94-569: Sang ( Jadhang ) is a small hilly village in Uttarkashi District , Uttarakhand , India , and claimed by Zanda County , Ngari Prefecture , Tibet , China . A tributary of the Jadh Ganga , itself an important tributary of the Bhagirathi River , flows through this place. Mana Pass and some of the nearby villages are Tirpani , Nelang and Pulam Sumda , which all lie in the valley of
188-589: A Chinese invasion of Nepal caused the Nepalis to retreat from Garhwal. The Garhwal ruler Pradyuman Shah agreed to pay a tribute to the Gorkha rulers and send an agent to Kathmandu, an arrangement that lasted for 12 years. In the beginning of 1803, Uttarkashi in particular was devastated by an earthquake . The next year Gorkha generals including Amar Singh Thapa led a second invasion against Garhwal. The Garhwal raja, Pradyuma Shah , retreated via Uttarkashi to Dehradun, where he
282-412: A sex ratio of 959 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 75.98%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 24.41% and 1.06% of the population respectively. Languages of Uttarkashi district (2011) According to the 2011 census, 80.77% of the population spoke Garhwali , 7.28% Hindi , and 2.17% Nepali as their first language. Various indigenous Tibetic languages (returned under
376-629: A water sharing dispute arose between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) after India declared its intention to build the Farakka Barrage. The original purpose of the barrage, which was completed in 1975, was to divert up to 1,100 m /s (39,000 cu ft/s) of water from the Ganges to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly distributary to restore navigability at the Port of Kolkata . It was assumed that during
470-539: A composite of Uttara and Kashi , literally means the North Kashi where Kashi refers to Varanasi . Both Uttarkashi and Varanasi are highly significant Hindu pilgrimage sites on the sacred Ganges . Both Kashi and Uttarkashi have important Shiva temples called Kashi Vishwanath temple. The area now made up by Uttarkashi district has been known since the times of the Rig Vedic period. The Aitareya Brahmana mentions it as
564-642: A new channel. This new main channel of the Brahmaputra is called the Jamuna River. It flows south to join the Ganges-Padma. During ancient times, the main flow of the Brahmaputra was more easterly, passing by the city of Mymensingh and joining the Meghna River. Today this channel is a small distributary but retains the name Brahmaputra, sometimes Old Brahmaputra. The site of the old Brahmaputra-Meghna confluence, in
658-410: A religious iconoclast himself, asked for a handful of his ashes to be thrown into the Ganges. "The Ganga", he wrote in his will, "is the river of India, beloved of her people, round which are intertwined her racial memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories and her defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture and civilization, ever-changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever
752-509: 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 the Ganges, they carry small quantities of river water with them for use in rituals; Ganga Jal, literally "the water of
846-435: A sage, Kapila , whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara . Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld. Only the waters of the Ganges, then in heaven, can bring the dead sons their salvation. A descendant of these sons, King Bhagiratha , anxious to restore his ancestors, undertakes rigorous penance and
940-606: A variety of different names) such as Jad were spoken by 3.06% of the district's population. Hindi is the lingua franca. Uttarakhand Lal Chawal (Red Rice) was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry , under the Union Government of India , on 8 November 2023. Bhagirathi Annapurna Sabji Utpadak Swayat Sahakarita from Uttarkashi, proposed
1034-550: Is 625 km (388 mi) long, with a drainage basin of 25,820 km (9,970 sq mi). The Hooghly River empties into the Bay of Bengal near Sagar Island . Between Malda and the Bay of Bengal, the Hooghly river passes the towns and cities of Murshidabad , Nabadwip , Kolkata and Howrah . After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges river is known as the Padma . The Padma
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#17331062618531128-580: 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
1222-619: Is a district of Garhwal division of the Uttarakhand state in northern India, and has its headquarters at Uttarkashi city. It has six Tehsils namely Barkot , Dunda, Bhatwadi, Chinyalisaur , Purola and Mori. The district contains the source of the Bhagirathi (traditionally considered the headstream of the Ganga ) at Gangotri and Yamuna at Yamunotri , both of which are highly significant and popular pilgrimage sites. Uttarkashi town, which lies on
1316-783: Is about 1,080,000 km (420,000 sq mi), of which 861,000 km (332,000 sq mi) is in India (about 80%), 140,000 km (54,000 sq mi) in Nepal (13%), 46,000 km (18,000 sq mi) in Bangladesh (4%), and 33,000 km (13,000 sq mi) in China (3%). Sometimes the Ganges and Brahmaputra–Meghna drainage basins are combined for a total of about 1,600,000 km (620,000 sq mi) or 1,621,000 km (626,000 sq mi). The combined Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin (abbreviated GBM or GMB) drainage basin
1410-668: Is different ways to determine the river's length, its discharge , and the size of its drainage basin . 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. The length of the Ganges is frequently said to be slightly over 2,600 km (1,600 mi) long, about 2,601 km (1,616 mi), 2,525 km (1,569 mi) or 2,650 km (1,650 mi). In these cases
1504-472: Is eventually granted the prize of Ganges's descent from heaven. However, since her turbulent force would also shatter the earth, Bhagiratha persuades Shiva in his abode on Mount Kailash to receive the Ganges in the coils of his tangled hair and break her fall. The Ganges descends, is tamed in Shiva's locks, and arrives in the Himalayas. She is then led by the waiting Bhagiratha down into the plains at Haridwar, across
1598-550: 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 . The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus . It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism . 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
1692-750: Is joined by the Jamuna River , the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra . Further downstream, the Padma joins the Meghna River , the converged flow of Surma-Meghna River System taking on the Meghna's name as it enters the Meghna Estuary, which empties into the Bay of Bengal. Here it forms the 1,430 by 3,000 km (890 by 1,860 mi) Bengal Fan , the world's largest submarine fan , which alone accounts for 10–20% of
1786-516: Is longer than its main outlet via the Meghna River, resulting in a total length of about 2,704 km (1,680 mi), if taken from the source of the Bhagirathi, or 2,321.50 km (1,442.51 mi), if from Haridwar to the Hooghly's mouth. In other cases the length is said to be about 2,304 km (1,432 mi), from the source of the Bhagirathi to the Bangladesh border, where its name changes to Padma . For similar reasons, sources differ over
1880-797: Is spread across Bangladesh, Bhutan , India, Nepal, and China. The Ganges basin ranges from the Himalaya and the Transhimalaya in the north, to the northern slopes of the Vindhya range in the south, from the eastern slopes of the Aravalli in the west to the Chota Nagpur plateau and the Sunderbans delta in the east. A significant portion of the discharge from the Ganges comes from the Himalayan mountain system. Within
1974-403: Is the high point of the Ganges basin. The other peaks over 8,000m in the basin are Kangchenjunga , Lhotse , Makalu , Cho Oyu , Dhaulagiri , Manaslu , Annapurna and Shishapangma . The Himalayan portion of the basin includes the south-eastern portion of the state of Himachal Pradesh, the entire state of Uttarakhand, the entire country of Nepal and the extreme north-western portion of
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#17331062618532068-441: Is unknown whether this story is merely apocryphal. His descendant, Ajapal, lived during 1358-70 and was attacked by the raja of Champawat, but defeated him. Ajapal also seemingly created an alliance of the many chieftains of Garhwal and overthrew the raja of Chandpur. His descendant Rajapal led an unsuccessful expedition against Tibet that probably passed through modern Uttarkashi district. The Garhwal rajas, although friendly with
2162-565: Is used in Hindu ritual and is therefore present in all sacred waters. Despite this, nothing is more stirring for a Hindu than a dip in the actual river, which is thought to remit sins, especially at one of the famous tirthas such as Varanasi , Gangotri , Haridwar , or the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj . The symbolic and religious importance of the Ganges is one of the few things that Hindus, even their skeptics, have agreed upon. Jawaharlal Nehru,
2256-1015: The Bay of Bengal . The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system is the second-largest river on earth by discharge . The main stem of the Ganges begins at the town of Devprayag , 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. It has been important historically, with many former provincial or imperial capitals such as Pataliputra , Kannauj , 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
