The Ganges River: India

“The Ganga, especially, is the river of

India, beloved of her people, round
which are intertwined her 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
the same Ganga”
~First Prime Minister of India,
born in Allahabad on the Ganges
Features
• Major river of India and Bangladesh
• Flows southeastward from the Himalayas
for 1,550 miles to the Bay of Bengal
• Floods occur frequently during summer
Features
• Hindus consider the Ganges a sacred river
– Waters are believed to be holy and capable of
washing away sins
– Banks have templed cities
– Holiest of the cities is Varanasi
The Ganges Plain
• One of the most productive regions in Asia
– Deep, rich soils
• Main Crops: Grains, sugarcane, cotton and
oilseeds
• River provides irrigation water during dry
season
• One of the world’s most densely populated
regions
• Main cities of India are located on or near
Ganges
Pollution on the Ganges
• Major Pollution Industries:
– Leather industries
• Use large amounts of chemicals which then find their way
into the river
• Waste being dumped
– Nearly 1 billion liters per day
– Untreated raw sewage
• Inadequate cremation procedures
– Partially burnt or unburnt bodies
– Livestock
Imagine you are a Hindu sitting overlooking the Ganges river,
what kinds of things might you see, what does the river mean
to you as a Hindu
Write a 1 page story describing what you would see if you were
sitting on the edge of the river and what you might be doing if
you made the pilgrimage to the river