Ganga River Map

Ganga River Map – In this article, we are going to read about the Ganga River map including its origin, endpoint, and all left and right bank tributaries in the series of Rivers of India. So if you are preparing for any exam like UPSC, IAS, SSC MTS, SSC GD, If you are preparing for SSC CHSL, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, NDA, CDS, Bank PO, IBPS, then this post will be important for you.

Read Also – Yamuna River Map

Ganges River System

• The Ganga River is the most important and sacred in India. The Ganges River flows through two countries i.e. India and Bangladesh.
• This river originates from the state of Uttarakhand then passes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in the south-east direction, drains its water into the Bay of Bengal and forms the largest river delta Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh.
• The total length of the river Ganga is 2525 km while in Indian states the length is 320 km in Uttarakhand, 1140 km in Uttar Pradesh, 445 km in Bihar, and 520 km in West Bengal.
• The Ganga River was declared the National River of India by the Government of India in November 2008.

The map given below shows the route of the river Ganges.

Purity of the water of River Ganga

 Viruses called bacteriophages are found in the water of the river Ganges, which destroy the viruses and other microorganisms present in the water of the river Ganges, that’s why the water of the river Ganges can be preserved for a long time.

Origin of Ganga River Map

• The river Ganga originates from a place called Gomukh near the Gangotri glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. In Uttarakhand state, the river Ganga is known as Bhagirathi. The Bhagirathi River meets the Alaknanda River at a place called Devprayag in Uttarakhand and after that, their combined stream is known as the Ganga River.
• The river Ganga enters the plains from a place called Hari Ki Pauri in Haridwar. River Ganga enters the state of Uttar Pradesh from Bijnor district and passes through 28 districts of Uttar Pradesh. After this river, the Ganges enters the state of Bihar from Saran district and passes through 12 districts of Bihar including the capital Patna. Then river Ganga passes through Sahibganj, the only district of Jharkhand, and then enters the last state i.e. West Bengal.
• The Ganges River divides into two parts in the state of West Bengal; one part flows through West Bengal as the Hooghly River and falls into the Bay of Bengal while the other part enters Bangladesh named the Padma River. In Bangladesh, the Brahmaputra River joins the Ganga River as Jamuna this stream also falls into the Bay of Bengal.

Ganga River Catchment Area

• Ganga Basin Area – The catchment area of the river Ganga is the largest among all the rivers of India and it is 26% of the total area of India i.e. 8,61,404 km² while its total catchment area including India, Nepal, and Bangladesh is 10,86,000 km².
• The Ganges basin is spread over 11 states of India, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Panch Prayag Map UPSC?

Panch Prayag is located in the state of Uttarakhand. In India, “the place where rivers meet is known as Prayag” and is also considered a major pilgrimage site in Hinduism.

The names of Panch Prayags situated in Uttarakhand state are given below.

1. Vishnuprayag
2. Nandprayag
3. Karnprayag
4. Rudraprayag
5. Devprayag

• Vishnuprayag – The Vishnuganga River originates from the Satopanth glacier near Badrinath in Uttarakhand and the Dhauliganga River originates from the Basundhara Lake near Niti Pass and the confluence of these rivers takes place at Vishnuprayag. From here the combined stream of both rivers is known as Alaknanda.
• Nandprayag – The place where the Nandakini River joins the Alaknanda River is known as Nandprayag. The Nandakini River originates from the Nanda Gunti on the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in Uttarakhand.
• Karnprayag – The place where the Pindar River meets the Alaknanda River is known as Karnprayag. The Pindar River originates from a glacier named Pindari in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
• Rudraprayag – The place where the Mandakini River meets the Alaknanda River is known as Rudraprayag. The Mandakini River originates from a glacier named Chorabari near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.
• Devprayag – Devprayag is a town in Tehri Garhwal District in the state of Uttarakhand, India, and is the final one of the Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River where Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi river and both rivers thereafter flow on as the Ganges river or Ganga.

Tributaries of Ganga River

We can divide the tributaries of the Ganga River into two parts.

• Left Bank Tributaries – Rāmgangā, Garra, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda, Brahmaputra, Meghna, etc. are the left bank tributaries of the Ganga river.
• Right Bank Tributaries – Yamuna, Tamsa, Karamnasa, Punpun, Falgu, Kiul, Chandan, Ajoy, Damodar Rupnarayan, etc. are the right bank tributaries of river Ganga.

Now we will discuss the tributaries of river Ganga in detail.