2350-455: The Char Bhutia tribe. According to the 2011 census Uttarkashi district has a population of 330,086, roughly equal to the nation of Belize . This gives it a ranking of 567th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 41 inhabitants per square kilometre (110/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 11.75%. Uttarkashi has
2444-650: The Delhi sultanate in the plains, were never subordinate to them. Rajapal's descendant Man Shah led raids north into Tibet and south into the plains in the mid 16th century. His descendants defended against the rising power of the Kumaon kingdom , which was encroaching on Garhwal's eastern boundaries, but Uttarkashi was not affected. Mahipati Shah was the first Garhwal Raja to fully control the entirety of Kumaon, including all of Uttarkashi, from his capital at Srinagar in around 1580. The Garhwal Rajas, although not directly controlled by
2538-651: The Hooghly River . Just before the border with Bangladesh the Farakka Barrage controls the flow of Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linked to the Hooghly for the purpose of keeping it relatively silt-free. The Hooghly River is formed by the confluence of the Bhagirathi River and Ajay River at Katwa , and Hooghly has a number of tributaries of its own. The largest is the Damodar River , which
2632-685: The Indo-Gangetic Plain . The Indo-Gangetic Plain is geologically known as a foredeep or foreland basin . 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
2726-504: The Kaimur Range and contributes an average flow of about 187 m /s (6,600 cu ft/s). After the Tamsa, the 625 km (388 mi) long Gomti River joins, flowing south from the Himalayas. The Gomti contributes an average annual flow of about 234 m /s (8,300 cu ft/s). Then the 1,156 km (718 mi) long Ghaghara River (Karnali River), also flowing south from
2820-591: 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." As if to illustrate this truism, the Kashi Khanda (Varanasi Chapter) of the Skanda Purana recounts the remarkable story of Vahika , a profligate and unrepentant sinner, who is killed by a tiger in the forest. His soul arrives before Yama ,
2914-517: The Mughals , still had to pay tribute. The historian Firishta records Garhwal (modern scholars believe he confused it with Kumaon) was a wealthy and powerful mountain kingdom that produced significant amounts of copper and gold, both metals mined from ancient times in Uttarkashi district. In 1635, a famine struck Garhwal and the year after, a Mughal force invaded the region. However the raja soon starved out
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3008-459: The Shraddha rites. Hindus also perform pinda pradana , a rite for the dead, in which balls of rice and sesame seed are offered to the Ganges while the names of the deceased relatives are recited. Every sesame seed in every ball thus offered, according to one story, assures a thousand years of heavenly salvation for each relative. Indeed, the Ganges is so important in the rituals after death that
3102-583: The Vishnupadi , which until now had been circling the cosmic egg. Flowing out of the vault, she plummets down to Indra's heaven, where she is received by Dhruva , once a steadfast worshipper of Vishnu, now fixed in the sky as the Pole star . Next, she streams across the sky forming the Milky Way and arrives on the moon. She then flows down earthwards to Brahma 's realm, a divine lotus atop Mount Meru , whose petals form
3196-415: The 52 rulers called garhpals (fort holders, from where Garhwal derives its name). Bhanupratapa had two daughters, one of whom he married to a Paramara prince from Malwa, Kanak Pal , who was on pilgrimage. Kanak Pal was made his heir, and ascended the throne in 888 CE. Kanakpal and his descendants began establishing their hegemony over the other petty chiefs, some of whom had headquarters in Uttarkashi, as
3290-484: The 729 km (453 mi) long Kosi River , join from the north flowing from Nepal, contributing about 1,654 m /s (58,400 cu ft/s) and 2,166 m /s (76,500 cu ft/s), respectively. The Kosi is the third largest tributary of the Ganges by discharge, after Ghaghara (Karnali) and Yamuna. The Kosi merges into the Ganges near Kursela in Bihar . Along the way between Prayagraj and Malda , West Bengal ,
3384-712: The Alaknanda, Dhauliganga , Nandakini , Pindar , Mandakini and Bhagirathi. Their confluences, known as the Panch Prayag , are all along the Alaknanda. They are, in downstream order, Vishnuprayag , where the Dhauliganga joins the Alaknanda; Nandprayag , where the Nandakini joins; Karnaprayag , where the Pindar joins; Rudraprayag , where the Mandakini joins; and finally, Devprayag, where
