How cold is the river Ganges?
The average maximum temperature across the basin is 30.3°C in summer and 21.1°C in winter. The average minimum temperature across the basin is 21.5°C in summer and 6.4°C in winter.
Can you swim in the Ganges River?
Yes , it is 100% safe to swim in River Ganges but only if you are a good swimmer because you will find more deep when you will start moving towards the mid. Yes, water is little bit dirty but as you now millions of people take bath in river ganges and do not have problems after bath.
What is the climate like in the Ganges River?
The climate in Ganges is warm and temperate. The winters are rainier than the summers in Ganges. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Csb. The average temperature in Ganges is 10.5 °C | 50.9 °F.
Do people get sick from swimming in the Ganges?
A 2006 study counted around 10(8) cells of fecal coliform (a bacteria originating in human intestines) per 100ml of water. In short, the river at this point is just diluted sewage. Yet it's believed that the thousands of bathing Hindu devotees are immune from getting sick.
Are there crocodiles in the Ganges?
Gharials get back into the Ganges | WWF. No fewer than 131 gharials, the critically endangered long-snouted crocodile native to the Northern Indian sub-continent, were recently re-introduced to the river Ganges at the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh by WWF-India officials.
How dirty is Ganges?
Every day, around three million litres of sewage is emptied into the Ganges – and only about half of that has undergone any kind of treatment. The river's waters are so dirty that it's considered one of the most polluted waterways in the world.
Why is the Ganges River holy?
The Ganges River is most sacred in the Hindu tradition. It is understood as the personification of the Goddess Ganga. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of transgressions and helps attain salvation.
Why is Ganga so polluted?
The main causes of water pollution in the Ganges river are the disposal of human sewage and animal waste, increasing population density, and disposal of industrial waste into the river.
What is special about Ganga water?
The scientific reason is that water of river Ganga is of course having Bacteriophages, the viruses that eat bacteria, don't allow bacterial growth were found in the waters of Ganga. - A bacteriophage is a virus that infects a bacterium and replicates within the bacterium and destroys it.
What is the dirtiest river in the world?
The Citarum riverThe Citarum river in West Java is considered the dirtiest river in the world. Textile factories discharge tons of untreated toxic waste into the river every day. Local residents also treat the river as a dumping ground, using the waters to dispose of excrement and household waste.
Is it safe to drink water from the Ganges?
HIGHLIGHTS. The Ganga river water is absolutely unfit for "direct drinking" and only seven spots from where it passes can be consumed after disinfection, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said.
Which river is most polluted in the world?
Citarum RiverCitarum River, Indonesia - The Citarum River is known as the most polluted river in the world and is located in West Java, Indonesia.
Why do people swim in the Ganges River?
It is Saturday in Allahabad, India. A large crowd of Hindu pilgrims descends the steps of a ghat, or ritual bathing area, to step into the waters of the Ganges. Devout Hindus believe that a dip in the river washes away their sins. About two million people take that dip every day.
Is the Ganges toxic?
Although a relatively low proportion, they are a cause for major concern because they are often toxic and non-biodegradable. Plastic and industrial waste, such as wastewater from the factories that sit on the banks of the Ganga, is another cause of pollution.
Can you drink water from the Ganges River?
HIGHLIGHTS. The Ganga river water is absolutely unfit for "direct drinking" and only seven spots from where it passes can be consumed after disinfection, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said.
Is it safe to swim in Indian river?
The water is generally safe for swimming, officials assure. But, as always, that depends. Inlets to flush out a balmy, stagnant lagoon are few-and-far-between. Bacteria can spike after heavy rains, with no water tests to warn the public, as on the county's ocean beaches.
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 P...
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,...
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 ti...
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...
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 sa...
How long is the Ganges River?
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.
Where is the 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.
What are the two rivers that flow through the delta?
