Ganga

Daughter of the Mountain

The Ramayana makes Ganga the elder daughter of Himavat, lord of mountains, and sister of Uma (Parvati). The gods asked for her and took her to heaven, where she flowed as the celestial river.

The Descent

The same epic tells why she came down. The sixty thousand sons of King Sagara, searching for their father's sacrificial horse, were burned to ash by the sage Kapila. Only Ganga's waters could purify their remains. After generations of austerities, their descendant Bhagiratha won her descent, but her fall would have shattered the earth, so Shiva received her in his matted locks and released her gently. Ganga followed Bhagiratha's chariot to the sea and the underworld, and the ashes were redeemed; hence her name Bhagirathi.

Mother of Heroes

In the Mahabharata Ganga takes human form as the wife of King Shantanu and mother of Bhishma. Some versions of Skanda's birth have her carry Shiva's fiery seed, making her one of Kartikeya's mothers.

The Living River

Ganga is present in her river. Pilgrims bathe at Haridwar, Prayagraj, and Varanasi to wash away sin; ashes of the dead are immersed in her waters; and the Kumbh Mela gathers millions at her banks. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna names himself as Ganga among rivers.