The Ganga is India's most sacred river, worshipped as a goddess and geographically the lifeline of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain. It originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, at an altitude of about 7,010 metres.
Source: Gangotri Glacier (Gaumukh), Uttarakhand.
At Source it is Called: Bhagirathi.
Confluence with Alaknanda: At Devprayag.
Total Length: Approx. 2,525 km.
Final Destination: Bay of Bengal.
The river begins its journey from a massive ice cave called Gaumukh (meaning 'Cow's Mouth') at the snout of the Gangotri Glacier. At this point, the river is extremely narrow and ice-cold and is known as the Bhagirathi. It joins the Alaknanda river at Devprayag, and from that confluence onwards it is officially called the 'Ganga'.
From the frozen Himalayas, the Ganga flows through Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Varanasi, and Patna before finally emptying into the massive Bay of Bengal through the Sundarbans Delta.
According to Hindu mythology, King Bhagirath performed intense penance for thousands of years to bring the Ganga from heaven to Earth to purify his ancestors' souls. The river honours him by carrying his name at its source.
The Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand, from a cave known as Gaumukh.
At its source, it is called Bhagirathi. It becomes the 'Ganga' only after merging with the Alaknanda at Devprayag.
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