River Ganges - Fact file
Called as : Ganga or Ganges River
Origin : Gangotri Glacier
Significance : Holiest of All Rivers.
Altitude : 14,000 feet.
Total Length : 2,510 kms (1,527 mile).
Course Taken by Ganga : Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi and Prayag.

About Ganges River
The Ganges often called the holy Ganga is one of the longest rivers in the world. The total length of the river is 2,510 kms and it runs from Himalaya to Bay of Bengal. The Ganges is not only a river but it holds high regard among the Indian people. The river has a long history of reverence in India and is worshipped by Hindus as a goddess. Moreover Ganga is a symbol of love and purity for India.


Ganga begins as a pair of head streams high in the Himalayas at a height of 14,000 feet above sea level. The Gangotri Glacier in Uttaranchal is the source of Bhagirathi, which joins with Alaknanda to form Ganga at the town of Devprayag. The river Ganga flows through various ancients pilgrimage towns and cities of India. From Devprayag to the Bay of Bengal and the vast Sundarbans Delta, the Ganges river passes through popular cities of India, including Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh is on a tributary of the river Brahmaputra which joins the Ganga to form Padma. A large number of tributaries join the Ganges in India and Bangladesh.
Alongwith river Yamuna, river Ganges forms a huge fertile basin known as the Gangetic Plains and supports one of the highest densities of human population in the world. Ganga is in great danger due to incredible concentration of population, pollution and the destruction of habitats.

Ganga's link with India
The Ganges river has always been known all over the world as a religious icon. In fact Ganga is popular as a religious centre because the Indian people rely on the river for most of their life functions. People of the country use the river for endless functions such as - drinking, bathing, agriculture, industry, transportation, as an energy source etc. A number of industries - textiles, paper, leather and many other use the water of Ganga for power and cleaning purposes.

Purity of Ganges water
It is believed that water of Ganges river is so pure that anybody who touches the water is said to have washed all his sins. Most of the Indian houses keep the water of Ganges to maintain purity. Hindus use the water of Ganga to cleanse any place or object for ritual purposes. Ganges water also has a special feature that it does not rot or stink if stored for several days.

Bathing in Ganga
Bathing in Ganga is considered highly auspicious. Hindus and many of India's believing masses gather on the banks for taking holy bath in Ganga. The ghats of Ganga remain overcrowded during auspicious dates.

Myths Related To Ganga
Several Myths and Legends are related to the Ganges River. The river has a sacred position in the Hindu Mythology. Ganga has been repeatedly invoked in the Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. According to a legend Ganga was brought down to the earth through the efforts of King Bhagiratha to wash away the sins of his forefathers. Another legend says, Ganga is a goddess, Ganga Devi one of the two daughters of Meru (the Himalayas), the other daughter was Uma, consort of Lord Shiva. Lord Indra has asked for Ganga (in her youth) to be given to Paradise to soother the Gods with its cool waters.

White Water Rafting on the Ganges
Apart from a holy river, the Ganges offers the good option for river rafting in India. Rishikesh in Uttaranchal is a famous rafting site which is ideal for professional as well as an amateur rafters.

Ganga getting Polluted
< Ganga is getting more and more polluted day-by-day with increasing number of industries and the disposal of their waste. The leather industry near Kanpur is one of the major industries polluting Ganga, other sources of pollution are untreated raw sewage, inadequate cremation procedures etc. The Indian Government has set up the Ganga Action Plan to prevent polluting of Ganga.