This is a tale about the Indian holy river of Gnaga. The Ganges River is without a doubt the most important river to India. The cities like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Bhagalpur, Allahabad, Patna, Kanpur and Mirzapur etc. River Ganga Since the dawn of history, The Ganges has held the country’s heart captive and drawn countless millions to her banks. The Ganges, as well as its tributaries and distributaries, is constantly vulnerable to changes in its course in the delta region. She is the daughter of Himavat and granddaughter of Brahma. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. She has been a symbol of India's age long culture and civilization, ever changing , ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga." https://www.ancient.eu/Ganges/. Giant open air bas-relief in Mahabalipuram, India. The Ganges next enters the state of Bihar, where its main tributaries from the Himalayan region of Nepal to the north are the Gandak, the Burhi (“Old”) Gandak, the Ghugri, and the Kosi rivers. The rivers’ combined suspended sediment load of about 1.84 billion tons per year is the world’s highest. There was a problem though, that if Ganga merely dropped from heaven her swirling waters would do untold damage. South of Haridwar, now within the state of Uttar Pradesh, the river receives its two principal right-bank tributaries: the Yamuna River, which flows through the Delhi capital region and then roughly parallels the southeastward flow of the Ganges before joining it near Prayagraj (Allahabad), and the Tons, which flows north from the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh state and joins the Ganges just below Prayagraj. > கங்கை பூமிக்கு வந்த வரலாறு | Ganga river history. The history of the Ganga river is old as the Indian civilization. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Apart from the Hugli and the Meghna, the other distributary streams that form the Ganges delta are, in West Bengal, the Jalangi River and, in Bangladesh, the Matabhanga, Bhairab, Kabadak, Garai-Madhumati, and Arial Khan rivers. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Drops from the river are also dropped into the mouth before a body is cremated. The region, called the Sundarbans, is protected by India and Bangladesh for conservation purposes. ALONG THE GANGES, India -- More than 2,000 years ago, a powerful king built a fort on the banks of India’s holiest river, on the fringes of what is now a vast industrial city. The descent of the goddess aided by Shiva is another popular scene in art and an outstanding example is the 7th century CE granite relief panel at a cave-shrine at Mamallapuram near Madras. The river touches plain land in the Rishikesh region near Haridwar in Uttarakhand.Then it passes through the towns of Kanpur, Soron, Kannauj, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ghazipur, Bhagalpur, Mirzapur, Ballia, Buxar, Saidpur, and Chunar. Spirituality. The volume of the Ganges increases markedly as it receives more tributaries and enters a region of heavier rainfall, and it shows a marked seasonal variation in flow. Measuring 24 x 6 metres, the scene shows Ganga descending in the centre surrounded by gods, people, and animals. Yogesh Kr Ydv says: January 5, 2017 at 4:25 pm . ALONG THE GANGES: More than 2,000 years ago, a powerful king built a fort on the banks of India’s holiest river, on the fringes of what is now a vast industrial city. "Megacities as Sources for Pathogenic Bacteria in Rivers and Their Fate Downstream" (PDF). Of those, the two main headstreams are the Alaknanda (the longer of the two), which rises about 30 miles (50 km) north of the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi, and the Bhagirathi, which originates at about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) above sea level in a subglacial meltwater cave at the base of the Himalayan glacier known as Gangotri. The event, involving from 70 to 100 million people, grows ever bigger and can claim to be the largest human gatherings in history. Gems of Kerala Destinations 2011 (798292): 1–13. In the Matsya Purana and the story of the Great Flood the first man Manu throws a giant fish into the river which then continues to grow to gigantic proportions, eventually escaping to the sea. This is a tale about the Indian holy river of Gnaga. She holds an important place in the Hindu pantheon. Ganges River flows with history and prophecy for India. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Ganga river is also the longest river in India which originates from the bottom of the Himalayas. Most of the major civilizations have sprung on the banks of the Ganges. River Ganga has been originated from the Gomukh cave of the Gangotri glacier. Updates? Cartwright, Mark. During winter the river’s flow declines. River Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier, on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, which is 14,000 feet above sea level. Each country’s portion of the Sundarbans has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, India’s in 1987 and Bangladesh’s in 1997. It is composed of repeated alternations of clays, sands, and marls, with recurring layers of peat, lignite, and beds of what were once forests. Ghat on the Ganges River, Bithur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage network. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. PMC 2946570. Books It is the longest river in India and flows for around 1,569 miles (2,525 km) from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal. Communication between settlements during that season can be accomplished only by boat. The site is also sacred to Jains and Buddhists but it is perhaps most famous as a place of retirement, cremation, and the spreading of ashes upon the sacred river. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Every day, Har Ki Pauri ghat is in Haridwar, Uttarakhand , India & hundreds of people taking a dip in water of the Ganges. Ganga is also personified as a goddess and worshipped as Goddess Ganga. The history of ganga river So much have been already written about the history of the Ganga river.It is the holiest river in India. Find the right river cruise for you on Ganges. In Bangladesh the Ganges is joined by the mighty Brahmaputra (which is called the Jamuna in Bangladesh) near Goalundo Ghat. In the Siva Purana the Ganges carries the seed of Shiva which, when carried to a clump of reeds, became Skanda. Safely arrived on earth, Bhagiratha guided Ganga across India, where she split into many subsidiaries, and successfully washed the ashes of Sagara's ancestors in her sacred waters. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Ganges River, also called Ganga, is a river located in northern India that flows toward the border with Bangladesh (map). History Nick Whitney. Dates & length Places Filters. At a tirtha, prayers and offerings are thought most likely to reach the gods and, in the other direction, blessings can descend most readily from heaven. "Ganges." The river is, along with two other sites, the location of the extraordinary Kumbha Mela ritual which dates back to at least the 7th century CE. Ganga river history, attached with the most substantial rivers of the South Asian continent. To the east the seaward side of the delta is being changed at a rapid rate by the formation of new lands, known as chars, and new islands. River Ganges has two source … From time immemorial it has been the holy river … In Hindu mythology the Ganges river was created when Vishnu, in his incarnation as the dwarf brahmin, took two steps to cross the universe. Such changes have occurred in comparatively recent times, especially since 1750. River Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India. He had sixty thousand sons. In 1785 the Brahmaputra flowed past the city of Mymensingh; it now flows more than 40 miles (65 km) west of it before joining the Ganges. Boat traffic on the Buriganga (“Old Ganges”) River, Dhaka, Bangladesh. ALONG THE GANGES, India (AP) — More than 2,000 years ago, a powerful king built a fort on the banks of India’s holiest river, on the fringes of what is now a vast industrial city. The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas on the Indian side of the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. From time immemorial it has been the holy river of Hinduism. The Ganges often appears in Hindu mythology as a background location, for example, as a place where the famous figures Atri and Death performed various acts of asceticism. The Ganga river flows down the Southern end of the grand majestic Himalayas on the Indian end and the Tibetan autonomous region in China. The delta’s growth is dominated by tidal processes. The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles (2,510 km) is relatively short compared with the other great rivers of Asia or of the world. A celebrated representation of Ganga is from a sandstone lintel of a temple at Beshnagar. doi:10.1155/2011/798292. Gangotri itself is a sacred place for Hindu pilgrimage. It flows 2,700 km from the Himalaya mountains to the Bay of Bengal in northern India and Bangladesh. Ganga is the Hindu goddess of the river Ganges. For most of its course it is a wide and sluggish stream, flowing through one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world. West Bengal is the last Indian state that the Ganges enters, and, after it flows into Bangladesh, the Mahananda River joins it from the north. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Ganges flows only 200 km through the Himalayas. The story given here is the story of how Ganga came to flow on this earth and some other beliefs surrounding it. The Ganges is considered a tirtha which means a crossing point between heaven and earth. River Bhagirathi and Alaknanda come met at Devprayag to form the river Ganga. In West Bengal in India, as well as in Bangladesh, the Ganges is locally called the Padma. The Ganga, unfortunately, is also one of the five most polluted rivers in the world. The was once a king named Sagar. For most of its course the Ganges flows through Indian territory, although its large delta in the Bengal area, which it shares with the Brahmaputra River, lies mostly in Bangladesh. 