From its icy origins high in the himalayas, this sacred river flows through the holy cities and the great plains of northern india to the bay of bengal. Numerous books in english and other indian languages have been written on the river which deal with its religious, geographical and other aspects. In india, specially the hindu people consider the river as an embodiment of sacredness. As uc davis history professor sudipta sen details in ganges. The ganges river the story of india photo gallery pbs. Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles 2,510 km is relatively short compared with the other great rivers of asia or the world. Ganges river is the most important as well as the most sacred river in india. Sens book is undeniably academic, it is pleasingly written and indisputably the single best text on the ganges and its history.
While there are many books covering one aspect of the ganges, ranging from hydrology to cultural significance, this book is unique in presenting a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of the key. Also, many important capitals have been located on the banks of the river. At bay of bengal the river ganges discharge water at a rate of 38,129 m 3 sec. Hindu pilgrims bathing in the ganges, prayagraj, india, 20. Amazing ganges river facts every indian should know. In a country where the red heat of summer inspires prayer for the coming monsoon, the lifegiving waters of the ganges have assumed legendary powers in the form of the hindu goddess ganga. His style, language and critical intelligence make the book interesting. The length of the ganga is 2,510 km or 1,560 miles. In the plangent words of sudipta sen, a history professor at the university of california at davis and the author of ganges, this is exclusive. From the back of the book no river has kindled mans imagination like the ganges. For most of its course it is a wide and sluggish stream, flowing through one of the. In fact, the ganga basin is the most heavily populated river basin in the world. Ganga river in india fun facts for kids educational.
The ganges has always been more than just an ordinary river. According to popular belief, bathing in mother ganga dissolves all sins, drinking her waters cures illness, and dying on her banks ensures freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth. Every year more than one million hindu pilgrims travel to the sacred ganges river. The author journeys from gangas origin in gaumukh, through the plains of haridwar, kanpur, allahabad, varanasi, and to sagar island where ganga meets the bay of bengal. Originating in the himalayas and flowing into the bay of bengal, the ganges is indias most important and sacred river. Kalyan bharati the author has taken pains to collect the facts from every possible source to give authentic information regarding the holy river ganga. From time immemorial it has been the holy river of hinduism. The many pasts of an indian river, flows over 1,500 miles in its courses, from the.
To navigate the timeline, click and drag it with your mouse, or click on. The river ganges flows through the countries of india and bangladesh. A journey down the ganges river by julian crandall. Numerous books in english and other indian languages have been written on. Born in melting snow in the himalayas, the ganges forms from the convergence of two other rivers, but many. Ganges is one of the main rivers of india and the largest in northern india. The river ganges, also known as the ganga, flows 2,525 kilometers 1,569 mi from the himalaya mountains to the bay of bengal in northern india and bangladesh the ganges river begins in the himalayas gangotri glacier. Ganges in myth and history 9788120817579 by darian, steven g. Ganges river, hindi ganga, great river of the plains of the northern indian subcontinent. She is dressed in a cotton sari and her forehead is adorned with the traditional hindu markings, the bindi and sindoor. There is very little in victor mallets book on the ganges that will surprise even the casual observer of indian life we talk big clean india etc, modiji and his rss buddies pass laws to purify indias culture for hindus, while all along the most iconic natural symbol of indias culture, from vedic times, the ganga river is in.
The river is used for irrigation, transportation, and fishing and the. This book is a bountiful buffet for anyone interested in india, its history and its culture, as expressed through the subject of the ganges. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The river has the second greatest water discharge in the world, and its basin is the most heavily populated in the world with over 400 million. More than 500 million people are directly or indirectly dependent upon the ganges river basin, which spans china, nepal, india and bangladesh. Solutions to a problem involving two countries, one of which is one of the most powerful in the world. For more than 350 million people who live near its banks, the ganges river represents life. The story given here is the story of how ganga came to flow on this earth and some other beliefs surrounding it. It nourishes and cleans them, helps them travel, and lies at the heart of their religious beliefs. On ganga saptami devotees all over the world worship mother ganga and take bath in ganga river which is considered highly auspicious.
In 1981, sunil amrith tells us in unruly waters, the historian bernard bailyn drew a distinction between what he called manifest processes in history, by which he meant those that were apparent to people at the time they happened, and latent processes, whose occurrenceand hence significancewere only discerned later. Through a sweeping yet carefully textured history, the layers of the gangess past assume a life that is both consequential and contemporary. The river ganges, running for more than 1500 miles across some of the most densely populated areas in asia, is perhaps the most religiously significant body of water in the world. In a country where the red heat of summer inspires prayer for the coming monsoon, the lifegiving waters of the ganges have assumed legendary powers in the form. Masterfully combining fascinating history with acute observation of india today, river of life, river of death is brilliantly effective in its central argument that the threats facing the ganges from pollution, overpopulation, climate change, and often bad policies are also. From its icy origins high in the himalayas, this sacred river flows through the holy cities and the great. The book details the ganges rich cultural history and also details the industries, such as the tanneries and industrial plants at kanpur, that continue to dump. This stunningly original, beautifully crafted book is the best history of the ganges that currently exists. The many pasts of an indian river kindle edition by sen, sudipta. The ganga is the most sacred river for the hindus and is the lifeline of the millions of people living along its course. A wonderful thought provoking book about the river ganga seen through a socioecological point of view.