The westernmost distributaries of the delta are the Bhagirathi and the Hugli (Hooghly) rivers, on the east bank of which stands the huge metropolis of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Hugli itself is joined by two tributaries flowing in from the west, the Damodar and the Rupnarayan.
How many cubic feet of water does the Ganges-Brahmaputra system discharge per second?
The Ganges-Brahmaputra system has the third greatest average discharge of the world’s rivers, at roughly 1,086,500 cubic feet (30,770 cubic metres) per second; approximately 390,000 cubic feet (11,000 cubic metres) per second is supplied by the Ganges alone. The rivers’ combined suspended sediment load of about 1.84 billion tons per year is the world’s highest.
Which river basins are in the Bay of Bengal?
The Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage network. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it drains one-fourth of the territory of India, and its basin supports hundreds of millions of people.
Where is Gangotri glacier?
Gangotri. Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand state, northern India, one of the sources of the Ganges (Ganga) River. © afateev/Fotolia. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.
Where is the Ganges located?
The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas on the Indian side of the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its five headstreams—the Bhagirathi, the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the Dhauliganga, and the Pindar—all rise in the mountainous region of northern Uttarakhand state.
Where is the Ganges River located?
The Himalayan headwaters of the Ganges River in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. The headstreams and rivers are labelled in italics; the heights of the mountains, lakes, and towns are displayed in parentheses in metres. The upper phase of the river Ganges begins at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in the town ...
Where is the Lower Ganges?
Lower Ganges in Lakshmipur, Bangladesh. The name Ganges is used for the river between the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers, in the Himalayas, and the first bifurcation of the river, near the Farakka Barrage and the India-Bangladesh Border.
How big is the Ganges Delta?
The Ganges Delta, formed mainly by the large, sediment-laden flows of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, is the world's largest delta, at about 64,000 km 2 (25,000 sq mi). It stretches 400 km (250 mi) along the Bay of Bengal.
Why are the Ganges considered purifying?
Nothing reclaims order from disorder more than the waters of the Ganga. Moving water, as in a river, is considered purifying in Hindu culture because it is thought to both absorb impurities and take them away. The swiftly moving Ganga, especially in its upper reaches, where a bather has to grasp an anchored chain to not be carried away, is especially purifying. What the Ganges removes, however, is not necessarily physical dirt, but symbolic dirt; it wipes away the sins of the bather, not just of the present, but of a lifetime.
Why is the Ganges important?
Indeed, the Ganges is so important in the rituals after death that the Mahabharata, in one of its popular ślokas, says, "If only (one) bone of a (deceased) person should touch the water of the Ganges, that person shall dwell honoured in heaven.".
Which two rivers merge in the Ganges Delta?
The two largest rivers, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, both split into distributary channels, the largest of which merge with other large rivers before themselves joining the Bay of Bengal.
How long is the Kanpur canal?
A 560 km (350 mi) long canal, with another 480 km (300 mi) of branch lines, eventually stretched between the headworks in Haridwar, splitting into two branches below Aligarh, and its two confluences with the Yamuna (Jumna in map) mainstem in Etawah and the Ganges in Kanpur (Cawnpore in map).
Where is the Ganges River located?
Also referred to as “Ganga”, the Ganges River is a long transboundary river in the Continent of Asia that flows through some of the most densely populated regions in the two major countries of India and Bangladesh. Rising in the western Himalayas in the Indian State of Uttarakhand, the Ganges River flows for more than 2,525km across the Gangetic Plains in the northern part of India into Bangladesh, where it forms a huge delta with the Brahmaputra River before draining into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River Basin is considered India’s largest river basin and drains about one-fourth of India’s territory. The Ganges is considered the world’s 3 rd largest river by discharge having an average discharge volume of 38,129 m 3 /s.
What are the animals that live in the Ganges River?
The Ganges River is home to many reptilian species like gharial, the saltwater crocodile, the mugger crocodile, three-striped roof turtle, Indian black turtle, etc. India’s National Aquatic Animal – the Ganges River Dolphin is found in the Ganges River. Many mammalian species like Bengal Tigers (in the mangrove swamps of the Ganges Delta), elephants, four-horned antelope, foxes, and leopards have been recorded in the upper Gangetic Plains.
What is the most sacred river in India?
The Ganges River is regarded as the “most sacred” and worshipped as Goddess “Ma Ganga” or “Mother Ganges” by millions of Hindus in India and around the world. The Ganges River and its numerous tributaries serve as a vital source of water for millions of people who live along its course and are completely dependent on the river for their sustenance.
Which river flows through West Bengal?
From the Indian State of West Bengal, the principal branch of the Ganges River flows into Bangladesh, where it is referred to as the Padma River. The Padma River is joined by the Jamuna River, which is the largest distributary of the mighty Brahmaputra River. This combined flow of the Padma-Jamuna Rivers then joins the Meghna River. The three rivers then flow through the delta region to enter the Meghna Estuary and finally drain into the Bay of Bengal.
What river flows through the Himalayas?
The melting ice of the Gangotri Glacier forms the crystal-clear waters of the Bhagirathi River, which then flows down the Himalayas and unites with the Alaknanda River at Devprayag to form the main Ganges River. After flowing for about 256.90km southwestwards through the Siwalik Range, the Ganga River emerges from the mountains at the city of Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas. The river then flows onto the Indo-Gangetic Plain at Haridwar, an extremely revered pilgrimage site for the Hindus.
What is the Ganges River used for?
Today, the river flows through well-populated regions of India, providing freshwater to the millions of people living in these regions. The river is also used for fishing, irrigation, and bathing, and it is worshiped in the Hindu religion as the Mother Ganga. As the river empties into the Bay of Bengal, the mouth forms the Ganges River Delta, the largest river delta in the world.
Which river flows through the Himalayas?
As the Bhagirathi River flows down the Himalayas, it joins the Alaknanda River, officially forming the Ganges River. The Ganges River Basin is sometimes considered part of a larger river basin consisting of the nearby Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Known as the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) River Basin, it is one of the largest river systems in ...
What is a river basin?
A river basin is a region that is drained by a river, such as the Ganges, and any of its tributaries. This means that surface water and rainwater in the basin area flow into the nearby rivers. The Ganges River originates in the Himalaya Mountains at Gomukh, the terminus of the Gongotri Glacier. When the ice of this glacier melts, it forms ...
What is the name of the river that flows through the Bay of Bengal?
Noun. (2,495 kilometers/1,550 miles) river in South Asia that originates in the Himalaya and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Also called the Ganga. Gangotri Glacier . Noun. large glacier in the Himalaya Mountains, the source of the Ganges (Ganga) River. glacier.
Is the Ganges River dangerous?
The Ganges River is a vital resource to Asia, but it faces many threats. Human and industrial pollutants fill the river in some areas, making it unsafe even for swimming. As the population in regions surrounding the river swells, water demands for agriculture increases, straining water levels.
How long is the Ganga River?
The total length of the Ganga river which starts from Gaumukh in Uttarakhand is about 1560 Miles or 2510 Kilometres and its basin area is about 1.32 million km².
Where does the Ganga River begin?
The Ganga River begins in the Himalaya Mountains in Gomukh, where the Gangotri Glacier meets Ganga. When this glacier’s ice melts, it creates the clean waters of the Bhagirathi River. The Bhagirathi River meets the Alaknanda River as it runs down the Himalayas, forming the Ganga River.
Why Is Ganga a Holy River?
With no scriptural-basis, it is a widely held belief among Hindus that bathing in the holy water of the Ganga River cleanses a person of all sins and brings new sanctity to life. Because of its purity and sacredness of Gangajal it is linked to nectar in Indian beliefs. The ashes of the deceased are also thrown into this river, which is thought to represent a portal to heaven. Thousands of pilgrims pay their respects to the Ganga, which has a lot of mythical significance.
Why is the water of the Ganga the cleanest and clearest in the whole world?
Why is the water of the Ganga the cleanest and clearest in the whole world? How is this possible? The water of river Ganga is clean and holy , and there is no other water source on this whole earth that has similar water. It is because Ganga was sent from ‘Satlok’, which is the supreme most place and the only imperishable abode. There is a Mansarovar full of Nectar (Amrit) in Satlok, out of which only a handful was sent to Brahmlok in the form of River Ganga. Brahmlok is the world of Kshar Brahm or Jyoti Niranjan, the father of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh and from there again Ganga came to Brahmalok then to Vishnulok and then came to a place called Jata Kundli in Shivlok.
How many states are there in the Ganga basin?
India accounts for around 79 percent of the area of the Ganga basin. The basin encompasses 11 states:
Who was the first European explorer to mention the river Ganga?
The Greek ambassador Megasthenes (350–290 BCE) was the first European explorer to mention the river Ganga. India, again, boasts several rivers both vast and navigable, which, having their sources in the mountains which reach along the northern frontier, pass the level region, and many of these, after merging with one other, descend into the river known as Ganga. Now, this river, which is 30 stadia wide at its source, travels from north to south and empties into the ocean.
Which cities have Ganga Ghat?
Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi have famous Ganga Ghat. Ganga water pollution is rising day by day which is making the water adulterated with pollutants. Due to the high inflow of lichens and mosses from lakes and ponds during the rainy season, Ganga turns pale green in color.
Overview
History
The first European traveller to mention the Ganges was the Greek envoy Megasthenes (ca. 350–290 BCE). He did so several times in his work Indica: "India, again, possesses many rivers both large and navigable, which, having their sources in the mountains which stretch along the northern frontier, traverse the level country, and not a few of these, after uniting with each other, fall into the river called the Ganges. Now this river, which at its source is 30 stadia broad, flows fr…
Course
The upper phase of the river Ganges begins at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in the town of Devprayag in the Garhwal division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Bhagirathi is considered to be the source in Hindu culture and mythology, although the Alaknanda is longer, and therefore, hydrologically the source stream. The headwaters of the Alakananda are form…
Geology
The Indian subcontinent lies atop the Indian tectonic plate, a minor plate within the Indo-Australian Plate. Its defining geological processes commenced seventy-five million years ago, when, as a part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, it began a northeastwards drift—lasting fifty million years—across the then unformed Indian Ocean. The subcontinent's subsequent collision with the Eurasian Plate and subduction under it, gave rise to the Himalayas, the planet's highest mountain …
Hydrology
Major left-bank tributaries include the Gomti River, Ghaghara River, Gandaki River and Kosi River; major right-bank tributaries include the Yamuna River, Son River, Punpun and Damodar. The hydrology of the Ganges River is very complicated, especially in the Ganges Delta region. One result is different ways to determine the river's length, its discharge, and the size of its drainage basin.
Religious and cultural significance
The Ganges is a sacred river to Hindus along every fragment of its length. All along its course, Hindus bathe in its waters, paying homage to their ancestors and their gods by cupping the water in their hands, lifting it, and letting it fall back into the river; they offer flowers and rose petals and float shallow clay dishes filled with oil and lit with wicks (diyas). On the journey back home from …
Irrigation
The Ganges and its all tributaries, especially the Yamuna, have been used for irrigation since ancient times. Dams and canals were common in the Gangetic plain by the 4th century BCE. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin has a huge hydroelectric potential, on the order of 200,000 to 250,000 megawatts, nearly half of which could easily be harnessed. As of 1999, India tapped about 12% of the hydroelectric potential of the Ganges and just 1% of the vast potential of the Br…
Economy
The Ganges Basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economies of India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. Chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes, and wheat. Along the banks of the river, the presence of swamps and lakes provides a rich growing area for cr…