User Contributed Dictionary
Proper noun
Extensive Definition
'' The Ganges (, also Ganga , Devanāgarī:
, in most Indian
languages) is a major river in the Indian
subcontinent flowing east through the eponymous
plains of northern India into Bangladesh. The
2,510 km (1,557 mi) river begins at the Gangotri
Glacier in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, in
the central Himalayas, and
drains into the Bay of
Bengal through its vast delta in the
Sunderbans. It
has enjoyed a position of reverence for millennia among India's
Hindus, by whom it is worshipped in its personified form as the
goddess Ganga.
The Ganges and its tributaries drain a large
– about one million square kilometres – and
fertile basin that supports one of the world's highest-density
human populations. It should be noted that almost half of the
population of India proper live on one-third of the landscape
within 500 km of the Himalayan range
along the Gangetic plains.
In his book Discovery
of India, Jawaharlal
Nehru writes, The Ganges, above all is the river of India,
which has held India's heart captive and drawn uncounted millions
to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges,
from her source to the sea, from old times to new, 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…
Course
The Ganges originates in the Himalayas after the confluence of six rivers: the Alaknanda meets the Dhauliganga at Vishnuprayag, the Nandakini at Nandprayag, the Pindar at Karnaprayag, the Mandakini at Rudraprayag and finally the Bhagirathi at Devprayag (after which point the river is known as the Ganges) in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Bhagirathi is considered the source stream; it originates at the Gangotri Glacier, at an elevation of 7,756 m (25,446 ft). The streams are fed by melting snow and ice from glaciers including glaciers from peaks such as Nanda Devi and Kamet.After travelling 200 km through the
Himalayas, the Ganges emerges at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar in the
Sivalik
Hills. At Haridwar, a dam diverts some of its waters into the
Ganges
Canal, which links the Ganges with its main tributary, the
Yamuna. The
Ganges, whose course has been roughly southwestern until this
point, now begins to flow southeast through the plains of northern
India.
Further, the river follows an 800 km
curving course passing through the city of Kanpur before being
joined from the southwest by the Yamuna at Allahabad. This
point is known as the Sangam
at Allahabad. Sangam, is a sacred place in Hinduism. According
to ancient Hindu texts, at one time a third river, the Sarasvati,
met the other two rivers at this point
Joined by numerous rivers such as the Kosi, Son, Gandaki and
Ghaghra,
the Ganges forms a formidable current in the stretch between
Allahabad and Malda in West Bengal.
On its way it passes the towns of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur. At
Bhagalpur, the river meanders past the Rajmahal
Hills, and begins to run south. At Pakur, the river
begins its attrition with the branching away of its first
distributary, the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly,
which goes on to form the Hooghly
River. Near the border with Bangladesh the
Farakka
Barrage, built in 1974, controls the
flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal
linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt-free.
After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the
Ganges is known as the Padma River
until it is joined by the Jamuna River
the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra.
Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by the Meghna
River, the second largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and
takes on the Meghna's name as it enters the Meghna
Estuary. Fanning out into the 350 km wide Ganges
Delta, it finally empties into the Bay of
Bengal. Only two rivers, the Amazon and
the Congo, have
greater discharge than the combined flow of the Ganges, the
Brahmaputra
and the Surma-Meghna
river system.
Religious significance
Situated on the banks of River Ganges, Varanasi
is considered by some to be the most holy city in Hinduism. The
Ganga is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu
scriptures. It appears in the nadistuti (Rig Veda 10.75), which
lists the rivers from east to west. In RV 6.45.31, the word Ganga
is also mentioned, but it is not clear whether this reference is to
the river.
According to Hindus the river Ganga (feminine) is
sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus and personified as a Devi
goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindu
belief holds that bathing in the river (especially on certain
occasions) causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain
salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in
the Ganga at any time. People travel from distant places to immerse
the Cremation and ashes collection ashes of their Family|kin in the
waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the
departed soul to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along
the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar and Varanasi.