The many pasts of an indian river, cholera microbes have a 48hour lifespan in distilled water, but persist for just three in the. Hindus have always believed ganga jal to be pure, pious and drinkable. Ganges river, great river of the plains of the northern indian subcontinent, which from time immemorial has been the holy river of hinduism. The ganges river represents the history, beliefs, and survival for the people of india. Interesting facts about river ganges just fun facts. The river ganges, also known as the ganga, flows 2,700 km from the himalaya mountains to the bay of bengal in northern india and bangladesh.
The glacier sits at an elevation of 3,892 meters 12,769 feet. Melissa musick nussbaum is a columnist for the national catholic reporter and the author of six books and numerous articles. Described in the mahabharata as the best of rivers, born of all the sacred waters, the ganges is personified as the. The importance of the ganges to both india and bangladesh. It is the longest river in india and flows for around 1,569 miles 2,525 km from the himalayan mountains to the bay of bengal. The ganga, unfortunately, is also one of the five most polluted rivers in the world. A sweeping, interdisciplinary history of the worlds thirdlargest river, a potent symbol across south asia and the hindu diaspora. Use of the ganges water for irrigation, either when the river is in flood or by means of gravity canals, has been common since ancient times. The best books on asias rivers victor mallet on five books. Human history has been founded on the banks of great rivers but in the. The ganges has more than a hundred names, but hindus call it gangamai, or mother ganga. The many pasts of a river by sudipta sen, professor of history at uc davis, is a book like the river itselfit is many things at the same time. Ganges the ganges also known as ganga or gonga, is the biggest river in the indian subcontinent in terms of water flow.
The sacred river is a childrens book about the existence and exploration of a four thousand year old hindu tradition. The sacred river is a narrative informational book. The ganges river, the subject of history professor sudipta sens engrossing and challenging new book ganges. Har means lord shiva, ki means of and pauri means steps. It provides water to about 40% of indias population. As we travel its 1,558 miles 2,500 km from the himalayan mountains to the bay of bengal, we see how the ganges is used. Ebook the ganges in myth and history as pdf download. The webs source of information for ancient history. The many pasts of an indian river invites its reader across the space and time of this iconic riverscape. He is successful to bring a sound study of the most sacred river to the hindus. The ganges river is a 1569 mile long river flowing across india and bangladesh into the bay of bengal.
Such irrigation is described in scriptures and mythological books written more than 2,000 years ago. Regarded as sacred by hindus, the river is personified as the goddess ganga in ancient texts and art. Ganges simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In this unprecedented work, historian sudipta sen tells the story of the ganges, from the communities that arose on its banks to the merchants that navigated its waters, and the way it came to occupy center stage in the history and culture of the subcontinent. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ganges. A sweeping, interdisciplinary history of the worlds thirdlargest river, a potent symbol across south asia and the hindu diaspora originating in the himalayas and flowing into the bay of bengal, the ganges is indias most important and sacred river. Ganges river plays an important role in the life of indian people. Megasthenes, a greek historian and ambassador who was in india, recorded the use of irrigation in the 4th century bce. The river is considered to be sacred and spiritually pure, though it is also one of the most polluted rivers on earth. The river ganges is formed by the confluence of nearly 12 rivers. Human history has been founded on the banks of great rivers but in the east they are increasingly the focus of bitter international and environmental dispute, says victor mallet, the journalist and author of river of life, river of death. The ganges river, also called ganga, is a river located in northern india that flows toward the border with bangladesh. At once a work of deep history, of intellectual and cultural history, and of religious studies, it is informed by sens own extensive travels along the course of the river, which give the narrative a sense of immediacy and engagement.
Human and environmental stories interweave in a meandering. The ganges river begins in the himalayas gangotri glacier and by the time it reaches its mouth it is the worlds third largest river by discharge. Ganges river is the third largest river in the world by the amount of water discharged into the sea. In hinduism the ganges river is the most sacred river, and is worshipped as the goddess ganga. River bhagirathi and alaknanda join each other at devprayag, to form river ganga. Although officially as well as popularly called the ganga in hindi and in other indian languages, internationally it is known by its conventional name, the ganges.
It is one of the longest rivers in india and also the third largest river in the world in terms of water discharged into the sea. The ganges river is without a doubt the most important river to india. Ganga the book is a partial atlas of the river the financial express. The american river ganges still rises, its current fed by the runoff of ignorance and fear. A hindu woman bathes in the waters of the ganges river.
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