3478-578: The Bhagirathi joins the Alaknanda to form the Ganges. After flowing for 256.90 km (159.63 mi) through its narrow Himalayan valley, the Ganges emerges from the mountains at Rishikesh , then debouches onto the Gangetic Plain at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar . At Haridwar, a headworks diverts some of its water into the Ganges Canal , which irrigates the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh , whereas
3572-583: The Brahmaputra, and the Surma-Meghna river system. In full flood only the Amazon is larger. 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
3666-649: The GI registration of Uttarakhand Lal Chawal (Red Rice). After filing the application in March 2022, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2023 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai , making the name "Uttarakhand Lal Chawal (Red Rice)" exclusive to the rice grown in the region. It thus became the first rice variety from Uttarakhand and the 14th type of goods from Uttarakhand to earn the GI tag. The GI tag protects
3760-431: The Ganges flow at Farakka was less than 2,000 m /s (71,000 cu ft/s) then India and Bangladesh would each receive 50% of the water, with each receiving at least 1,000 m /s (35,000 cu ft/s) for alternating ten-day periods. However, within a year the flow at Farakka fell to levels far below the historic average, making it impossible to implement the guaranteed sharing of water. In March 1997, flow of
3854-401: The Ganges in Bangladesh dropped to its lowest ever, 180 m /s (6,400 cu ft/s). Dry season flows returned to normal levels in the years following, but efforts were made to address the problem. One plan is for another barrage to be built in Bangladesh at Pangsha , west of Dhaka . This barrage would help Bangladesh better utilize its share of the waters of the Ganges. The Ganges is
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3948-478: The Ganges river passes the towns of Chunar , Mirzapur , Varanasi , Ghazipur , Ara , Patna , Chapra , Hajipur , Mokama , Begusarai , Munger , Sahibganj , Rajmahal , Bhagalpur , Ballia , Buxar , Simaria , Sultanganj , and Farakka . At Bhagalpur, the river begins to flow south-southeast and at Farakka, it begins its attrition with the branching away of its first distributary , the 408 km (254 mi) long Bhāgirathi-Hooghly , which goes on to become
4042-627: The Ganges". The Ganges is the embodiment of all sacred waters in Hindu mythology . Local rivers are said to be like the Ganges and are sometimes called the local Ganges. The Godavari River of Maharashtra in Western India is called the Ganges of the South or the 'Dakshin Ganga'; the Godavari is the Ganges that was led by the sage Gautama to flow through Central India. The Ganges is invoked whenever water
4136-444: The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna are given separately, at about 16,650 m /s (588,000 cu ft/s) for the Ganges, about 19,820 m /s (700,000 cu ft/s) for the Brahmaputra, and about 5,100 m /s (180,000 cu ft/s) for the Meghna. The maximum peak discharge of the Ganges, as recorded at Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh, exceeded 70,000 m /s (2,500,000 cu ft/s). The minimum recorded at
4230-426: The Ganges, and are granted instant salvation. If the death has occurred elsewhere, salvation can be achieved by immersing the ashes in the Ganges. If the ashes have been immersed in another body of water, a relative can still gain salvation for the deceased by journeying to the Ganges, if possible during the lunar "fortnight of the ancestors" in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin (September or October), and performing
4324-554: The Gorkhas relinquished all territory west of the Kali river , including Garhwal and Uttarkashi district. Garhwal west of the Alaknanda , excluding Dehradun and all of Uttarkashi, was returned to the Garhwal rajas, who subsequently imposed violent retaliation on the remaining Gorkhas. Uttarkashi at this time was regarded as rocky and barren. In subsequent negotiations, Rawain tehsil, modern Uttarkashi,
4418-413: The Himalaya, the Ganges basin spreads almost 1,200 km from the Yamuna-Satluj divide along the Simla ridge forming the boundary with the Indus basin in the west to the Singalila Ridge along the Nepal-Sikkim border forming the boundary with the Brahmaputra basin in the east. This section of the Himalaya contains 9 of the 14 highest peaks in the world over 8,000m in height, including Mount Everest which
4512-446: The Himalayas of Tibet through Nepal joins. The Ghaghara (Karnali), with its average annual flow of about 2,991 m /s (105,600 cu ft/s), is the largest tributary of the Ganges by discharge. After the Ghaghara confluence, the Ganges is joined from the south by the 784 km (487 mi) long Son River , which contributes about 1,008 m /s (35,600 cu ft/s). The 814 km (506 mi) long Gandaki River , then
4606-408: The Hindu tradition, she is also considered the vehicle of ascent , from earth to heaven. As the Triloka-patha-gamini , (Sanskrit: triloka = "three worlds", patha = "road", gamini = "one who travels") of the tradition, she flows in heaven , earth , and the netherworld , and, consequently, is a "tirtha" or crossing point of all beings, the living as well as the dead. It is for this reason that
4700-558: The Jadh Ganga. To boost the astrotourism in India , the government is setting up an observatory here under the Vibrant Villages programme . See geography of Dhumku, Nelang, Pulam Sumda, Sumla and Mana Pass area and geography of Mana . Jadhang village itself and Jad people living in Jadhang and Nelang valley are named after a man "Jadha" who was resettled here by British adventurer Frederick Wilson . The settlement document of Garhwal Kingdom , which administered this area, from that era reads, "Wilson invited certain Jadha from
4794-432: The Lord of Death, to be judged for the afterworld. Having no compensating virtue, Vahika's soul is at once dispatched to hell . While this is happening, his body on earth, however, is being picked at by vultures, one of whom flies away with a foot bone. Another bird comes after the vulture, and in fighting him off, the vulture accidentally drops the bone into the Ganges below. Blessed by this event, Vahika, on his way to hell,
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#17331062618534888-434: The Mughals and forced them to retreat, while another Mughal expedition in 1654 aided by the raja of Kumaon failed also. After Dara Shukoh's defeat in 1658, his son Sulaiman took refuge for a year with the Garhwal raja Prithvi Shah. However threat of invasion from Aurangzeb and the Kumaon rajas, as well as pressure from many in his court forced Shah to give up Sulaiman to Aurangzeb. Uttarkashi remained relatively uninfluenced by
4982-519: The Taganas as the Taganoi and says they lived on the eastern side of the Ganges, while he says the Kulindrine (Kunindas) lived above the sources of the Beas , Sutlej , Yamuna and Ganga, and the Kiratas on the northern slops of the Himalayas. According to legend, Parshurama killed his mother Renuka at Nakuri, 10 km from Uttarkashi town. Also, it is said the Pandavas , after leaving their kingdom to Parikshit , halted at Patangini before continuing to Swargarohini , where they died. Historically,
5076-429: The bulk of its flow. 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
5170-407: The earthly continents. There, the divine waters break up, with one stream, the Bhagirathi, flowing down one petal into Bharatavarsha (India) as the Ganges. It is Shiva , however, among the major deities of the Hindu pantheon, who appears in the most widely known version of the avatarana story. Told and retold in the Ramayana , the Mahabharata and several Puranas , the story begins with
5264-438: The end of the 12th century, Ashoka Challa of the Khasa kingdom (now in western Nepal) conquered Garhwal as far as Uttarkashi, evidenced by an inscription in the Barahat (Uttarkashi) Vishwanath temple. However the Garhwal rajas soon regained their position, and again the last king of the line had only a daughter. Another Paramara prince from Malwa there on pilgrimage, Kadilpal, was made his heir and married his daughter, although it
5358-446: The end of the 18th century, the course of the lower Brahmaputra changed dramatically, significantly altering its relationship with the Ganges. In 1787 there was a great flood on the Teesta River , which at the time was a tributary of the Ganges-Padma River. The flood of 1787 caused the Teesta to undergo a sudden change course, an avulsion , shifting east to join the Brahmaputra and causing the Brahmaputra to shift its course south, cutting
5452-457: The foot of Gangotri Glacier at Gomukh , at an elevation of 4,356 m (14,291 ft) and was mythologically referred to as residing in the matted locks of Shiva ; symbolically Tapovan, which is a meadow of ethereal beauty at the feet of Mount Shivling, just 5 km (3.1 mi) away. Although many small streams comprise the headwaters of the Ganges, the six longest and their five confluences are considered sacred. The six headstreams are
5546-407: The global burial of organic carbon . 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 (25,000 sq mi). It stretches 400 km (250 mi) along the Bay of Bengal . Only the Amazon and Congo rivers have a greater average discharge than the combined flow of the Ganges,
5640-423: The inscription to honour himself and his father. The city of Uttarkashi is mentioned as Brahmapura by Xuanzang , who notes it was ruled by queens. In the 7th century, a branch of the Katyuris pushed out the descendants of Rajapala of Badrinath to the position of feudatories and established an empire covering what is now Kumaon and Garhwal. The last descendant of Rajapala was Bhanupratapa, the pre-eminent chief among
5734-423: The land where the Devas performed ritual sacrifices, and the Kaushitaki Brahmana mentions this area was where Vedic Sanskrit had changed the least. In the Upayana Parva of the Mahabharata , various hill tribes from the hill and mountain region of what is now Garhwal are mentioned as giving gifts to Yudhishthira during his Rajasuya yagna , including the Taganas, Kiratas and Kunindas . Ptolemy mentions
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#17331062618535828-400: The largest of which merge with other large rivers before themselves joining the Bay of Bengal. But this current channel pattern was not always the case. Over time the rivers in Ganges Delta have often changed course , sometimes altering the network of channels in significant ways. Before the late 12th century the Bhagirathi-Hooghly distributary was the main channel of the Ganges and the Padma
5922-423: The locality of Langalbandh , is still considered sacred by Hindus. Near the confluence is a major early historic site called Wari-Bateshwar . In the rainy season of 1809, the lower channel of the Bhagirathi, leading to Kolkata, had been entirely shut; but in the following year it opened again and was nearly of the same size as the upper channel but both however suffered a considerable diminution, owing probably to
6016-416: The main flow of the Ganges to shift to the southeast and the Padma River. By the end of the 18th century, the Padma had become the main distributary of the Ganges. One result of this shift to the Padma was that the Ganges now joined the Meghna and Brahmaputra rivers before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The present confluence of the Ganges and Meghna was formed very recently, about 150 years ago. Also near
6110-428: The main road to Gangotri, is also considered an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, especially for Saivites. The district is bounded on the north by Kinnaur and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh , on the northeast by Tibet , China , on the east by Chamoli District , on the southeast by Rudraprayag district , on the south by Tehri Garhwal district , and on the west by Dehradun district . The term Uttarkashi ,
6204-456: 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 from north to south, and empties its waters into the ocean forming the eastern boundary of the Gangaridai , a nation which possesses a vast force of the largest-sized elephants." (Diodorus II.37). In 1951
6298-402: The nectar of the gods which then plunges to the earth and waters it with sustenance. In the Vaishnava version of the myth, the heavenly waters were then a river called Vishnupadi ( Sanskrit : "from the foot of Vishnu"). As Vishnu as the avatar Vamana completes his celebrated three strides —of earth, sky, and heaven— he stubs his toe on the vault of heaven, punches open a hole and releases
6392-410: The new communication opened below the Jalanggi on the upper channel. Discharge of the Ganges River at Farakka Barrage (period from 1998/01/01 to 2023/12/31): 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
6486-426: The plains first to the confluence with the Yamuna at Prayag and then to Varanasi, and eventually to Ganges Sagar (Ganges delta), where she meets the ocean, sinks to the netherworld, and saves the sons of Sagara. In honour of Bhagirath's pivotal role in the avatarana , the source stream of the Ganges in the Himalayas is named Bhagirathi, (Sanskrit, "of Bhagiratha"). As the Ganges had descended from heaven to earth in
6580-427: The power of their Katyuri overlords declined. Up to the first half of the 11th century, nothing is known about the first 10 rulers of the Garhwal kingdom . They were probably feudatories of the Katyuris who ruled over parts of Uttarkashi. By the time of the end of the 11th century, when the Katyuri hegemony collapsed, the family of Kanakpal were regarded as the most pre-eminent of the 52 traditional garhpals . Near
6674-445: The region might have been a part of the Mauryan empire , but this is unknown. It is presumed to have been a part of the Kushan empire , which extended through the western and central Himalayas as far as Tibet. In the 1st century CE, Rajapala of Badrinath established a kingdom that may have extended to Uttarkashi. A 5th century CE inscription in the Uttarkashi Vishwanath temple mentions a prince called Ganeshwara whose son had commissioned
