For India, the Ganga is more than just a river. It is a vast waterway that originates in the Himalayan mountains and winds through thousands of kilometres of rural terrain before emptying into the Bay of Bengal; it is a lifeline for millions of people. Hindus also regard the river as a sacred body. The river travels almost 2,500 kilometres to the Bay of Bengal, joining with other rivers along the way swollen by monsoon rain and melted glaciers.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti of the government of India has shared a video on Twitter presenting a map showing the Ganges River's path from its source through northern India and into the Bay of Bengal.
Ministry's tweet in Hindi, when translated to English, reads as "Let us know, with the help of the map in this video, where the Ganges River originates and which major rivers join together to form the Ganges River!".
The video explains where the Ganga River originates. Which rivers meet to form the Ganga river and what is Panch Prayag?
Hindus also call the river Ganga as Maa Ganga in Hindusim, and it is considered a symbol of purity.
In the foothills of the Himalayas, the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers converge in the small hill town of Devprayag. This is where the Ganges begins. Pristine waters soon become a distant memory as the 2,525 km-long Ganges snakes its way down to the densely populated plains of north India, eventually forming a huge delta with the Brahmaputra River and emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
The river and its tributaries are a vital water source for hundreds of millions of people, who rely on it to drink, bathe, and irrigate the land.
At other points along the river, industrial waste and sewage pour in from open drains, turning the river red in some places, while clouds of toxic foam float on the surface in others.
The holy Ganga begins as a crystal clear river high in the icy Himalayas, but pollution and excessive usage transform it into toxic sludge in places on its journey through burgeoning cities, industrial hubs, and past millions of devotees.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Raghav Chadha Attends Varanasi's Ganga Aarti With Parineeti Chopra On Birthday Even Ganga's Originating Point Is Polluted, Green Tribunal Told Cyclonic Storm 'Dana' Formed Over Bay Of Bengal: Weather Office Photos: Donald Trump's Cabinet - Who's Been Picked, Who's In The Running Uddhav Thackeray's "Names On TV" Dig At Poll Officials After 2 Bag Checks BJP MP Inaugurates 12-Lane Highway In South Delhi To Ease Traffic Delhi AQI "Very Poor" For 14th Day, Temperatures Likely To Drop From Nov 17 Yemen's Houthis Attack US Warships With Drones, Missiles: Pentagon 33 Killed In Israeli Strikes, Says Lebanon Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.