Ganges River north of Rishikesh
PHOTO GALLERY:
The Ganges River at Rishikesh
The mighty Ganges is India’s longest, most famous and most sacred river. Starting from melt water off Gangotri Glacier at 3892 M / 12,769 ft in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakand, the Ganges flows 2525 km / 1569 miles through India before emptying into the Bay of Bengal in eastern India.
The Ganges Delta is the world’s largest river delta and delivers the largest discharge of water on the planet. The vast Ganges Basin is extremely fertile. It is the most populated region on Earth, with over 400 million inhabitants and a population density of 1000 people per sq km.
Ganges is considered a holy river by Indian Hindus who refer to it as Mother Ganga. Millions of devotees flock to the Ganges at various points around the country in order to cleanse themselves in the holy waters. People near death make their way to Varanasi, in great hopes of having their corpses burned on the banks of the great Ganges and their ashes strewn through its waters. People bathe, wash their clothes, drink and catch fish from the Ganges, despite corpses of humans and animals floating through the river and heavy industrial pollution.
By western standards the Ganges seems highly unsanitary and disease-infested. In truth, the Ganges is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It’s hardly imaginable that people conduct themselves in such a manner, particularly without catching horrible diseases.
dipping my hand in the sacred Ganges River – Rishikesh
However, closer to its source in the vast Himalayas, the Ganges still remains clear, beautiful and clean. From northern Uttarakand State, the mighty Ganges winds its way through the Himalayan Mountains for 260 km before emerging onto the flat Indian plains at Hardiwar city.
Just north of Hardiwar, still nestled in the lower Himalayas, lies Rishikesh, the self-acclaimed ‘Yoga Capital of the World’. The milky-green Ganges flows through Rishikesh, where people honor the sacred river with dozens of Ashrams, Hindu temples, yoga and meditation retreats.
Thousands of Indians and international travelers visit Rishikesh to bathe themselves in a still-clean Ganges, to purify their souls and seek spiritual peace amidst the forested Himalayan hills.
This photo gallery presents 12 scenic photos of the great Ganges River at Rishikesh.
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
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