Ganges

This article is about the river. For other uses, see Ganges (disambiguation).
"Ganga" redirects here. For the goddess, see Ganga (goddess). For other uses, see Ganga (disambiguation).

Ganges
The Ganges in Varanasi
Map of the combined drainage basins of the Ganges (yellow), Brahmaputra (violet) and Meghna (green)
EtymologyGanga (goddess)
Location
CountryNepal, India (as Ganga), Bangladesh (as Padma)
CitiesUttarakhand: Rishikesh, Haridwar

Uttar Pradesh: Bijnor, Fatehgarh, Kannauj, Hardoi, Bithoor, Kanpur,Lucknow (Gomti tributary), Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, Narora

Bihar: Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Patna, Vaishali, Munger, Khagaria, Katihar

Jharkhand: Sahibganj

West Bengal: Murshidabad, Palashi, Nabadwip, Shantipur, Kolkata, Serampore, Chinsurah, Baranagar, Diamond Harbour, Haldia, Budge Budge, Howrah, Uluberia, Barrackpore

Delhi: (Yamuna) tributary

Rajshahi Division: Rajshahi, Pabna, Ishwardi

Dhaka Division: Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Faridpur

Chittagong Division: Chandpur, Noakhali

Barisal Division: Bhola
Physical characteristics
SourceConfluence at Devprayag, Uttarakhand of the Alaknanda river (the source stream in hydrology because of its greater length) and the Bhagirathi river (the source stream in Hindu tradition). The headwaters of the river include: Mandakini, Nandakini, Pindar and the Dhauliganga, all tributaries of the Alaknanda.[1]
 • locationDevprayag, the beginning of the main stem of the Ganges
MouthBay of Bengal
 • location
Ganges Delta
Length2,525 km (1,569 mi)[2]
Basin size1,999,000 km2 (772,000 sq mi)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationMouth of the Ganges (Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna); Basin size 1,999,000 km2 (772,000 sq mi), Bay of Bengal[3]
 • average38,129 m3/s (1,346,500 cu ft/s)[4] to

43,900 m3/s (1,550,000 cu ft/s)[3]

1,389 km3/a (44,000 m3/s)
Discharge 
 • locationGanges Delta, Bay of Bengal
 • average18,691 m3/s (660,100 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationFarakka Barrage[4]
 • average16,648 m3/s (587,900 cu ft/s)
 • minimum180 m3/s (6,400 cu ft/s)
 • maximum70,000 m3/s (2,500,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftRamganga, Garra, Gomti, Tamsa Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda
 • rightYamuna, Tamsa (also known as Tons River), Karamnasa, Sone, Punpun, Falgu, Kiul, Chandan, Ajay, Damodar, Rupnarayan

The Ganges (/ˈɡændʒiːz/ GAN-jeez; in India: Ganga, /ˈɡʌŋɡɑː/ GUNG-ah; in Bangladesh: Padma, /ˈpʌdmə/ PUD-mə)[5][6][7][8] is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km (1,569 mi)-long river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India, receiving the right-bank tributary, the Yamuna, which also rises in the western Indian Himalayas, and several left-bank tributaries from Nepal that account for the bulk of its flow.[9][10] In West Bengal state, India, a feeder canal taking off from its right bank diverts 50% of its flow southwards, artificially connecting it to the Hooghly River. The Ganges continues into Bangladesh, its name changing to the Padma. It is then joined by the Jamuna, the lower stream of the Brahmaputra, and eventually the Meghna, forming the major estuary of the Ganges Delta, and emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system is the second-largest river on earth by discharge.[11][12]

The main stem of the Ganges begins at the town of Devprayag,[1] at the confluence of the Alaknanda, which is the source stream in hydrology on account of its greater length, and the Bhagirathi, which is considered the source stream in Hindu mythology.

