Page 168 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

166  CENTR AL INDIA

The River Ganges

Rising in an ice cave, 4,140 m (13,583 ft) high in the
Himalayas, the Ganges flows for 2,525 km (1,569 miles)
through the mountains of Uttarakhand, and the vast
plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal, before entering
the sea in the Bay of Bengal. Through the ages, great
civilizations have flourished on its banks, which are, even
today, lined with teeming cities, fertile paddy fields and Gaumukh (“Cow’s Mouth”)
innumerable temples and ghats. For, above all, the Ganges at the mouth of the Gangotri
is India’s main spiritual and religious artery, sacred to Glacier, is the source of the
millions of Hindus who believe that to bathe in its Ganges. Emerging as an icy
torrent, the river is called
waters is to be absolved of all sins, and to be the Bhagirathi here.
cremated on its banks and have one’s ashes
immersed in its waters ensures Gaumukh Rishikesh (see p188)
has famous ashrams
salvation of the soul. UTTARAKHAND • meditation courses.
offering yoga and
Bhagirathi Ala knanda Studies in Hinduism
are pursued here.
Rishikesh • • Devprayag
• Haridwar

0 kilometres 100
0 miles 100
Devprayag
(see p191), set Ganges Votive offering
amidst dramatic floated in the river
mountain gorges,
is an important
pilgrimage town, UTTAR PRADESH
where the rivers
Bhagirathi and
Alaknanda meet Kanpur Gandak
to become Yamuna • Ghaghara
the Ganges.
Key Patna
• Munger
International border
Allahabad • •
•
State border Varanasi Son BIHAR Gaur
•
BANGLADESH
JHARKHAND
Nabadwip •
WEST
BENGAL Hooghly
Haridwar, the “Gateway to the Gods” (see p188), is where •
the Ganges finally descends from the Himalayas and Kolkata
begins its long journey through the plains that constitute
India’s heartland. Haridwar teems with temples, holy men Allahabad (see p214) marks the
and pilgrims, especially around its main ghat, Har-ki-Pauri, confluence of three holy rivers, the
sanctified by the footprint of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Sagar Ganges Delta
four sites where the mammoth Kumbh Mela is held every Saraswati. The Kumbh Mela held here in Island Bay of Bengal
12 years (see p215). 2013 attracted some 120 million pilgrims.

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm