The sanctified Ganga River originates in the Himalayas and is 2, 510 km (1, 557 meters) long. It begins at the Gangotri Glacier in the state of Uttarakhand in the central Himalayas at the confluence of five headstreams - the Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda, Dhauliganga and Pindar at Devaprayag. From here, it drains into the Bay of Bengal through its vast delta in the Sunderbans and also into Bangladesh. After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as Padma River till it is joined by the Jamuna River the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra.

Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by the Meghna River, the second largest distributary of the Brahmaputra. Fanning out into the 350 km (220 meters) wide Ganges Delta, it empties out into the Bay of Bengal. The streams are formed due to the melting snow and ice from glaciers from the peaks such as Nanda Devi and Kamet. The river is held sacred by Hindus and is worshipped in its personified form as the goddess Ganga. The Ganga and its tributaries drain a large and fertile basin with an area of about one million square kilometres.

After travelling 200 km through the Himalayas, the Ganges emerges at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar in the Shiwalik Hills. At Haridwar, a dam diverts some of its waters into the Ganges Canal, which links the Ganges with its main tributary, the Yamuna. The Ganges now begins to flow in a south-eastern direction through the plains northern India. From Haridwar the river passes about 800 km (500 meters) through the city of Kanpur, before the sangam with the Yamuna river from the southwest at Allahabad. This point, known as the Sangam, is a sacred place in Hinduism. According to ancient Hindu texts, a third river, the mythical Sarasvati River is believed to meet the two rivers at this point.

Then the Ganga forms a stretch between Allahabad and Malda in West Bengal through many rivers such as the Kosi, Son, Gandak and Ghaghra. On its way it passes the towns of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur. At Bhagalpur, the river wanders past the Rajmahal Hills, and changes its course southwards. At Pakaur, the river branching out of the Bhagirathi river, which is its first distributary, which goes on to form the River Hooghly. Close to the border with Bangladesh, the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974 controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt free.

The Ganga has a lot of fertile soil and is an important source of the agricultural activities in India and Bangladesh. The chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes, and wheat. Along the banks of the river, the presence of swamps and lakes provide a rich growing area for crops such as legumes, chillies, mustard, sesame, sugarcane, and jute. Fishing also provides opportunities to many along the river, though the river remains highly polluted. Three towns, holy to Hinduism - Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation. The rapids of the Ganges also are popular river rafting area, attracting hundreds of adventure seekers in the summer months.

The ancient scriptures mention that the water of Ganges carries the blessings of Lord Vishnu`s feet; hence Mother Ganges is also known as Vishnupadi, which means "Emanating from the Lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Vishnu." Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganga river, occasionally causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Some of the most important Hindu festivals are celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela and the Chhat Puja.

People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the ashes to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar and Kashi. People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed in copper pots after making the pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with one`s last breath takes, ones soul to heaven.