Ganga River is one of the prime rivers of India and is declared as the National River of India. The river has immense religious significance and considered as the holy river of the Hindus.
The Ganges begins at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers at Devprayag. The Bhagirathi rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh at an elevation of 3,892 m.
Bhagirathi River originates from Gangotri glacier, one of the biggest glaciers in Himalayas. The place, where Bhagirathi flows out from Gangotri, it is called Gaumukh.
Twenty-three kilometers from Gaumukh, the river reaches Gangotri, the first town on its path.
The Ganga is a major river of the Indian subcontinent rising in the Himalaya Mountains and flowing about 2,510 km generally eastward through a vast plain to the Bay of Bengal. On its 2,510-km course, it flows southeast through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. In central Bangladesh it is joined by the Brahmaputra River and Meghna rivers. Their combined waters (called the Padma River) empty into the Bay of Bengal and form a delta 354 km wide which is shared by India and Bangladesh. It is the third largest river by discharge.
The river passes the holy bathing sites at Haridwar, Allahabad (where the Yamuna River enters the Ganga) and Varanasi.
The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus. In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with one's last breath will take the soul to heaven. Hindus also believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime.
Rishikesh around 28 km off Haridwar is at the base of Himalaya and the place where Ganga comes down to the plains from hills. It is also known as the gateway to Himalayas and is considered an access point for the cities that form the Char Dham - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Rishikesh is located at a height of about 1360 feet above sea level.
The Lakshman Jhula, a 450 feet long suspension bridge was built in 1939. A newer bridge the Ram Jhula has been added recently.
12 km away from Rishikesh is located the Nilkanth Mahadeo temple at a height of about 5000 feet.
The Ganga River leaves the Shivalik Mountains in the Himalayas from Rishikesh and flows out into the plains of northern India. Several temples can be found along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. Shatrughna Mandir, Bharat Mandir, Lakshman Mandir are the ancient temples established by Adi Shankaracharya. Lakshman Mandir is near to Lakshman Jhula where as Shatrughna Temple is located near Ram Jhula.
Lord Rama did penance in Rishikesh for killing Ravana (the king of Lanka) and his younger brother Lakshmana crossed the river Ganges at a point where the 'Lakshman Jhula' bridge stands today using jute Rope Bridge.
The Ganges is also an ultimate destination for river rafting lovers in Rishikesh.
Because of its location near major population centers, the Ganges River is highly polluted. The Ganges was ranked as the fifth most polluted river of the world in 2007.
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