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THE RIVER GANGES. 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 Sunderbans. COURSE.
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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 Sunderbans.
COURSE The Ganga originates in the Himalayas after the confluence of six rivers. The streams are fed by the melting snow and ice from the glaciers. It emerges from the Himalayas at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar.
The Ganges which till this point flows in a South-Western direction now begins to flow in a South-Eastern direction. It is joined by the River Yamuna at a point called Sangamam, a scared place in Hinduism.
It flows through the plains and enters Bangladesh. It fans out into the 350km wide Ganges Delta. It empties into the Bay of Bengal.
The Story Of The Descent Of Ganga • King Bagiratha through his penance was responsible for the descent of Ganga from Heaven to Earth • As the might of the river was too much for Earth to withstand, he prayed to Lord Shiva who caughtthe river in his matted hair.
HISTORY Megasthanese was the first Westerner to mention Ganges in his work Indika. Jawarharlal Nehru in his book ‘ Discovery of India’ says .. The story of the Ganges from her source to the sea is the story of India’s civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires ,of great and proud cities, of adventures of man…..
In Rome’s Piazza Navona, there is a fountain of four Rivers– The Ganges, The Nile, The Daunbe and The Rio De La Plata. This is the architectural creation of Bermin in 1651.
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’.
The Ganga is worshipped by the Hindus and personified as a Goddess.
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.
Hindu belief holds that bathing in the River causes forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation.
The immersion of ashes of people is believed to send the soul to Heaven.
Drinking the water of The Ganges is believed to purify the soul.
ECONOMY • The Ganges basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economy of India. • The Ganges with its tributaries provides a perennial source of irrigation for crops.
The two main dams at Haridwar and Farakka are a source of power generation.
The three towns holy to Hinduism – Haridwar, Varanasi and Allahabad attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters.
The rapids of the Ganges are popular river rafting area, attracting hundreds of adventure seekers in the summer months.
ECOLOGY • The Ganges collects large amounts of human pollutants as it flows through highly populous areas, carrying high health risk of infection. • The Ganga Action Plan has been set up under the Indian government and is attempting to build waste treatment facilities.
The Lakshman Jula is a 450feet long suspension bridge built at Rishikesh
The Ganga Arthi at Haridwar at 7pm each night showing people offering flowers and lamps to the River Goddess.
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