Ganga

Ganga, also known as the Ganges, is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent and plays a central role in the lives of people in India and Bangladesh. It is revered in Hinduism as the goddess Ganga, a celestial river whose descent to earth is a key myth associated with Bhagirath and Lord Shiva.

The river system is formed by the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarakhand. The Bhagirathi itself rises from the Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh. From the Himalayas, the river carves through northern India, passing cities such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, and Patna before entering West Bengal and emptying into the Bay of Bengal in the Sundarbans delta in Bangladesh. The Ganga is commonly listed as about 2,525 kilometers long, and its delta is considered the world’s largest.

Hydrologically, the Ganga is largely monsoon-driven, with seasonal floods that support agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It sustains diverse ecosystems and is home to species such as the Ganga river dolphin and the gharial, though water quality and habitat health face pressures from pollution, siltation, and overuse in parts of its course.

Culturally, the river is a vital source of irrigation, transport, and livelihood, and it hosts numerous pilgrimage sites and rites. Bathing, ritual purification, and processions along the river banks are common in many towns and cities.

Efforts to protect and restore the Ganga include government programs aimed at reducing pollution, improving wastewater treatment, and promoting river rehabilitation, though challenges remain in balancing ecological health with growing populations and development.