Ganga: Our Divine Mother

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It has been long. I sat there, on the very lap of my mother, the divine mother of India. It was as if destiny awaited me to be there. The mighty Ganges, flowed with all her might. Somewhere deep within my heart I felt proud to beHere, to witness the majesty and splendor of the holiest river. As sacred hymns drifted in the fragrant air and thousands of devotees bathed in the rivers

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The Ganges is the greatest and the holiest river in India. It rises some 3000m up, in the Himalayas, in the Northern India. It flows through Bangladesh as River Padma and the River Meghna. After flowing south-east for about 2015 km, it flows to the Bay of Bengal through a huge swampy delta it shares with R. Brahmaputra.
To us, Hindus Ganges is the most sacred river. Holy cities such as Benaras and Allahabad lie in the banks and are visited by thousands of pilgrims every day. The devotees bath themselves in the very waters of Ganges in order to purify themselves and sometimes cure themselves if ailing. Its water is treasured and revered by all Indians. Legend and myth has it, that Ganges will wash away ones sins when he/she takes a dip in its holy waters. It is believed that Ganges is a gift to the earth from the Heaven, and hence revered and worshipped by all Hindus.

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Also, all of the its basin, is heavily populated and is known as the Hindi heartland,
Because it is very fertile, it is agriculturally very fit, thanks to the periodic deposition of very fertile alluvial soil by Ganges and its tributaries. The Ganges flows through some of the most important parts of India. Important tributaries of Ganges are rivers Ghagra, Burhi Gandak, Kosi, Yamuna etc. Delhi, the capital of India lies on Yamuna.

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The waters of Ganges have proved a blessing to the people living on its bank, as it directly or indirectly are their main source of livelihoods. It provides the agriculture, transport, and all other needs. The canals of Ganges, most importantly the Upper Gangesand Lower Ganges canals (opened in 1856 and 1880 respectively) Irrigates many areas such as Oudh in Uttar Pradesh. Thus Ganges is the lifeline of the inhabitant of northern and central India, hasn’t it been Ganges, India would have been a different scenario now.

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Indeed, the quest of India starts at the banks of Ganges. To know India properly, even for an Indian, Ganges is a must to visit. In order to explore the oldest living civilization called India, one must explore its soul The Ganges. Every year the banks of Ganges witness the largest gathering of human being in form of different religious fairs and gatherings most importantly the Kumbh Mela.
Figure 1- Mythical representation of Ganges in folklore
Figure 2- Different scriptures and ancient compositions praising Ganges
Figure 3- Map showing the course of Ganges
Figure 4- The Ganges at Haridwar, Uttaranchal
Figure 5- 1840s image of Ganges
Figure 6- People folk for daily evening prayer and sermon on banks of Ganges