The Ganga River

One river carries a quarter of India’s land into its basin. Nearly half the country’s people live inside it. It is the Ganga, and no other river on Earth is asked to do this much.

The Ganga at the ghats of Varanasi. Photo by Marcin Białek, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Ganga’s course, from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. Map by Kadyani, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

The Ganga’s Course, Uttarakhand to the Bay of Bengal

Roughly 2,525 km, shown here from where it enters the plains

↑ Gangotri & Haridwar

Prayagraj

Varanasi

Patna

Bay of Bengal

The Ganga’s course

Mouth

Base map: Wikimedia Commons (India location map.svg), CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped to the Ganga’s plains course. Course traced approximately.

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IndGeo0119 · Indian Geography

The Ganga, From Glacier to Delta

Four milestones in the journey of India’s longest river

~3,892 m altitude

Born at Gaumukh

The Gangotri Glacier, in Uttarakhand, is the Ganga’s ultimate source. Here the river is first called the Bhagirathi.

At Devprayag

Becomes the Ganga

The Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag. From this confluence on, the river carries the name Ganga.

At Haridwar

Enters the Plains

The Ganga leaves the Himalayan foothills at Haridwar and begins its long run across the Gangetic plains, on to the Bay of Bengal.

As of Feb 2026

524 Namami Gange Projects Sanctioned

355 already completed, alongside India’s first Dolphin Rescue Ambulance, launched under the mission in January 2026.

The Scale-Cleanup Gap

The Ganga basin covers 26% of India’s land and supports nearly half its population — a scale that outpaces even record cleanup funding. Namami Gange has sanctioned 524 projects, but only 355 are finished so far.

📑 Contents

1Course and Origin
2Tributaries and Basin
3Test Yourself
4Culture and the River
5Current Affairs
6Related Articles

🏔 Course and Origin

1. Source and Course

Source The Ganga’s ultimate source is the Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh in Uttarakhand, at an altitude of about 3,892 metres.
Naming From the glacier, the river is first called the Bhagirathi. It becomes the Ganga only at Devprayag. There, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda river.
Plains The Ganga leaves the Himalayan foothills and enters the plains at Haridwar.
Length Its total length is about 2,525 km, the longest single course of any river in India. It ends at the Bay of Bengal, via the Sundarbans delta.
Cities Major cities along its course include Haridwar, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata.

🌊 Tributaries and Basin

1. Course and Tributaries

Course The Ganga’s course is usually split into three parts. The upper course runs from Gangotri to Haridwar, and the middle course runs from Haridwar to Prayagraj. The lower course runs from Prayagraj to the Bay of Bengal.
Yamuna Its biggest tributary, the Yamuna, joins at Prayagraj, after its own long run from the Yamunotri Glacier.
Other Tributaries Other major tributaries include the Ghaghara, Gandak, and Kosi, all joining in Bihar. The Ramganga joins near Kannauj, and the Gomti joins at Ghazipur.
Kosi The Kosi is nicknamed the “Sorrow of Bihar.” It floods often, and frequently changes its course. Over the past 200 years, it has shifted westward by more than 120 km.
Son The Son is unusual among the Ganga’s major tributaries. It rises in Peninsular India, at the Amarkantak plateau, not in the Himalayas. It still joins the Himalayan-fed Ganga system, near Patna.

2. The Basin

Basin The Ganga basin covers about 861,404 sq km, roughly 26% of India’s total land area — the largest river basin in the country.
Population Despite covering just over a quarter of India’s land, the basin supports close to half of India’s population.

Major Tributaries, at a Glance

Tributary	Bank	Origin Type	Joins the Ganga at
Yamuna	Right (south)	Himalayan Yamunotri Glacier	Prayagraj
Ramganga	Right (south)	Himalayan Kumaon hills	Near Kannauj
Gomti	Left (north)	Plains Gomat Taal, Pilibhit	Ghazipur
Ghaghara	Left (north)	Himalayan Tibet/Nepal	Bihar
Gandak	Left (north)	Himalayan Nepal	Bihar
Kosi	Left (north)	Himalayan Nepal	Bihar
Son	Right (south)	Peninsular Amarkantak plateau	Near Patna

Test Yourself

🕬 Culture and the River

1. Religious and Cultural Significance

Ganga Devi The Ganga is worshipped as the goddess Ganga Devi. Hindu tradition holds that bathing in its waters washes away sin.
Varanasi Varanasi, on the Ganga’s banks, is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, and a major pilgrimage and cremation site.

2. Ecology and Challenges

Wildlife The river also supports the Gangetic river dolphin, India’s National Aquatic Animal. It also sustains major fisheries and irrigation across the plains it feeds.
Pollution Despite its religious and ecological importance, the Ganga faces serious pollution. Untreated sewage and industrial effluent enter it along much of its course.

📰 Current Affairs

1. Namami Gange: Latest Developments

Dolphin Rescue 13 January 2026: India’s first Dolphin Rescue Ambulance was inaugurated. Under the Namami Gange programme, it has already helped rescue and release 8 Gangetic dolphins. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti)
Progress As of February 2026: Namami Gange has sanctioned 524 projects worth about ₹43,030 crore, with 355 already completed. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti)
Budget 2026-27 Budget: The National Ganga Plan, under Namami Gange Mission-2, received an allocation of ₹3,100 crore. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti)