The River Ganges (Ganga)

The 2500 km long holy river of Ganges is considered to be the gift of mountain gods to the people, thus giving it the pride of a goddess and the title of “The River Of life”. It originates from the Himalayas. The melting of winter ice gives birth to the holy river, even though several streams join it later on. This area is home to some of the most rare yet fascinating species of the world including snow leopards, jackals, lamagayas (one of the largest species of birds) and not to mention the world’s largest fishes that are up to 1 m in length.

At the height of about 3500 m, there lies the temple of Kedarnath. Due to the surplus of water, barley is grown here. Herders are a common sight here. Musk deer, an endangered species can also be easily spotted here. The food chain here is somewhat like this:

Scavengers —> Birds —> Insects —> Flowers

The other sources of Ganga include Yamunotri, Badrinath and most important of all Gangotri. In these places, the river is thick and strong. Deadly animals prowl in the night as if the harsh climate wasn’t just enough.

Gaomukh is the last sacred place where most people go. The climate ahead is almost intolerable and only a few devotees manage to reach there. Hindus have come to believe that the exact origin of Ganga is the gateway to heaven.

So what makes the river so important? Simple, its spiritual worth and the benefits it accompanies like the fertile soil of the holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh and the surplus of water that quenches the thirst of so many makes it important.