Ganges River

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drainage network of the Brahmaputra and Ganges river

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India: footbridge

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India: pilgrimage

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Ganges River summary

Ganges River

Q: Where does the Ganges River start?

The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas, and its five headstreams—the Bhagirathi, the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the Dhauliganga, and the Pindar—all rise in the mountainous region of northern Uttarakhand state. The two main headstreams are the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi.

Q: Where does the Ganges River end?

The Ganges River, which is 1,560 miles (2,510 km) long and drains one-fourth of the territory of India, ends in the Ganges, or Ganges-Brahmaputra, delta and empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Q: Why is the Ganges River considered holy in Hinduism?

The Ganges has been revered from the earliest times and today is regarded as the holiest of rivers by Hindus. Places of Hindu pilgrimage, called tirthas, that are situated on the Ganges have particular significance. Hindus cast the ashes of their dead into the river, believing that this gives the deceased direct passage to heaven, and cremation temples have been built in many places on the banks of the Ganges.

Q: What are the main causes of pollution in the Ganges River?

The Ganges basin is one of the most densely populated regions on earth. The untreated sewage dumped into the river, industrial waste, agricultural runoff, remnants of partially burned or unburned bodies from funeral pyres, and animal carcasses all contribute to polluting the Ganges. High levels of disease-causing bacteria and toxic substances have also been found in the Ganges.

Q: What is considered to be the precise source of the Ganges River?

Gaumukh, which is about 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Gangotri, is considered to be the precise source of the Ganges River. Gangotri itself is a sacred place for Hindu pilgrimage.

river, Asia

Also known as: Ganga

Written by Nafis Ahmad, Deryck O. Lodrick•All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 2, 2024 • Article History

Hindi:: Ganga

See all related content

Where does the Ganges River start?

Where does the Ganges River end?

Why is the Ganges River considered holy in Hinduism?

What are the main causes of pollution in the Ganges River?

What is considered to be the precise source of the Ganges River?

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Ganges River, great river of the plains of the northern Indian subcontinent. Although officially as well as popularly called the Ganga in Hindi and in other Indian languages, internationally it is known by its conventional name, the Ganges. From time immemorial it has been the holy river of Hinduism. 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. 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. ...(100 of 3504 words)

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