Ganga river history
Ganges India The Ganges or Ganga Hindustani is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km (1,569 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of India and Bangladesh, eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges is a lifeline to millions who live along its course. It is a most sacred river to Hindus and worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It has been important historically: many former provincial or imperial capitals (such as Patliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Kashi, Allahabad, Murshidabad, Munger, Baharampur, Kampilya, and Kolkata) have been located on its banks. The Ganges is threatened by pollution, not only to humans, but also to animals, among which are more than 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, reptiles such as the gharial, and mammals such as the Ganges river dolphin, the last-mentioned two included in the IUCN's cr...