Ancient India
ORIGIN AND DESCRIPTION
The Ganges River, also known as the Ganga, is the longest river in the country of India and the second largest river in the world in the amount of water released. It is approximately 1,557 miles long and starts in the Himalayan Mountains around 14,000 feet above sea level where it “makes it’s long and winding journey over India’s greatest plain before draining into the Bay of Bengal.” [1]
POPULATION OF THE RIVER BASIN
The basin around the Ganges River has been inhabited by humans since ancient times. The first people to settle in the region were the Harappan civilization. “They moved into the Ganges River basin from the Indus River basin around the 2nd millennium BCE.” Today, the Ganges River is a of source of life for the nearly 400 million people living in its basin. The people rely on the river for drinking water, food and for irrigation and manufacturing. The Ganges River basin is the most populated in the world! [2]
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIVER
The people of India consider the Ganges River the most sacred river and it is worshiped as the goddess Ganga Ma or "Mother Ganges.” Ganga is the daughter of the mountain god Himavan or Himalaya. “According to the Myth of the Ganges, Ganga descended from heaven to dwell in the waters of the Ganges River to protect, purify and bring to heaven those who touch it. Devout Hindus visit the river daily to offer flowers and food to Ganga”. They also drink the water and bathe in the river to cleanse and remove their sins. “In addition, Hindus believe that upon death the waters of the Ganges River are needed to reach the World of the Ancestors or Pitriloka. As a result, Hindus bring their dead to the river for cremation along its banks and afterward their ashes are spread in the river. In some cases human remains are also thrown into the river.” The city of Varanasi is the holiest of cities along the Ganges River and many Hindus travel there to place ashes of their dead in the river [2][3].
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIVER
Despite the importance of the Ganges River for the people of India, sadly it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Pollution of the Ganges is caused by both human and industrial waste due to India's rapid growth as well as religious events. “India currently has a population of over one billion people and 400 million of them live in the Ganges River basin. As a result much of their waste, including raw sewage is dumped into the river. In addition, many people bathe and use the river to clean their laundry. Fecal coliform bacteria levels near Varanasi are at least 3,000 times higher than what is established by the World Health Organization as safe” [3].
Sources
1. http://www.all-about-india.com/India-Ganges-River.html
2. http://gangapedia.iitk.ac.in/?q=content/interesting-facts-ganga
3. http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Ganges-River.htm