People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed in copper
pots after making the pilgrimage to Varanasi. It is believed that
drinking water from the Ganga with one's last breath will take the
soul to heaven.
Hindus also believe life is incomplete without
bathing in the Ganga at least once in one's lifetime. Most Hindu
families keep a vial of water from the Ganga in their house. This
is done because it is prestigious to have water of the Holy Ganga
in the house, and also so that if someone is dying, that person
will be able to drink its water. Many Hindus believe that the water
from the Ganga can cleanse a person's soul of all past sins, and
that it can also cure the ill. The ancient scriptures mention that
the water of Ganges carries the blessings of Lord Vishnu's feet;
hence Mother Ganges is also known as Vishnupadi, which means
"Emanating from the Lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Vishnu."
Some of the most important Hindu festivals and
religious Congregation (worship)happen here.Congregations are
celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga, such as the Kumbh Mela
every twelve years at Media:Allahabad and the Chhath Chhat
Puja.
Varanasi has hundreds of temples along the bank
of the Ganges which often become flooded during the rains. This
city, especially along the bank of the Ganges, is an important
place of worship for the Hindus as well as a cremation
ground.
Indian Mythology states that Ganga, daughter of
Himavan, King of the Mountains, had the power to purify anything
that touched her. Ganga flowed from the heavens and purified the
people of India, according to myths. After the funeral, Indians
often immerse the bodies of their dead in the Ganga, which is
believed to purify them of their sins.
History
During the early Indo-Aryan Ages, the Indus and the Sarasvati River Sarasvati were the major rivers, not the Ganges.But the later three Vedas seem to give much more importance to the Ganges, as shown by its numerous references.Possibly the first Westerner to mentions the
Ganges was Megasthenes. He did so several times in his work
Indika:India, again, possesses many rivers both large and
navigable, which, having their sources in the mountains which
stretch along the northern frontier, traverse the level country,
and not a few of these, after uniting with each other, fall into
the river called the Ganges. Now this river, which at its source is
30 stadia broad, flows from north to south, and empties
its waters into the ocean forming the eastern boundary of the
Gangaridai, a nation which possesses a vast force of the
largest-sized elephants." (Diodorus II.37.)
In Rome's Piazza Navona, a famous sculpture,
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers) designed by
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was built in 1651. It symbolises four of the
world's great rivers (the Ganges, the Nile, the Danube, and the Río
de la Plata), representing the four continents known at the
time.
Economy
The Ganges Basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economies of India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. Chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes, and wheat. Along the banks of the river, the presence of swamps and lakes provide a rich growing area for crops such as legumes, chillies, mustard, sesame, sugarcane, and jute. There are also many fishing opportunities to many along the river, though it remains highly polluted.Tourism is another related activity. Three towns
holy to Hinduism – Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi
– attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters. Thousands
of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the
Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help
attain salvation. The rapids of the Ganges also are popular for
river rafting,
attracting hundreds of adventure seekers in the summer
months.
Ecology
The river waters start getting polluted right at the source. The commercial exploitation of the river has risen in proportion to the rise of population. Gangotri and Uttarkashi are good examples. Gangotri had only a few huts of Sadu's until the 1970's and the population of Uttrakashi has swelled in recent years. As it flows through highly populous areas the Ganges collects large amounts of human pollutants, e.g., Schistosoma mansoni and faecal coliforms, and drinking and bathing in its waters therefore carries a high risk of infection. While proposals have been made for remediating this condition, little progress has been achieved.Dysentery and
cholera are killed off,
preventing large-scale epidemics. The river also has an unusual
ability to retain dissolved oxygen, but the reason for this ability
is not known.
A UN Climate Report issued in 2007 indicates that
the Himalayan glaciers that feed the Ganges may disappear by 2030,
after which the river's flow would be a seasonal occurrence
resulting from monsoons.
Notes
References
- On the Banks of the Ganga: When Wastewater Meets a Sacred River
- Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage up the Ganges River to the Source of Hindu Culture
- A Walk Along the Ganges}}