3 years ago. Ritual bathing in the Ganges was and is an important part of Hindu pilgrimage and the ashes of the cremated are often spread across her waters. The greater part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, across which it flows, is the heartland of the region known as Hindustan and has been the cradle of successive civilizations from the Mauryan empire of Ashoka in the 3rd century bce to the Mughal Empire, founded in the 16th century. Its length is 205 km and has a basin of 6,921 sq km. The Ganga is as a result of Himalayan snow. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Related Content It then flows onto the plain at Haridwar, another place held sacred by Hindus. Footbridge across the Ganges (Ganga) River near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. Cartwright, M. (2015, May 27). The Hugli itself is joined by two tributaries flowing in from the west, the Damodar and the Rupnarayan. The response was to pray earnestly to Vishnu and perform ascetic acts for a thousand years. 13 Ganges river cruises with 10 reviews View Map. The delta, the seaward prolongation of sediment deposits from the Ganges and Brahmaputra river valleys, is about 220 miles (355 km) along the coast and covers an area of some 23,000 square miles (60,000 square km). He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. In the Mahabharata Ganga is the mother of Bhishma and in some myths Skanda (Karttikeya), the Hindu god of war, is her son with Agni, the god of fire. Ganga frequently appears in sculpture near temple doors and on decorative relief panels along with her sister river goddess Yamuna. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/place/Ganges-River, MapsofIndia.com - Rivers in India - Ganges River, Ganges River - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Ganges River - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Last modified May 27, 2015. The Ganga is the most sacred river for the Hindus and is the lifeline of the millions of people living along its course. Reply. History of Ganga River History of Ganga River, the national river of India, is steeped in mythology and folklore. Add Comment. History of Ganga River July 01, 2011 The Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into … License. The goddess is often depicted in Hindu art wearing a white saree and riding a crocodile. History of Ganga River in Hindi. Pawan Kumar April 5, 2019. In certain parts of the delta there occur layers of peat, composed of the remains of forest vegetation and rice plants. The Ganges-Brahmaputra system has the third greatest average discharge of the world’s rivers, at roughly 1,086,500 cubic feet (30,770 cubic metres) per second; approximately 390,000 cubic feet (11,000 cubic metres) per second is supplied by the Ganges alone. Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it drains one-fourth of the territory of India, and its basin supports hundreds of millions of people. The westernmost distributaries of the delta are the Bhagirathi and the Hugli (Hooghly) rivers, on the east bank of which stands the huge metropolis of Kolkata (Calcutta). In the Bangladeshi delta region, the rivers are broad and active, carrying plentiful water and connected by innumerable creeks. Regarded as sacred by Hindus, the river is personified as the goddess Ganga in ancient texts and art. Now held every three years, Hindu pilgrims of all social status perform a ritual bathing in the river which is thought to purify body and soul, wash away karma, and bring good fortune. Web. The western coastline of the delta, however, has remained practically unchanged since the 18th century. PMID 20885968.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Created between... Ganga, the Hindu personification of the River Ganges. Dating to c. 500 CE, the goddess stands on a makara (a mythological mix of crocodile and elephant) which symbolises the life-giving nature of water. International Journal of Microbiology. The river then skirts the Rajmahal Hills to the south and flows southeast to Farakka in central West Bengal state, at the apex of the delta. She waters the Earth alongside Saraswati. Waters from the Ganges are also collected by believers and taken home for use in rituals and as an offering. One of the most sacred sites in India is alongside the Ganges at Varanasi. It has seen the rise and fall of many empires. Above: The Milky Way glows above the 6856-metres-tall Bhagirathi peaks as seen from Tapovan, at an altitude of 4500 metres in Uttarakhand. Described in the Mahabharata as the 'best of rivers, born of all the sacred waters', the Ganges is personified as the goddess Ganga. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. On Ganga Saptami devotees all over the world worship Mother Ganga and take bath in Ganga river which is considered highly auspicious. The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers unite at Devaprayag to form the main stream known as the Ganga, which cuts southwestward through the Siwalik Range (Outer Himalayas) at the northern edge of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to emerge from the mountains at Rishikesh. In many natural depressions, known as bils, peat, still in the process of formation, has been used as a fertilizer by local farmers, and it has been dried and used as a domestic and industrial fuel. 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