The Ganga is considered to be the holiest river in India. It originates from Gangotri Glacier, which is also called Gangotri or Gomukh situated at an altitude of 14,000 ft. The river, about 2,510 km (1,560 mi) long, rises in a snowfield called THE GANGOTRI GLACIER, situated among three Himalayan mountains all more than 6,706 m (22,000 ft) high. It issues as the Bhagirathi River from an ice cave, 3,139 m (10,300 ft) above sea level, and falls 67 m per km (350 ft per mi). About 16 km (10 mi) from the source is Gangotri, the first temple on its banks and a traditional resort of pilgrims. At the village of Devaprayag, 214 km (133 mi) from the source, the Bhagirathi joins the Alaknanda to form the Ganga. The Ganga, after descending 2,827 m (9,276 ft), or an average of about 11 m per km (60 ft per mi), flows west to the border of the great plain of Hindustan at Haridwar, 253 km (157 mi) from its source and 312 m (1,024 ft) above sea level. From Haridwar it continues south and then south-east to Allahabad after a winding course of 785 km (488 mi), made unnavigable by shoals and rapids. At Allahabad, the Ganga is joined by the Yamuna River from the south-west, and from that point the river flows east past Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Patna, Monghyr, and Bhagalpur, receiving on the south the Son River and on the north the Gumti, Ghaghara, Gandak, and Kosi rivers. In the Rajmahal Hills, at the head of the Ganga delta, 906 km (563 mi) from Allahabad, the river turns south and begins a descent of 455 km (283 mi) to the Bay of Bengal. Near Pakaur, the Bhagirathi (assuming the former name of the river) and, 114 km (71 mi) lower down, the Jalangi River branch off from the main stream, and after individual courses of 193 km (120 mi) each, unite again to form the Hooghly River, the westernmost and principal channel of navigation, on which the city of Calcutta stands. The main branch of the Ganges, from which numerous minor tributaries flow, continues in Bangladesh, as the Padma River, to the town of Shivalaya (Sibalay), where it unites with the Yamuna, the main branch of the Brahmaputra, and finally runs through the Meghna estuary into the Bay of Bengal. !!Mythology The holiest of all the rivers, Ganga or the Ganges is a perennial river, which is held in high regard by the Hindus. The Ganga river has an exalted position in the Hindu ethos. It is repeatedly invoked in the Vedas, the Puranas, and the two Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Babies are baptized in the river because they believe it cleanses the child, also when a person dies and is cremated their remains are released into the river for the same reason, because they believe it cleanses the soul. Ganga is a goddess, Ganga devi, one of two daughters of Meru (the Himalayas), the other being Uma, consort of Shiva. In her youth, Indra had asked for Ganga to be given to heaven to soothe the Gods with its cool waters. The Ganga has many names associated with its many roles in Sanskrit mythology. Bhagiratha himself is the source of the name Bhagirathi (of Bhagiratha), which is its initial stream, but is also another name for the Hooghly. At one point, Bhagiratha went too close to the sage Jahnu's meditation site, and the disturbed hermit immediately gulped up all the waters. Eventually, after more persuasion from Bhagiratha, the sage yielded the waters, but Ganga retained the name "Jahnavi". Water from the Ganga has the recursive property that any water mixed with even the minutest quantity of Ganga water becomes Ganga water, and inherits its healing and other holy properties. Also, despite its many impurities, Ganga water does not rot or stink if stored for several days (earlier it was years). The descent of the celestial river, Ganga, to the earth, according to an Indian mythological story, is associated with the name of King Bhagirath, who is said to have practiced austere penance for 1000 years and eventually succeeded in bringing down the stream from Heaven. The Puranas tell us how King Sagar, an ancestor of the illustrious Bhagirath, performed a horse sacrifice. The horse released by the king prior to the sacrifice was lost. King Sagar's sons, 60,000 in number, went out in quest of the horse and dug the earth on all sides. While digging the earth in the north-east they found the horse by the side of the divine sage Kapil, who sat absorbed in meditation in the nether regions. The foolish and haughty princes took the sage for a thief and abusing him right and left ran to assault him. The sage now opened his eyes and as a result of their offense the princes were instantly reduced to ashes by a fire which emanated from their body. King Sagar had another son, Asamanjas by name. His son, Anshuman, who was much devoted to his grandfather, proceeded in search of the horse under orders of the king, and found the animal near the ashes of his uncles. He also beheld the great sage Kapil and supplicated to him. The sage, who was pleased with his prayer, told him that the horse belonged to his grandfather and asked him to take it back. The sage further told him about the death of his uncles and added that the latter could attain salvation only if their remains could be washed by the Ganga. Anshuman took the horse to his grandfather, who duly performed the horse sacrifice and then retired to the woods after installing his grandson on the throne of Ayodhya. King Anshuman and his son Dilip successively practiced austere for a number of years with a view to bringing the Ganga down to the mortal plane, but in vain. Dilip's son, Bhagirath, at last succeeded in bringing the stream to the earth and took it to the place, where his uncles had lain in the form of ashes. The moment the water of the Ganga touched their remains their spirits were absolved from the sin of insulting a holy sage and ascended to heaven. Ganga is stated to have emanated from the feet of the God Vishu Himself.