River Ganga

River Alakananda (195 km) (A head-stream of river Ganga)

(Uttarakhand)
1. Alakananda Udgam: Satopanth (Bhagiratha Kharak and Satopanth Glaciers) (7000 m) (Chamoli district)
2. Alakananda flows: Badrinath (3300 m) (Chamoli district) -- (40 km from Joshimath)
3. Alakananda flows: Joshimath (1875 m) (Chamoli district) -- (10 km from Vishnu Prayag)
4. Alakananda - Dhauli-Ganga Sangam: Vishnu Prayag (1372 m) (Chamoli district) -- (72 km from Nanda Prayag)
5. Alakananda - Nandakini Sangam: Nanda Prayag (914 m) (Chamoli district) -- (22 km from Karna Prayag)
6. Alakananda - Pindari Sangam: Karna Prayag (788 m) (Chamoli district) -- (32 km from Rudra Prayag)
7. Alakananda - Mandakini Sangam: Rudra Prayag (610 m) (Rudraprayag district) -- (66 km from Dev Prayag)
8. Alakananda - Bhagirathi Sangam: Dev Prayag (690 m) (Tehri Garhwal district) -- (98 km from Haridwar)
   River Ganga originates from this Confluence

River Bhagirathi (205 km) (A head-stream of river Ganga)

(Uttarakhand)
1. Bhagirathi Udgam: Gangotri Glacier (Gaumukh) (4023 m) (Uttarkashi district) -- (20 km from Gangotri)
2. Bhagirathi flows: Gangotri (3140 m) (Uttarkashi district) -- (100 km from Uttarkashi)
3. Bhagirathi flows: Uttarkashi (1158 m) (Uttarkashi district) -- (160 km from Dev Prayag)
4. Bhagirathi - Alakananda Sangam: Dev Prayag (690 m) (Tehri Garhwal district) -- (98 km from Haridwar)
   River Ganga originates from this Confluence

River Ganga (2525 km) (formed by the confluence of rivers Alakananda and Bhagirathi at Dev Prayag)

(Uttarakhand)
1. Alakananda - Bhagirathi Sangam: Dev Prayag (690 m) (Tehri Garhwal district)
2. Ganga: Rishikesh (340 m) (Dehradun district)
3. Ganga: Haridwar (314 m) (Haridwar district)

(Uttar Pradesh)
4. Ganga: Shukratal (Shukra Teerth) (Muzaffarnagar district)
5. Ganga: Garh Mukteshwar (Hapur district)
6. Ganga: Ahar (Bulandshahr district) -- Avantika Devi
7. Ganga: Karanwas (Bulandshahr district) -- Kalyani Devi
8. Ganga: Belon (Bulandshahr district) -- Sarvamangala Devi
9. Ganga - Ramganga Sangam: Katri Chandapur (Hardoi district)
10. Ganga: Chaubepur (Kanpur Nagar district) -- Bandi Mata
11. Ganga: Bithoor (Kanpur Nagar district)
12. Ganga: Kanpur (Kanpur district) -- Anandeshwar
13. Ganga: Baksar (Unnao district) -- Chandrika Devi, Suratha Samadhi incident
14. Ganga: Shringverpur (Prayagraj district)
15. Ganga - Yamuna - hidden Saraswati Sangam: Prayagraj (Prayagraj district)
16. Ganga: Vindhyachal (Mirzapur district) -- Devi Vindhyavasini
17. Ganga: Kashi (Varanasi) (Varanasi district)
18. Ganga: Ghazipur (Ghazipur district) -- Pavhari Baba
19. Ganga - Ghagara Sangam: Ballia Kameshwar Dham (Anga) (Ballia district)

(Bihar)
20. Ganga - Ghaghara Sangam: Chhapra (Saran district) -- Gautam Ashram

(Jharkhand)
21. Ganga: Sultanganj (Deogarh district) -- 110 km from Baidyanath Dham

(West Bengal)
22. Ganga (Hooghly): Dakshineshwar (North 24 Parganas district) -- Devi Kali
23. Ganga (Adi Ganga): Kalighat (Kolkata district) -- Devi Kali
24. Ganga - Sagara Sangam: Ganga Sagar (South 24 Parganas district) -- Kapilmuni Ashram
    (River Ganga flows into Bay of Bengal)

► Dev Prayag (690 m) (Uttarakhand Pancha Prayag) (Divya Desam)
(Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand)

◉ Alakananda - Bhagirathi Sangam (Confluence)
▬ River Ganga flows
(Uttarakhand Himalayas (Garhwal))


- Dev Prayag is the Sangam of rivers Alakananda and Bhagirathi.

► Rishikesh (Kubjamraka Kshetra) (340 m)
(Dehradun district, Uttarakhand)

▬ River Ganga flows → Triveni Ghat (Aarti)
(Uttarakhand Shivalik Hills (Garhwal))

(Skanda Purana - Kedara Khanda)

- Lord Shiva abides near the Kubjamraka Kshetra (Rishikesh) as the famous Neelkanth Mahadev.

► Haridwar (Maya Kshetra) (314 m) (Moksha Puri) (Place of Kumbha Mela) (Uttarakhand Char Dham)
(Haridwar district, Uttarakhand)

☗ Bilva Parvat
☗ Nila Parvat
▬ River Ganga flows → Har ki Pauri (Aarti)
(Uttarakhand Shivalik Hills (Garhwal))
(Skanda Purana - Kedara Khanda)
(Shiva Purana)

- Devi Sati gave up her body during the Daksha Yagna at Kankhal and hence the place came to be known as Maya Kshetra (Haridwar).
- Haridwar also has the famous Hill temples of Devi Chandi and Devi Manasa. There are also famous temples of Maya Devi and Sureshwari Devi.
- Lord Shiva destroyed the Daksha Yagna at Kankhal of Maya Kshetra (Haridwar) and abides there as Daksheshwar Mahadev.
- Lord Shiva also abides there as the famous Bilvakeshwar Mahadev.

► Shukratal (Shuka Teerth) (Shukra Teerth)
(Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh)

▬ River Ganga flows
☘ Akshay Vat
(Upper Ganga Plain)

- Sage Shuka narrated the Srimad Bhagavatam to king Parikshit in the place identified with Shukratal.

► Bithoor
(Kanpur Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh)

▬ River Ganga flows → Brahmavart Ghat
(Middle Ganga Plain)

- Devi Sita gave birth to Lava and Kusha while staying in Valmiki Ashrama (whose location is identified with Bithoor).

► Shringverpur
(Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh)

▬ River Ganga flows
(Middle Ganga Plain)
(Valmiki Ramayana)

- Sri Rama visited Shringaverapura during forest exile and met Guha, the king of the Nishadas.

► Prayagraj (Place of Kumbha Mela) (Shakti Peetha)
(Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh)

◉ Ganga - Yamuna - hidden Saraswati Triveni Sangam (Confluence) → Ram Ghat (Ganga Aarti) -- Balua Ghat (Yamuna Aarti)
☘ Akshay Vat
(Middle Ganga Plain)
(Matsya Purana)
(Valmiki Ramayana)
(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra)

- Sri Rama visited Prayaga during forest exile and met sage Bharadwaja in his hermitage.

► Vindhyachal
(Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh)
(Vindhya Region, Madhya Pradesh)

▬ River Ganga flows → Pakka Ghat (Aarti) (UP side)
▬ River Ojhala flows (UP side)
▬ River Karnavati flows (UP side)
▬ River Narmada flows (MP side)
(Middle Ganga Plain)
(Vindhya - Satpura Range)

(Vindhyachala Mahatmya)

- Devi abides in Vindhyachala as Trikona Yantra - Devi Vindhyavasini (Mahalakshmi), Devi Ashtabhuja (Mahasaraswati), Devi Kali Khoh (Mahakali).

