THE GANGA RIVER

INTRODUCTION GANGA IS THE SACRED RIVER OF INDIA. IT IS SAID THAT “IF GANGES THRIVES , INDIA THRIVES AND IF GANGES DIES , INDIA DIES.” GANGA ORGINATED FROM THE GANGOTRI GLACIER , WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS . IT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR RIVERS OF INDIA , WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 1557 MILES LONG . IT FLOWS INTO THE EASTWARD DIRECTION & EMPTIES INTO THE BAY OF BENGAL

HISTORY OF GANGA THE HISTORY OF THE GANGA RIVER IS OLD AS THE INDIAN CIVILISATION . IT HAS BEEN THE PRIME WITNESS OF ALL THE RELIGIONS ESPECIALLY HINDUISM , BUDDHISM , ISLAM , CHRISTIANITY AND JAINISM. ACCORDING TO THE INDIAN ANCIENT BOOKS , KING SAGAR HAD SIXTY THOUSAND SONS WHO WERE BURNT TO ASHES DUE TO THE ANGER OF SAINT KAPIL MUNI. THEY ALL SUGGESTED THAT IF THE HOLY GANGA IS BROUGHT FROM THE HEVEN AND THE ASHES OF HIS SONS WERE DIPPED IN IT , THEIR SOULS WILL.

DEFNITELY ACHIEVE NIRVANA. KING SAGAR REQUESTED HIS SON BHAGIRATH TO WORSHIP LORD BRAHMA. BRAHMA WAS PLEASED AND LET GANGA FLOW DOWN TO THE EARTH WHILE SHIVA RECEIVED GANGA ON HIS HEAD.

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THE GANGA IS A MAJOR INDIAN RIVER FLOWING THROUGH THE PLAINS OF NORTHERN INDIA INTO BANGLADESH. THE 2510km [1557m] LONG RIVER BEGINS AT THE GANGOTRI GLACIER IN THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS. IT DRAINS INTO THE BAY OF BENGAL THROUGH ITS VAST DELTA IN THE SUNDER BANS.

RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE THE GANGA IS MENTIONED IN THE RIG VEDA , THE EARLIEST HINDU SCRIPTURES. ANCIENT SCRIPTURES MENTION THAT THE GANGES CARRIES THE BLESSINGS OF LORD VISHNU’S FEET AND HENCE THE NAME ‘VISHNUPADI’ MEANING ‘EMANATING FROM THE LOTUS FEET OF THE SUPREME LORD VISHNU’. ACCORDING TO THE HINDU BELIEFS A DIP IN THE GANGA WATER CAN WASH AWAY ALL THE SINS.

FESTIVAL IN INDIA , KUMBHA MELA , THE FESTIVAL HELD EVERY TWELVE YEARS AT ALLAHABAD , ON THE BANK OF THE GANGES RIVER , IS BY FAR THE GRANDEST. THE KUMBHA MELA DERIVES ITS NAME FROM THE IMMORTALIZING POT OF NECTAR DESCRIBED IN INDIA’S ANCIENT SCRIPTURES. KUMBHA IN THE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE MEANS “POT,” PITCHER,” OR “JAR,” AND MELA MEANS “FESTIVAL.”

FEW WESTERNERS HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO ATTEND A KUMBHA MELA OR TO UNDERSTAND THE ESOTERIC MEANING OF THIS POIGNANT EVENT.

BELIEFS THE INDIAN SYSTEM OF BELIEFS IS BASED ON AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE. THE REVERENCE ACCORDED TO RIVERS IS A GESTURE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THEIR LIFE SUSTAINING ABILITIES

FAST FACTS RIVER GANGA IS ABOUT 1557 MILES LONG (2506 KM). THE GANGES BASIN IS ABOUT 200 TO 400 MILES (322 TO 644 KM) WIDE. RIVER GANGA ORIGINATES FROM THE GANGOTRI GLACIER , ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE HIMALAYAS , WHICH IS 14,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. RIVERS BHAGIRATHI & ALAKNANDA JOIN EACH OTHER AT DEVPRAYAG TO FORM GANGA.

HINDUS HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED GANGA JAL TO BE PURE , PIOUS & DRINKABLE. AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE IN GANGA ACTS ON ORGANIC MATERIALS & BACTERIA & KILLS THEM.

ECONOMY THE GANGA BASIN WITH ITS FERTILE SOIL IS INSTRUMENTAL TO THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY OF INDIA. THE GANGA WITH ITS TRIBUTARIES PROVIDES A PERENNIAL SOURCE OF IRRIGATION FOR CROPS. SOME OF THE CROPS THAT CAN BE CULTIVATED ALONG THE RIVER INCLUDES SUGARCANE , RICE , WHEAT & SEEDS GANGA HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF DRINKING , BATHING & BAPTISM.

TRIVENI SANGAM THE TRIVENI SANGAM IS THE “CONFLUENCE” OF THREE RIVERS . TRIVENI SANGAM , IN PRAYAG HAS TWO PHYSICAL RIVERS – GANGA AND YAMUNA-AND THE INVISIBLE SARASWATHI RIVER. A PLACE OF RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE AND THE SITE FOR HISTORIC KUMBHA MELA HELD EVERY 12 YEARS , OVER THE YEARS IT HAS ALSO BEEN THE SITE OF IMMERSION OF ASHES OF SEVERAL NATIONAL LEADERS.

THE TRIVENI SANGAM IS BELIEVED TO BE THE PLACE WHERE DROPS OF NECTAR FELL FROM THE PITCHER , FROM THE HANDS OF THE GODS.

ALAKNANDA & BHAGIRATHI THE ALAKNANDA IS A HIMALAYAN RIVER IN THE INDIAN STATE OF UTTARKHAND AND ONE OF THE TWO HEADSTREAMS OF THE GANGA , THE MAJOR RIVER OF NORTHERN INDIA AND THE HOLY RIVER OF HINDUISM. ALAKNANDA

BHAGIRATHI BHAGIRATHI: THE BHAGIRATHI IS A TURBULENT HIMALAYAN RIVER IN THE INDIAN STATES OF UTTARKHAND , AND ONE OF THE TWO HEADSTREAMS OF THE GANGES , THE MAJOR RIVER OF NORTHERN INDIA AND THE HOLY RIVER OF HINDUISM. BHAGIRATHI IN SANSKRIT MEANS DUE TO BHAGIRATHA . BHAGIRATHI

THE END BY , DAKSHATA.S DEEPIKSHA .G.B