The Ganga is the holiest and longest river in India. It rises in an ice cave known as Gomukh which is about 10,000 feet above the sea level. In its upper course, it joins with the Alaknanda and then rushes to Hardwar where its middle course begins. The Ganga then flows slowly by the cities and towns of Kanpur and Farukhabad. At Allahabad, it is joined by its biggest tributary, the Yamuna. The confluence of both these rivers here is considered very sacred by the Hindus.
After Allahabad, the Ganga moves eastwards flowing through Mirzapur and Benaras. Many people come here everyday to have a dip in the holy waters of the Ganga. Then the river which is by now a still large river as many tributaries and distributaries like the Kosi, Gandak, Ghaghara etc. join it. It further moves by Patna, main flow of the river enters Bangladesh with the name
The main branch or distributary of the Ganga is the Bhagirathi or Hooghly which flows through West Bengal and falls into the Bay of Bengal. The great city of Kolkata is located on the Hooghly.
The Ganga is the backbone of India's culture and civilization. The country's trade and agriculture, industry and education are, to a great extent, influenced by this holy river.
