River of the Mahabharata
Ganga
गङ्गा
Goddess-mother of Bhishma; river of Hastinapura
Ganga: Goddess-mother of Bhishma; river of Hastinapura, located at coordinates 28.78°N, 78.08°E.
Key Facts
| Type | River |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | गङ्गा |
| Coordinates | 28.78°N, 78.08°E |
| Significance | Goddess-mother of Bhishma; river of Hastinapura |
About Ganga
The holiest river of the epic and a goddess in her own right - wife of Shantanu and mother of Bhishma, whom she raised in her waters (Adi Parva). The Kuru capital Hastinapura stood on her banks.
Why it matters: Goddess-mother of Bhishma; river of Hastinapura
Details
- Point
- Representative point near Garhmukteshwar, downstream of Hastinapura
- Ashes
- The heroes' funeral rites after the war were performed on her banks
On the Map
Ganga sits at 28.78°N, 78.08°E.
View on the full mapEvents at Ganga
- Chitraratha Gandharva ConfrontedYear -33On their way to Draupadi's swayamvara, the Pandavas encounter the gandharva Chitraratha on the banks of the Ganga at night. He challenges them for trespassing.
- Kunti's Secret at the Water RitesYear -13As the survivors offer water to the dead in the Ganga, Kunti tells her sons to pour a libation for Karna - their eldest brother. Yudhishthira, shattered, curses all womankind to keep no secret hidden.
- The Descent of the RiverYear -7King Sagara's sixty thousand arrogant sons are burned to ashes by the glance of the sage Kapila, their souls unable to rest. Only the heavenly river Ganga can purify them - so across four generations the kings strive, until Bhagiratha's terrible penance brings her down from heaven, her world-shattering fall caught in Shiva's matted locks, to wash the ashes and free the dead.
Stories Set at Ganga
Karna's Birth & Curse
The Tragic Backstory of the Sun's Son
The Secret of the Sun
A Mother's Plea, A Warrior's Promise
Shantanu and the River Goddess
The Marriage That Began the Kuru Dynasty
A Royal Childhood at Hastinapura
Pandavas, Kauravas, and the Lessons of Drona
The House of Lac and the Demons
The Pandavas' First Exile
The Forest Retreat
Book 15 - How the Blind King Walked Into the Woods to Die
Ancient Beginnings
The Earth's Plea, the Descent of the Gods, and the Sages Who Began the Telling
The Descent of the River
Bhagiratha and the Sons of Sagara
The Birth of the War-God
Skanda and the Slaying of Taraka
The Bird's Eye and the Crocodile
Drona's Tests of Arjuna