The Heavenly Origin

As per Hindu Mythology, Lord Vishnu originated the river. It happened in His incarnation as a dwarf Brahmin when He took two steps to cross the world. People say that He accidentally created a small hole in the universe’s wall in His second step. After this incident, some water from the river Mandakini spilled out. And the river started flowing in the heavens. Lord Vishnu permitted the Ganges river to descend toward the earth for one of his devotees, Bhagiratha.

However, another problem that emerged was that if the holy river immediately falls on Earth, then it could lead to destruction everywhere. This time, Lord Shiva came to the rescue. He gently lowered the Goddess in His hair slowly. And in this way and it took about a thousand years for the river to descend to the Earth. Since then, mother Ganga has been warding off the sins of the people and purifying them.

The physical origins of the Ganges

Apart from the Puranic stories, Bhagirathi is the source of the river. It has its origin in the Himalayas. Originating from Gaumukh in the Himalayas, the river Bhagirathi is a huge river ranging over seventy-five square miles. The Bhagirathi merges with another river Alaknanda at Devprayag, and this is where the name Ganga ensues.

The Ganges in the Art

Often addressed as Mother, The goddess is depicted in Hindu art dressed up in a white saree and riding on a crocodile. There are many temples of mother Ganga in the Holy city of Haridwar and Varanasi. In her human form, The Goddess Ganga is seen along with Her sister Yamuna.