Left Bank Tributaries of River Ganga

• Ramganga River – This River is the first tributary of the Ganga from the left side. The origin of the Ramganga River is from a place called Dudhtoli in Uttarakhand and the confluence of the Ramganga River with the Ganga River in the Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh. The total length of the Ramganga River is 596 km.
• Gomti River – The Gomti River originates from Gomat Tal in the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh and joins the Ganges River in the Ghazipur district. Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is situated on the banks of the Gomti River. The total length of the Gomti River is 475 km.
• Ghaghara River – Ghaghara River is known as Karnali in Nepal and Mapcha Tsangpo River in Tibet and it is the longest river of Nepal. After originating from Nepal, the Karnali River joins the Sharda River. This river is further known as the Ghaghara River. The Ghaghara River originates from the Mapchachungpo Glacier in Tibet flows through the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh and joins the Ganges River in the Saran district of Bihar. This river is known as Saryu in Ayodhya. The total length of the Ghaghara River is 1080 km.
• Gandak River – Gandak River is also known as Gandaki and Narayani River. The Gandak River originates from the Nhubine Himal Glacier near the border of Nepal and Tibet and joins the Ganges River at Sonpur in the state of Bihar. The total length of the Gandak River is 814 km.
• Budhi Gandak River – This river originates from the West Champaran district of Bihar state and flows parallel to the Gandak River and joins the Ganga River in the Khagaria district of Bihar.
• Kosi River – Kosi River is also known as Saptakoshi. Kosi River originates from the confluence of the Sunkosi, Arun, and Tamor Rivers in Nepal. The Kosi River is famous for changing its course, due to which floods occur in the state of Bihar, and hence the Kosi River is also known as the Sorrow of Bihar. The Saptakoshi joins the Ganga River near Kursela in the Katihar district. The total length of the Kosi River is 729 km.
• Mahananda River – The Mahananda River originates from the Paglajhora Falls in the Darjeeling Hills of West Bengal state and joins the Ganga River in Bangladesh. The total length of the Mahananda River is 360 km.

Right Bank Tributaries of River Ganga

• Yamuna River – Yamuna River is the longest tributary of the Ganga River. Yamuna River originates from a place called Yamunotri at Bandarpoonch peak in the state of Uttarakhand. The Yamuna River passes through Haryana, Delhi, and meets the Ganga River at Prayagraj and this place is known as Triveni Sangam. The total length of the Yamuna River is 1376 km.
• Tamsa River – The Tamsa River originates from the hills of Kaimur in the state of Madhya Pradesh and this river joins the Ganges River in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. The total length of the Tamsa River is 264 km.
• Karamnasa River – The Karamnasa River originates from the Kaimur district of Bihar state and this river joins the Ganga River near Chausa in Bihar. The total length of this river is 192 km.
• Son River – The Son River originates from the Amarkantak peak in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and flows in the northeast direction to join the Ganga River at Patna, the capital of Bihar state. The total length of Son River is 784 km.
• Punpun River – The Punpun River originates from the hills of Chhotanagpur in the state of Jharkhand and joins the Ganges River at Fatuha in the state of Bihar. The total length of the Punpun River is 200 km.
• Falgu River – The Falgu River is also known as the Niranjana River. Falgu River originates from the confluence of the Lilajan and Mohana rivers flowing in the states of Jharkhand and Bihar. The Falgu River meets the Ganges River in the state of Bihar.“Lord Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya on the banks of the Niranjana river.”
• Kiul River – The Kiul River originates from the Giridh district of Jharkhand state and this river joins the Ganga River in the Lakhisarai district of Bihar. The total length of the river Ganga is 111 km.
• Chandan River – Chandan River originates from the Bhagalpur district of Bihar state and is a tributary of Ganga in Bihar.
• Ajoy River – Ajoy River originates from the Jharkhand state passing through Bihar and joins the Ganges River at Katwa in West Bengal. The total length of the Ajoy River is 300 km.
• Damodar River – The Damodar River originates from a place called Chulhapani in the hills of Chhotanagpur in the state of Jharkhand and joins the Hooghly River in the Howrah district of West Bengal. The Damodar River is also known as the Sorrow of West Bengal.
• Rupnarayan River – The Rupnarayan River originates from Purulia in West Bengal and joins the Ganges River. The Rupnarayan River is formed from the confluence of the Dwarakeswar and Shilabati rivers.

Major Cities on the banks of River Ganga

• Uttarakhand – Haridwar, Rishikesh
• Uttar Pradesh – Meerut, Farukhabad, Rae Bareli, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia
• Bihar – Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Katihar
• Jharkhand – Sahibganj
• West Bengal – Baharampur, Kolkata

National Waterway 1

• The route from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal on the river Ganges has been given the status of National Waterway 1.
• It was opened on October 27, 1986, and its total length is 1620 km.

