The Ganga in Mythologies

Abstract

Indians look upon their rivers with reverence and consider them sacred. From time immemorial, their mythologies have been harping on the sacredness of rivers but there is none more sacred and popular than the Ganga, the holiest among them. In the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana, written in Sanskrit by sage Valmiki between 1400 and 1000 BC, which remains the bedrock of the Hindu culture, she is personified as a goddess. In Hindu mythology, she is the eldest daughter of Himavat and Menoka; her sister being Uma, or goddess Durga who is worshipped in autumn and spring by Bengalis, particularly. She became the wife of King Santanu and bore a son, Bhisma, who is known as Gangeya. She is also the mother of Kartikeya whom she bore, being in love with Agni. She has many other names too – Bhadra-soma, Gandini, Kirati, Devabhuti, Hara-Sekhara, Khapaga, Mandakini, Tripathaga or Trisrota i.e., three streams, flowing in heaven, earth and hell (in the last, she is called Patal-Ganga)