The Ganges is a lifeline to tens of millions of people who live in its basin and depend on it for their daily needs.[13] It has been important historically, with many former provincial or imperial capitals such as Pataliputra,[14] Kannauj,[14] Sonargaon, Dhaka, Bikrampur, Kara, Munger, Kashi, Patna, Hajipur, Kanpur, Delhi, Bhagalpur, Murshidabad, Baharampur, Kampilya, and Kolkata located on its banks or those of its tributaries and connected waterways. The river is home to approximately 140 species of fish, 90 species of amphibians, and also reptiles and mammals, including critically endangered species such as the gharial and South Asian river dolphin.[15] The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus.[16] It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.[17]

The Ganges is threatened by severe pollution. This not only poses a danger to humans but also to many species of animals. The levels of fecal coliform bacteria from human waste in the river near Varanasi are more than 100 times the Indian government's official limit.[15] The Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative to clean up the river, has been considered a failure[a][b][18] which is variously attributed to corruption, a lack of will in the government, poor technical expertise,[c] poor environmental planning,[d] and a lack of support from religious authorities.[e]

  1. ^ a b Lodrick, Deryck O.; Ahmad, Nafis (28 January 2021), Ganges River, Encyclopedia Britannica, archived from the original on 7 May 2020, retrieved 2 February 2021
  2. ^ Jain, Agarwal & Singh 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d C B Sharma (11 January 2021). Applied Environmental Sciences & Engineering. BFC Publications. ISBN 9780313380075. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b Kumar, Singh & Sharma 2005.
  5. ^ Salman & Uprety 2002, p. 129. "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China."
  6. ^ Swain, Ashok (2004), Managing Water Conflict: Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Routledge, p. 54, ISBN 9781135768836, The Ganges is an international river that flows through the territories of India and Bangladesh. In the Indian side, the Ganges is called the Ganga. ... India's Ganga then becomes Padma for a Bangladeshi.
  7. ^ India: Factfile (PDF), Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use (PCGN), p. 11, archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2021, PCGN recommended name=Ganges; Local Names: Padma (Bangladesh), Ganga (India); Feature type: River
  8. ^ "Subject headings: G" (PDF), US Library of Congress Subject Headings, thirty-fourth edition (LCSH 34) (PDF), 2012, p. 23, archived (PDF) from the original on 21 December 2016, Ganges River (India and Bangladesh); UF (use for) Gangā River (India and Bangladesh); BT (broader term) Rivers—Bangladesh, Rivers—India; NT (narrower term) Padma River (Bangladesh)
  9. ^ Swain, Ashok (2004), Managing Water Conflict: Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Routledge, p. 54, ISBN 9781135768836, archived from the original on 28 March 2024, retrieved 16 November 2021, This river originates on the southern slope of the Himalayan range, and on its way receives supplies from seven major tributaries. Three of them - the Gandak, Karnali (Ghagara) and Kosi — pass through the Himalayan 'Hindu' Kingdom of Nepal, and they supply the major portion of the Ganges flow.
  10. ^ Salman & Uprety 2002, pp. 129–130. "The tributaries that originate in Nepal and China, including the Kosi, Gandaki, Kamala, Bagmati, Kamali and Mahakali, account for about 45 percent of the Ganges flow."
  11. ^ "World of Change: Padma River – NASA Earth Observatory". 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Ganges River Basin". National Geographic Society. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  13. ^ "The Mighty River | Ganga: River From The Skies | National Geographic". National Geographic Society. 29 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  14. ^ a b Ghosh, A. (1990). An encyclopaedia of Indian archaeology. BRILL. p. 334. ISBN 978-90-04-09264-8. OCLC 313728835. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  15. ^ a b Rice, Earle (2012), The Ganges River, Mitchell Lane Publishers, Incorporated, p. 25, ISBN 978-1612283685, archived from the original on 28 March 2024, retrieved 22 March 2017
  16. ^ Alter, Stephen (2001), Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage Up the Ganges River to the Source of Hindu Culture, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publishers, ISBN 978-0-15-100585-7, archived from the original on 24 March 2023, retrieved 30 July 2013
  17. ^ Bhattacharji, Sukumari; Bandyopadhyay, Ramananda (1995). Legends of Devi. Orient Blackswan. p. 54. ISBN 978-81-250-0781-4. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  18. ^ "Clean Up Or Perish", The Times of India, 19 March 2010


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