13. Credits
"Bathing in the Ganges River in Varanasi, India - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast
Yourself. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRcAlNSRRb0>.
Dunn, Julia. "The Ganges." Home - CSU, Chico. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/ganges.htm>.
"Ganges." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia Foundation, 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Jan.
2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges>.
Ghosh, Dhrubajyoti. "The CalcuttaWetlands: Turning Bad Water Into Good." Change Makers.
Changemakers, Oct. 1998. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
<http://proxied.changemakers.net/journal/98october/ghosh.cfm>.
"Lord Shiva Statue in Rishikesh, on the Bank of Ganges River ~ Hindu Devotional Blog." Hindu
Devotional Blog. Neoweb Technologies Thiruvananthapuram. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2009/03/lord-shiva-statue-in-rishikesh-on-
bank.html>.
"Media Gallery." Clean Ganga Portal. 7 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.cleangangaportal.org/galleries>.
Pietrasik, Tom. "THE REALITY OF MINING IN INDIA – Tom Pietrasik Photography |
Photographer & Filmaker." Tom Pietrasik Photography | Photographer & Filmaker. Dec. 2010.
Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://www.tompietrasik.com/2010/03/07/coal-mining-jharkhand-
india/>.
"Plastic Pollution: Cow Eating a Plastic Bag, near the Ganges River, Allahabad, India, 2007 --
Encyclopedia Britannica Online." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. June 2007.
Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/bps/media-view/136513/1/0/0>.
Editor's Notes
Ganges river is known all throughout India. The river runs 1,560 miles from Himalayas to all the way to Bay of Bengal and it is 14000 ft. above sea level.
There are many different stories of how the river came to be sacred. One of the many stories are how Mother Ganga poured herself down from heaven upon the ashes of King Sarga’s sons. Her water would raise them up again to dwell in peace in heaven.
The physical landscape of the river’s 5 headstreams all rise from northern mountainous regions. Floods occur frequently, especially on the Delta. They come mainly during summer. Also tropical cyclones melting snow off the Himalayan add to danger of flooding. During the rest of the year the basin is relatively dry and the river flows at low levels.
These rivers originate because of the 5 headstreams, out of the five Bhagirathi is held to be the source stream originating at the Gangotri Glacier at an elevation of 7,756 meters. The streams are fed by melting snow and ice from glaciers including glaciers from the peaks such as Nanda Devi and Kamet.
Ganges River suffers from extreme pollution levels, which affect 400 million people. Ganges releases around 200 million liters of untreated human sewage into river each day, leading to large concentrations of faecalcoliform bacteria. Drinking and bathing in the water carries a high risk of infection.
The failure of Ganga Action Plan, has also been variously attributed to environmental planning without proper understanding of the human environment interactions, Indian traditions and beliefs corruption lack of technical religious authorities. The action plan was started by Rajiv Ghandi to reduce pollution load on the river. But failed to decrease the pollution level in the river.
Illegal minning in Ganges river bed for stones and sand for construction work has been a long problem. Despite quarrying has been banned in KumbhMela, a festival held every 3 years in Allabhad, India.
It is a mass Hindu pilgrimage gather at Ganga River. The major event of the festival is ritual bathing at banks of the river. Other activities that take place in this ritual are devotionals singing , mass feeding of holy men and women and poor.
The site itself represents the beliefs of the people by running from 5 headstreams coming together from Himalayas to originate the river. Lord Shiva, one of the many gods in Indian culture and creator of the universe is known to live at the Himalayas. Also, many people believe the river originated by capturing the sweat of Lord Shiva’s feet and creation of this river occurred. Many people believe these stories because of the coincidence of the connection between the stories and physical landscape.
Ganges basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agriculture. Chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes and many more. Along the banks of rivers the presence of swamps and lakes provide a rich growing area for crops. This also creates many fishing opportunities for people situated along the banks.
Billions of people from all over the world not only of Hindu descent come to the Ganges river to wash away their sins. Despite the water quality or the infections it may carry people still consider it Holy because it is created by god and serves to help grow many crops, and even cure all problems by drinking. Overall this project helped me appreciate Ganges river and many sacred places all around the world because of these locations our faith and beliefs stay strong and carry on. For instance, if the Ganges river did not connect to the Himalayas or Lord Shiva’s home, who knows this place would have sacred at all. But for all that coincidence to occur just makes our beliefs exist.
