1. Origin of the Ganges River

2. Geographically, the Ganges River starts at the Baumukh Glacier in the Himalaya Mountains,
Adapted from map at

3. where a small stream of melting glacier water begins.

4. As it flows down from the Himalayas, it is a beautiful river.

5. For thousands of years, the Ganges has provided life for people setting along its banks: fish to eat, fresh water to drink, and water for crops.

6. The Ganges is a holy river for Hindus
The Ganges is a holy river for Hindus. The Hindu scriptures – the Vedas – tell a story about how the origin of the river from a religious point of view.

7. Hindu tradition says that the Ganges River was originally a goddess named Ganga who lived in the heavens.

8. The story is that she came down to earth to help Sagara, a king in ancient India.

9. Sagara’s sons had been reduced to ashes by a the god Indra, who was jealous of King Sagara’s power.

10. Traditional Indian belief is that if someone dies before old age, their spirit becomes a ghost. It stays trapped as a ghost until something is done to purify them from whatever sins they committed when alive.

11. Only the goddess Ganga, who purified everyone and everything that crossed her path, would be able to free the spirits of Sarara’s sons. But Ganga lived in the heavens.

12. Painting of Hindu Lord Brahma, Supreme Creator
So after hearing of his sons’ deaths, Sagara gave his throne to a grandson and went to the Himalayas to beg Brahma, the Supreme Creator, for help.
Painting of Hindu Lord Brahma, Supreme Creator
Sagara begged Brahma to command Ganga to come to earth and save his sons. But Brahma could not be convinced.

13. Through the years, each generation of kings tried again to convince Brahma to send Ganga to earth and free the sons’ spirits.

14. The prince who finally convinced Brahma to help was Sagara’s great-great-great-great-great-grandson.

15. But Brahma warned the prince that Ganga’s waters were very powerful.
If she flowed directly down onto earth, the force would wash away everything in a flood.

16. There was another god who could help
There was another god who could help. Lord Shiva could use his long and powerful hair to catch Ganga’s water and let it fall more gently to earth.

17. So the prince prayed to Lord Shiva, who agreed to help
So the prince prayed to Lord Shiva, who agreed to help. He used his hair to break the fall of the Ganga from the heavens, protecting earth from flooding.

18. This story shows how the Ganges River is seen as not only being the goddess Ganga, but also being connected to Brahma and to Lord Shiva.

19. The Ganges River is – to Hindus – the most holy river on earth
The Ganges River is – to Hindus – the most holy river on earth. It is still called “Mother Ganga.”

20. Each year, millions of Hindus make pilgrimages to the river to pray.