This is the holy river of the Hindus, reverentially called Mother Ganga, also known as Ganges in English, the one that takes its origin from the Himalayan glacier called Gangotri, traversing a long way of 2510 kilometer to fall in the Bay of Bengal. As it begins it great journey from Gangotri, it is called river Bhagirathi, and as it reaches Devaprayaga, the tributary of Alakananda joins to make it a mightier flow. 18 Kilometers below Gangotri, there is a cave of snow called Gomukh and it is there that River Alakananda has its beginning. And when Bhagirathi joins hands with Alakananda, the river assumes the legendary name of Ganga.

At Prayaga in Allahabad, River Jumna (Yamuna) joins the flow.  Jumana has another name, Kalindi. It is when Kalingi joins Ganges, the river assumes its magnificent form. Even before the great confluence, the Jumna is joined by many of its tributaries, the important of which are Chambal, Batwa, and Ken. A list of Ganga’s tributaries is an impressive one: Chambal, Bamni, Kali Sindh, Parvati, Banas, Parwan, Koihari, Khari, Da, Masi, Bandi, Moral, Sipra, Sind, Chandraprabha, Karunoothi, Khajiri, Ryamganga, Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandakl, Kosi, Dohora, Bhjakra, Gache, Jomke, Barna, Chooaha, Sarayu, Baghmati, Mahananda, Burigandak, Kamala, Sone, Gopat, Punpun , Kiyul, Phalgu, Sakri, Ajaya, Roop Narayan, Damodar, Balson, mechi, Kankey, Ratnahaldi.