Melissa musick nussbaum is a columnist for the national catholic reporter and the author of six books and numerous articles. River ganges is a transboundary river of india and bangladesh. More than 500 million people are directly or indirect. This image of ganga, the hindu goddess, shows that the ganges river is sacred because it comes from the heavens. Ganges river plays an important role in the life of indian people. The ganges is the river of india, which has drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The way victor has narrated the historical aspects of it, blended it with the current state of affairs and the problems faced and. According to popular belief, bathing in mother ganga dissolves all sins, drinking her waters cures illness, and dying on her banks ensures freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth. Rich in detail and sparkling with the insight of a trained observer, mallets chronicle is an engaging and enlightening read.
Gangotri is known as the place of origin of the ganges river, known as ganga in india. From its icy origins high in the himalayas, this sacred river flows through the holy cities and the great plains of northern india to the bay of bengal. In prose that is as sanguine and fluid as his subject, victor mallets river of life, river of death charts the course of the ganges, the spiritual and material lifeline of northern india, through the vicissitudes of time, space and the hubris of men. The worlds dirtiest river unreported world youtube.
Ashok kumar, 66, a priest from mirzapur, a brass ware hub near the river, tells reuters, i. While working on sacred river, which he both wrote and illustrated, ted joined thousands of hindus on their pilgrimage to the banks of the ganges river in benares, india. Ganges is a nature documentary series for television on the natural history of the river ganges in india and bangladesh as well as the variety of animals and habitats that are to be found along the rivers 2,510 km 1,557 mi reach, the programmes also feature the cultures, traditions and religions of the very large human population that it supports. The best books on asias rivers victor mallet on five books. Ganges river is very important for india as nearly 500 million people or nearly 10% of world population is directly or indirectly depends on the river for their livelihood. River of life, river of death the ganges and indias. Although officially as well as popularly called the ganga in hindi and in other indian languages, internationally it is known by its conventional name, the ganges. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The river starts from a glacier called gangotri glacier, which is in the garhwal region in himalayas. In a country where the red heat of summer inspires prayer for the coming monsoon, the lifegiving waters of the ganges have assumed legendary powers in the form of the hindu goddess ganga, the source of creation and abundance. The ganga, unfortunately, is also one of the five most polluted rivers in the world. A sweeping, interdisciplinary history of the worlds thirdlargest river, a potent symbol across south asia and the hindu diaspora originating in the himalayas and flowing into the bay of bengal, the ganges is indias most important and sacred river.
But new prime minister narandra modi has promised to. Death along the ganges river the story of god youtube. From its icy origins high in the himalayas, this sacred river flows through the holy cities and the great. Photos show life along the polluted ganges river in india. The 2,601 km 1,616 mi river rises in the western himalayas in the indian state of uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the gangetic plain of india and bangladesh, eventually emptying into the bay of bengal.
A journey down the ganges river by julian crandall. Ganges simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The american river ganges, harpers weekly, september 1871 by thomas nast. The american river ganges still rises, its current fed by the runoff of ignorance and fear. Caldecott honor medalist ted lewin joined the pilgrims at the rivers edge for an experience he describes as one of the most. The ganges river, considered sacred by more than 1 billion indians, has become the first nonhuman entity in india to be granted the same legal rights as people a court in the northern indian. Due to the rivers pollution, this practice is not encouraged because the fish can be contaminated. The continued degradation of the ganges inspires sadness among many who revere it. He and his wife travel around the world to research the settings for their books. That in many ways is the story of modern india, a country that manages to be awe inspiring and brilliant, but also frequently dysfunctional. Gangotri the origin of gangaganges, river gangaganges. Numerous books in english and other indian languages have been written on the river which deal with its religious, geographical and other aspects.
Ganges dam leaves devastating legacy in 1970, india built a huge dam called the farakka barrage to protect the port of calcutta from silt flowing in. The basin is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity from climatic, hydrological, geomorphological, cultural, environmental and socioeconomic perspectives. In india, specially the hindu people consider the river as an embodiment of sacredness. In hinduism the ganges river is the most sacred river, and is worshipped as the goddess ganga. An article about the land and the people of the ganges. In fact, the ganga basin is the most heavily populated river basin in the world. The ganges river begins in the himalayas gangotri glacier and by the time it reaches its mouth it is the worlds third largest river by discharge.
Pollution of the ganges or ganga, the largest river in india, poses significant threats to human health and the larger environment. The book also considers the changing role of the ganges in the lives of the. The story of the ganges, from her source to the sea, is the account of indias civilisation and culture, the rise and fall of empires and the development of man in the modern era. Ganges river students britannica kids homework help. Along the way it is joined by the ramganga, which contributes an average annual flow of about 500 m 3 s 18,000 cu fts. Some of the worlds most highlycontaminated water might just. It nourishes and cleans them, helps them travel, and lies at the heart of their religious beliefs. For more than 350 million people who live near its banks, the ganges river represents life. Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles 2,510 km is relatively short compared with the other great rivers of asia or the world. The ganges river is a 1569 mile long river flowing across india and bangladesh into the bay of bengal. The river is used for irrigation, transportation, and fishing and the. The original image of nasts most famous anticatholic image, tweed was safely out of the picture, literally and figuratively when the image was republished on 8 may 1875 along with. The ganges river follows an 900 km 560 mi arching course passing through the cities of kannauj, farukhabad, and kanpur.
