny's obstinate refusal to marry Henry Crawford, Fanny's three month penance at Portsmouth, and Maria's elopement with Henry Crawford leading to family devastation followed by a final restoration.
Ganga
Ganga, also known as the Ganges River, is a sacred river in Hinduism. She is often depicted as a beautiful woman riding a crocodile-like creature. Ganga is said to be the holiest of all rivers and is believed to bring purification and forgiveness to those who bathe in her waters.
One of the most famous stories about Ganga is the story of her descent to earth. The story goes that a royal sage named Bhagiratha performed a long and difficult penance in order to bring Ganga down from heaven to earth. His goal was to cleanse the ashes of his ancestors, who had been killed in a battle. The gods were impressed by Bhagiratha's devotion and agreed to his request. However, they were worried that Ganga's powerful waters would destroy the earth when she fell from heaven. To prevent this, they asked Shiva to catch Ganga on his head as she fell. Shiva agreed and Ganga safely made her way to earth.
Ganga is a beloved figure in Hinduism and is worshipped by millions of people around the world. She is a symbol of purity, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
Ahalya
In Hinduism, Ahalya (Sanskrit: अहल्या, IAST: Ahalyā) also known as Ahilya, is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra (the king of gods), cursed by her husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama (7th avatar of the god Vishnu). Created by the god Brahma as the most beautiful woman, Ahalya was married to the much older Gautama. In the earliest full narrative, when Indra comes disguised as her husband, Ahalya sees through his disguise but nevertheless accepts his advances. Later sources often absolve her of all guilt, describing how she falls prey to Indra's trickery. In all narratives, Ahalya and Indra are cursed by Gautama. The curse varies from text to text, but almost all versions describe Rama as the eventual agent of her liberation and redemption. Although early texts describe how Ahalya must atone by undergoing severe penance while remaining invisible to the world and how she is purified by offering Rama hospitality, in the popular retelling developed over time, Ahalya is cursed to become a stone and regains her human form after she is brushed by Rama's foot. Ahalya's seduction by Indra and its repercussi