6768-444: The region. The seasonality of flow is so acute it can cause both drought and floods . Bangladesh, in particular, frequently experiences drought during the dry season and regularly suffers extreme floods during the monsoon. In the Ganges Delta, many large rivers come together, both merging and bifurcating in a complicated network of channels . The two largest rivers, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, both split into distributary channels,
6862-1230: The rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and a unique identity. Ganges 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 43,900 m /s (1,550,000 cu ft/s) The Ganges ( / ˈ ɡ æ n dʒ iː z / GAN -jeez ; in India: Ganga , / ˈ ɡ ʌ ŋ ɡ ɑː / GUNG -ah ; in Bangladesh: Padma , / ˈ p ʌ d m ə / PUD -mə )
6956-571: 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 formed by snow melt from peaks such as Nanda Devi , Trisul , and Kamet . The Bhagirathi rises at
7050-409: The river near Varanasi are more than 100 times the Indian government's official limit. The Ganga Action Plan , an environmental initiative to clean up the river, has been considered a failure which is variously attributed to corruption , a lack of will in the government, poor technical expertise, poor environmental planning , and a lack of support from religious authorities. The upper phase of
7144-414: The river's source is usually assumed to be the source of the Bhagirathi River, Gangotri Glacier at Gomukh and its mouth being the mouth of the Meghna River on the Bay of Bengal. Sometimes the source of the Ganges is considered to be at Haridwar, where its Himalayan headwater streams debouch onto the Gangetic Plain. In some cases, the length of the Ganges is given by its Hooghly River distributary, which
7238-554: The river, however, can achieve the same results by bathing in any nearby body of water, which, for the true believer, takes on all the attributes of the Ganges. The karunasiri is an old theme in Hinduism with a number of different versions of the story. In the Vedic version, Indra , the Lord of Svarga ( Heaven ) slays the celestial serpent, Vritra , releasing the celestial liquid, soma , or
7332-472: The river, whose course has been roughly southwest until this point, now begins to flow southeast through the plains of northern India. The Ganges river follows a 900 km (560 mi) arching course passing through the cities of Bijnor , Kannauj, Farukhabad , and Kanpur . Along the way it is joined by the Ramganga , which contributes an average annual flow of about 495 m /s (17,500 cu ft/s) to
7426-539: The river. The Ganges joins the 1,444 km (897 mi) long River Yamuna at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj (previously Allahabad), a confluence considered holy in Hinduism. At their confluence the Yamuna is larger than the Ganges contributing about 58.5% of the combined flow, with an average flow of 2,948 m /s (104,100 cu ft/s). Now flowing east, the river meets the 400 km (250 mi) long Tamsa River (also called Tons ), which flows north from
7520-549: The same Ganga." In late May or early June every year, Hindus celebrate the karunasiri and the rise of the Ganges from earth to heaven. The day of the celebration, Ganga Dashahara , the Dashami (tenth day) of the waxing moon of the Hindu calendar month Jyeshtha , brings throngs of bathers to the banks of the river. A dip in the Ganges on this day is said to rid the bather of ten sins (dasha = Sanskrit "ten"; hara = to destroy) or ten lifetimes of sins. Those who cannot journey to
7614-551: The same place was about 180 m /s (6,400 cu ft/s), in 1997. The hydrologic cycle in the Ganges basin is governed by the Southwest Monsoon . About 84% of the total rainfall occurs in the monsoon from June to September. Consequently, streamflow in the Ganges is highly seasonal. The average dry season to monsoon discharge ratio is about 1:6, as measured at Hardinge Bridge . This strong seasonal variation underlies many problems of land and water resource development in
7708-464: The size of the river's drainage basin. The basin covers parts of four countries, India, Nepal , China , and Bangladesh; eleven Indian states, Himachal Pradesh , Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh , Bihar, Jharkhand , Punjab , Haryana, Rajasthan , West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Delhi . The Ganges basin, including the delta but not the Brahmaputra or Meghna basins,
7802-416: The state of West Bengal. The discharge of the Ganges also differs by source. Frequently, discharge is described for the mouth of the Meghna River, thus combining the Ganges with the Brahmaputra and Meghna. This results in a total average annual discharge of about 38,000 m /s (1,300,000 cu ft/s), or 42,470 m /s (1,500,000 cu ft/s). In other cases the average annual discharges of