► Kashi (Varanasi) (Moksha Puri) (Jyotirlinga) (Shakti Peetha)
(Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh)

▬ River Ganga flows → Assi Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat (Aarti)
- Assi Ghat (Aarti) - Harishchandra Ghat - Kedar Ghat - Dashashwamedh Ghat (Aarti) - Meer Ghat - Lalita Ghat (Vishwanath Temple) - Manikarnika Ghat - Scindia Ghat - Panchganga Ghat - Trilochan Ghat - Prahlad Ghat
▬ River Varana flows
▬ River Asi flows
(Middle Ganga Plain)

(Shiva Purana)
(Skanda Purana - Kashi Khanda)
(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra)

- Lord Shiva created Kashi and abides there as Vishwanatha Jyotirlinga. Lord Shiva also established Kalabhairava, Dandapani and Ashta Bhairavas in Kashi. Lord Shiva was worshipped in Kashi by devas and sages due to which various Lingas exist in Kashi.

► Ballia (Anga)
(Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh)

◉ Ganga - Ghaghara (Sarayu) Sangam
(Middle Ganga Plain)
(Valmiki Ramayana)

- Sri Rama visited Anga (identified with Ballia Kameshwar Dham) with sage Vishwamitra and heard about Lord Shiva burning Kama deva in that place.

► Dakshineshwar Bhavatarini Kali - A famous temple of Devi Kali associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsha:

- Dakshineshwar Bhavatarini Kali
(North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal)
Devi: Devi Bhavatarini Kali
▬ River Ganga (Hooghly) flows

► ► Kalighat Kali (Shakti Peetha)
(Kolkata district, West Bengal)

- The temple is located in Kalighat within the city of Kolkata..

▬ River Ganga (Adi Ganga) (a canal to river Hooghly)
◼ Kundupukur Tank (where the toe of Devi Sati was discovered)
(Lower Ganga Plain)

(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra)

• Devi: Devi abides in Kalighat as Kalipitha Shakti Peetha (identified with Kalighat Kali).
- Kalighat Kali Temple

नकुलीशः कालीपीठे दक्षपादाङ्गुली च मे ।
सर्वसिद्धिकरी देवी कालिका तत्र देवता ॥
- Shakti Peetha Stotram - verse 27 (Kalighat has the Kalipitha Shakti Peetha where the Daksha Pada Anguli of Devi had fallen)

देवि सुरेश्वरि भगवति गङ्गे त्रिभुवनतारिणि तरलतरङ्गे ।
शङ्करमौलिविहारिणि विमले मम मतिरास्तां तव पदकमले ॥
- Ganga Stotram - verse 1 (River Ganga flowed through Kalighat as river Hooghly in ancient times)


(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra)

▬ Kalipitha Shakti Peetha: I meditate on the Kalipitha Shakti Peetha where the Daksha Pada Anguli (Fingers of Right Foot) of Devi had fallen. The Devi there is known as Kalika and the Bhairava is called Nakuleesha.
(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra - Shakti Peetha Stotram - verse 27)

► ► Ganga Sagar
(South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal)

◉ Ganga - Sagara Sangam (Confluence)
◼ Kapil Kund
(Lower Ganga Plain)

• Kapila: Lord Kapila (Kapil Muni) is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He delivered 60000 sons of king Sagara (with the touch of river Ganga) in Ganga Sagar who were earlier reduced to ashes by his anger. There is a hermitage of Kapil Muni in Ganga Sagar.
- Kapil Muni Ashram

• Ganga: King Bhagaratha performed penance and brought river Ganga to Ganga Sagar after descent from the celestial region (to deliver the 60000 sons of king Sagara).
- Ganga Sagar

• Sages: Sages associated with Ganga Sagar:

○ Kapila: There is a hermitage of Kapil Muni in Ganga Sagar.


देवि सुरेश्वरि भगवति गङ्गे त्रिभुवनतारिणि तरलतरङ्गे ।
शङ्करमौलिविहारिणि विमले मम मतिरास्तां तव पदकमले ॥
- Ganga Stotram - verse 1 (River Ganga merges with the Sea at Ganga Sagar)