The Ganga River flows through northern India and into Bangladesh. It originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas and is over 2,500 km long. The river is sacred in Hinduism and is worshipped as a goddess. It is culturally and economically significant as millions visit its banks for religious rituals and it provides irrigation for agriculture. However, pollution from the large cities it passes through also poses health risks.

1. By- Supriya

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. It flows through the plains and enters Bangladesh.
It fans out into the 350km wide Ganges Delta.
It empties into the Bay of Bengal.

6. 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
caught the river in
his matted hair.

7. 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…..

8. 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.

9. 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’.

10. The Ganga is worshipped by the Hindus
and personified as a Goddess.

11. 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.

12. Hindu belief holds that
bathing in the River
causes
forgiveness of sins and
helps attain salvation.

13. The immersion of ashes of people is believed
to send the soul to Heaven.

14. Drinking the water of The Ganges is believed
to purify the soul.

15. 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.

16. The two main dams at Haridwar and
Farakka are a source of power generation.

17. The three towns holy to Hinduism – Haridwar,
Varanasi and Allahabad attract thousands of
pilgrims to its waters.

18. The rapids of the Ganges are popular river
rafting area, attracting hundreds of adventure
seekers in the summer months.

19. 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.

20. The Lakshman Jula is a 450feet long
suspension bridge built at Rishikesh

21. The Ganga Arthi at Haridwar at 7pm each
night showing people offering flowers
and lamps to the River Goddess.

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