7896-404: The story of the avatarana is told at Shraddha ceremonies for the deceased in Hinduism, and Ganges water is used in Vedic rituals after death . Among all hymns devoted to the Ganges, there are none more popular than the ones expressing the worshipper's wish to breathe his last surrounded by her waters. The Gangashtakam expresses this longing fervently: O Mother! ... Necklace adorning
7990-468: The subsequent border wars between Kumaon and Garhwal. Garhwal and Kumaon fought against the Rohillas in 1745, but were defeated and Garhwal was forced to pay 3 lakhs as tribute. After this, Garhwal was devastated by a Rohilla invasion in 1757. In 1795, Gorkha troops temporarily overran Garhwal, including the entirety of Uttarkashi district, having earlier occupied Kumaon five years earlier. However news of
8084-539: 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 ranges. In the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough , which, having gradually been filled with sediment borne by the Indus and its tributaries and the Ganges and its tributaries, now forms
8178-437: The timber for supplying to railways. On the same day he was appointed as Garhwal king's representative for rehabilitating this area and it has become desolated during the 12 year Gorkha occupation (1803-15 CE). The India-held valley of the Jadh Ganga river is also claimed by China . This area is are inhabited by the Char Bhutia tribe who practice Tibetan Buddhism . Uttarkashi District Uttarkashi District
8272-565: The upper Pargana of Kunawar in Bashahr state (now in Himachal Pradesh ) to settle at Nilang, re-establish the hamlet of Jadhang and administered the area on behalf of Maharaja Bhavani Shah [r. 1859-71 CE]." On 23 May 1849 CE, the king of Garhwal Kingdom, Sudarshan Shah gave british adventurer Fredrik Wilson a forest in Taknore (Tak Naurarh) pargana for an annual lease of Rs 400 for logging
8366-526: The worlds! Banner rising to heaven! I ask that I may leave of this body on your banks, Drinking your water, rolling in your waves, Remembering your name, bestowing my gaze upon you. No place along her banks is more longed for at the moment of death by Hindus than Varanasi, the Great Cremation Ground, or Mahashmshana . Those who are lucky enough to die in Varanasi, are cremated on the banks of
8460-402: The worst dry season the Ganges flow would be around 1,400 to 1,600 m /s (49,000 to 57,000 cu ft/s), thus leaving 280 to 420 m /s (9,900 to 14,800 cu ft/s) for the then East Pakistan. East Pakistan objected and a protracted dispute ensued. In 1996 a 30-year treaty was signed with Bangladesh. The terms of the agreement are complicated, but in essence, they state that if
8554-497: Was carved out as a separate district. Uttarkashi was later included in the newly formed state of Uttarakhand in 2000. See Indomalayan realm Uttarkashi district falls in the Tehri Garhwal (Lok Sabha constituency) . The district has six tehsils: Barkot, Dunda, Bhatwadi, Chinyalisaur, Purola and Mori. Upper reaches on Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially Nelang , Jadhang ( Sang ) and Pulam Sumda area, are inhabited by
8648-589: Was defeated in the Battle of Khurbura and killed. His sons fled to British territory, and Amar Singh Thapa was made governor of Garhwal in 1805. Gorkha rule is remembered as a dark time with widespread looting, rape and violence. In 1814, the Anglo-Nepalese War broke out and the British invaded Garhwal through Dehradun but were repulsed multiple times. However, after the war's end and the subsequent Treaty of Sugauli ,
8742-477: Was only a minor spill-channel. The main flow of the river reached the sea not via the modern Hooghly River but rather by the Adi Ganga . Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the Bhagirathi-Hooghly and Padma channels were more or less equally significant. After the 16th century, the Padma grew to become the main channel of the Ganges. It is thought that the Bhagirathi-Hooghly became increasingly choked with silt, causing
8836-639: Was returned to the Garhwal raja. In 1930, the Rawain Khand movement began in the district against unjust forest settlement laws. The raja invited their leaders for talks, but arrested them. The protestors turned violent and attacked the forest officers, and the raja called in troops who arrested 100 people for sedition. In 1947, Garhwal acceded to the Indian Union as Garhwal district of the United Provinces (soon to be renamed Uttar Pradesh). In 1960, Uttarkashi
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