Dams & Canals on River Ganga

• Tehri Dam – In the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand state, the confluence of the Bhilangana River with the Bhagirathi River takes place and the Tehri dam has been constructed at this place. Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India and the 12th highest dam in the world. Its total height is 260.5 meters.
• Bhimgoda Barrage and Upper Ganges Canal – This barrage has been constructed on the river Ganges near Hari ki Pauri in Haridwar and the Upper Ganges Canal has been diverted from here. The area behind this barrage is known as Neel Dhara Bird Sanctuary. The Upper Ganges Canal leaves Haridwar and reaches Aligarh district via Roorkee, Bulandshahr and after that, this canal divides into two branches namely Kanpur and Etawah. The Upper Ganga Canal is also a Ramsar site in Uttar Pradesh.
• Lower Ganga Canal – Lower Ganga Canal originates from a place named Naraura in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh by river Ganga and this canal is spread in many districts including Etawah, Farrukhabad, and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
• Farakka Barrage – The river Ganges splits into two parts in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. The stream going towards Bangladesh is known as Padma and the stream going through West Bengal is known as Hooghly. Farakka barrage has been constructed on the river Ganges in Murshidabad district itself.

Different Name of Ganga River

• After originating from a place called Gomukh, the river Ganga goes by the name of Bhagirathi River till it meets the Alaknanda River at Devprayag in Uttarakhand.
• From Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Murshidabad district of West Bengal state, it is known as Ganga.
• From Murshidabad, the Ganga River splits into two streams towards Bangladesh in the east and West Bengal in the south. The river going towards Bangladesh is known as Padma and the river flowing through West Bengal is known as Bhagirathi Hooghly or Hooghly River.

Ganga River GK Questions

Question – Where does the river Ganges pass through?

Answer – The River Ganga originates from the state of Uttarakhand then passes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in the south-east direction and drains its waters into the Bay of Bengal and forms the largest river delta Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Question – Where does the river Ganga originate from?

Answer – The river Ganga originates from a place named Gomukh near the Gangotri glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. Here the river Ganges is known as Bhagirathi.

Question – What is the old name of the river Ganga?

Answer – According to Puranas, Ganga is called Mandakini in heaven and Bhagirathi on land.

Question – Which river originates from the Nepal-China border in Tibet and joins the Ganges near Hajipur (Bihar)?

Answer – The Gandak River originates from the Nepal-China border in Tibet and joins the Ganges near Hajipur (Bihar).

Question – Which tributary of Ganga is called ‘Sorrow of Bihar’?

Answer – Kosi River tributary of Ganga is called the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’.

Question – Which tributary of the Ganges originates from the Nepal-Sikkim border and joins the Ganges in Bangladesh?

Answer – The Mahananda River tributary of the Ganges originates from the Nepal-Sikkim border and joins the Ganges in Bangladesh.

Question – Which river is the left-side tributary of the Ganga?

Answer – Rāmgangā, Garra, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda, Brahmaputra, Meghna, etc. are the left-bank tributaries of the Ganga river.

Question – Which river is the right-side tributary of river Ganga?

Answer – Yamuna, Tamsa, Karamnasa, Punpun, Falgu, Kiul, Chandan, Ajoy, Damodar, and Rupnarayan, etc. are the right bank tributaries of river Ganga.

Question – What are the major cities located on the river Ganga?

Answer – The major cities located on the river Ganga are Lucknow, Allahabad, Patna, Kanpur, Kolkata, and Varanasi.

Question – Ganga River flows through which states?

Answer – The Ganga River flows through 5 states of India. The names of the states are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

About 79% area of the Ganga basin is in India. The basin covers 11 states viz., Uttarakhand, U.P., M.P., Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Delhi.

Question – Ganga River originates from which glacier?

Answer – The Ganga River originates from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand state.

Question – What is the length of the Ganga River?

Answer – The total length of the river Ganga is 2525 km while in Indian states the length is 320 km in Uttarakhand, 1140 km in Uttar Pradesh, 445 km in Bihar, and 520 km in West Bengal.

Question – Which river is known as Dakshin Ganga?

Answer – River Godavari is also known as Dakshin Ganga. It is the largest peninsular river system. It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.

Question – Where does the river Indus have its origin?

Answer – Comment the Answer below in the comment section

So in this way, we have covered the important facts from the point of view of all the exams along with the origin of the river Ganga, its catchment area, its tributaries, dams, canals, and major cities along the banks. Hope you have liked this post.