All rivers in india are sacred, and the ganges most of all. Today we take you to the worlds most polluted river. The story given here is the story of how ganga came to flow on this earth and some other beliefs surrounding it. Amazing ganges river facts every indian should know.
Ganges river, great river of the plains of the northern indian subcontinent, which from time immemorial has been the holy river of hinduism. Holy river of indiathe ganges river knowledge of india. Many fish inhabit the river, and those living nearby are known to eat the animals as a part of their diet. Ganges river is the most important river of india and it is one of the longest rivers in asia. Overall it flows 3,877 km making it one of the longest rivers in the world. Parallels a court in india declared its holiest river is entitled to the same rights as a person that would include the right to sue polluters. This book follows a passage through time to explore important settlements along the ganges river. The ganges river the story of india photo gallery pbs. Gaumukh, the source of the river ganges, is one of the most sacred places in hinduism. The journey starts with allahabad, founded over 4,000 years ago, and end with bangladeshs modern capital city, dhaka. The ganges river is without a doubt the most important river to india. In a country where the red heat of summer inspires prayer for the coming monsoon, the lifegiving waters of the ganges have assumed legendary powers in the form of the hindu goddess ganga. In the plangent words of sudipta sen, a history professor at the university of california at davis and the author of ganges, this is exclusive.
Ganges definition of ganges by the free dictionary. Severely polluted with human waste and industrial contaminants, the river provides water to about 40% of indias population across 11 states, serving an estimated population of 500 million people which is more than any other river in the world. Ganges is one of the main rivers of india and the largest in northern india. The river ganges, also known as the ganga, flows 2,700 km from the himalaya mountains to the bay of bengal in northern india and bangladesh. Ganges hit by alarming pollution levels during kumbh mela the kumbh mela, the hindu religious festival described as the largest gathering of mankind in history, is contributing to the alarming. The ganges has always been more than just an ordinary river. Indian civilization developed first in the indus river valley of presentday pakistan and the later ganges valley. But in truth the entire river, flowing for more than 2,500km across north india from the mountainous haunts. A pilgrimage to the source ha youtube a documentary that follows the ganges from the mouth to its source in the himalayas. The many pasts of an indian river, sudipta sen provides a cultural history of the ganges, considered the earthly embodiment of vishnu. For the 80% of indians who are hindus, the ganges is considered sacred, the terrestrial home of the goddess ganga, and has held a vaunted place within the faith for centuries. The ganges river begins in the himalayas, roughly three hundred miles north of delhi and five miles south of indias border with tibet, where it emerges. It is an important river not only for its water, but because it is a spiritual place for many hindu people.
Ganges hit by alarming pollution levels during kumbh mela. The ganges is one of the most complex yet fascinating river systems in the world. The ganges has more than a hundred names, but hindus call it gangamai, or mother ganga. Ganges river, hindi ganga, great river of the plains of the northern indian subcontinent. Ganges river is the most important as well as the most sacred river in india. Both were fertile areas watered by snowmelt from mountains, but the broad floodplain of the indus allowed for extensive irrigation, which hastened the development of a wellorganized society. Every year, more than one million hindu pilgrims journey to benares to renew themselves in its waters.
From time immemorial it has been the holy river of hinduism. The 2,525 km river rises in the western himalayas in the indian state of uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the gangetic plain of north india into bangladesh, where it empties into the bay of bengal. Victor mallet traces the holy river from source to mouth, and from ancient times to the present day, to find that the battle to rescue what is arguably the worlds most important river is far from lost. The ganges is about 1,557 miles 2,506 kilometers long. Information on lord shiva, as well as the hindu story of the great river. What else was it about the ganges that drew you to it and telling its story in your book river of life, river of death. The ganges is a river that flows through the countries of india and bangladesh in asia. Ganges synonyms, ganges pronunciation, ganges translation, english dictionary definition of ganges. They believe that bathing in its waters washes away sin. It provides water to about 40% of indias population. The ganga is the most sacred river for the hindus and is the lifeline of the millions of people living along its course. The holiest of the indian rivers, ganges is the source of sustenance of life in the great indian plains and it is at gangotri that the fabulous journey of ganga begins. The ganges river, the subject of history professor sudipta sens engrossing and challenging new book ganges.
A hindu creation story involving the goddess ganga who became the river to save the earth from burning. Also, many important capitals have been located on the banks of the river. Many hindus go on pilgrimages to holy sites along the ganges, especially at its confluence with other rivers. It is one of the longest rivers in india and also the third largest river in the world in terms of water discharged into the sea. You may use the internet or books from the library. The impacts of water infrastructure and climate change on the hydrology of the upper ganges river basin iwmi research report.
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