Where is river ganga located?
Ganga River originates Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand (Gaumukh), flows 2,510km southeast through UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB, into Bay of Bengal delta (Bangladesh share). Sacred Hindu lifeline, polluted but revered. Maps of India map. Visited ghats?
The Ganga (or Ganges) is one of India's most sacred and important rivers, flowing through northern India. It originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, at about 3,900 meters elevation. The river flows southeast for approximately 2,525 kilometers through several states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, before forming a vast delta in Bangladesh (where it's called the Padma) and emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Major cities along its course include Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. The Ganga Basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world.
I visited Rishikesh last year, and the Ganga there is crystal clear, unlike in the plains. It’s amazing how the same river changes character across states. For geography enthusiasts, it’s mainly located in the Indo-Gangetic plain of India.
The River Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand, flows through northern India (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal), and finally empties into the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. It’s about 2,525 km long and holds both cultural and economic significance.
The River Ganga, or Ganges, is one of the most sacred and important rivers in the Indian subcontinent, flowing entirely within the boundaries of India and Bangladesh. Its location can be broken down into three main sections: 1. Source (The Origin): The Ganga originates in the Western Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Specifically, it is traced to the Gangotri Glacier where the headstream, the Bhagirathi river, emerges. The river officially gets the name Ganga at Devprayag, where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers meet. 2. Course: From Uttarakhand, the river flows southeast through the vast Gangetic Plains, covering major states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. 3. Mouth (The End): The Ganga empties into the Bay of Bengal. Before reaching the sea, it splits into several distributaries, forming the world's largest delta—the Ganges Delta—which it shares with the Brahmaputra River. In Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganga is known as the Padma River. It is the lifeline for millions of people across North and East India, making it central to the geography, economy, and culture of the region.
The location is spiritual as well as geographical. For Hindus, the source is sacred—it descends from heaven, according to mythology. Geographically, its most visible presence is in the plains of North India. The major cities along its banks, such as: - Varanasi (Kashi) - Prayagraj (Allahabad) - Kanpur - Patna - Kolkata (via its tributary, the Hooghly) These cities define its impact on civilization. So, while it starts high in the mountains, its location that impacts the most people is the vast, flat agricultural land of the Gangetic Plain.
To put it simply, the Ganga is located in Northern and Eastern India, flowing into Bangladesh before hitting the Bay of Bengal. If you want a geographical pinpoint: look for the city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand—this is where the river exits the Himalayas and enters the plains. From there, it's a massive, sweeping journey across the core of India before it breaks up in West Bengal, with the main distribution channel continuing as the Padma into Bangladesh. It's a huge river basin! The Gangetic plain, which it created, is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas on Earth.