River Ganga is worshipped and venerated as Goddess
in Hindu religion. In Hinduism, there are many myths and stories about
the descent of River Ganga on Earth. According to Hindu mythology,
Bhagirath, a descendant of King Sagara, brought River Ganges on the
Earth. It is said that Bhagirath led the way and river Ganga followed
him, reaching the spot where lay the ashes of his ancestors. Finally,
the water of River Ganga liberated the souls of Bhagirath's ancestors.
For ages, River Ganga has been at the center of the economic, social,
cultural and religious life of the people, especially in North India.
Over a period of time, many cities grew and developed on the banks of
the holy river, Ganges. Two head streams, Alaknanda and Bhagirathi merge
together at Devprayg to give birth to Ganga. From the great Himalayas,
the Ganges descends on the plains in Haridwar. Haridwar is an important
and holy center of Hindu pilgrimage and one of the four venues of the
Kumbha Mela (the other three being Ujjain, Prayag and Nashik). Thousands
of Hindu pilgrims gather at Haridwar to take holy dip in the Ganges on
pious occasions. Other important cities on the Ganges include Kanpur,
Allahabad, Varanasi and Patna. Of these cities Allahabad or Prayag and
Varanasi hold great significance for the Hindus.
Prayag (Allahabad) is also an important pilgrim center for the Hindus
and one of the four venues of the great Kumbha Mela. River Ganga and
River Yamuna merge at Prayag (Sangam or union). Perhaps the most popular
and venerated of all the cities located on the banks of river Ganga is
Varanasi. Varanasi is also known as Kashi or Benaras. Varanasi is
considered as the cultural capital of India and attracts thousands of
Hindu pilgrims and visitors from all parts of the world. Varanasi has
been a traditional center of learning of philosophy, Sanskrit, astrology
and religion.
