Introduction to Ganges - The Holiest River
Ganges - The Holiest River in India is given the identity of a Goddess who absolves us of our sin. This holy river is also known to house numerous pilgrimage centers along its banks as it's believed that due to the pilgrimage centers the sacred virtue and the privilege of the river increases.
Origin of Ganges - The Holiest River
Ganges - The Holiest River traces its origin from the Garhwal Himalayan ranges of Uttaranchal and Gangotri is the birth place of Ganges. The shrine in Gangotri, built in the 18th century is located at an altitude of 3,200 meters.
The 'Gomukha' cave is the origin point of River Ganges and is located at an altitude of 13,800 feet. In this region Ganges is recognized as the Bhagirathi. This holy river submerges within itself the snow peaks of the mountains like Nanda Devi, Gurla, Mandhata, Dhaulagiri, Gesaisthan, Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest.
The Hindu mythology states that Goddess Ganga descended on earth to answer the prayers of King Bhagirath. But due to her force she might have submerged the whole earth and then Shiva decided to take her in his locks and let her come to earth in the form of streams. The main pilgrimage sites on the banks of the river Ganges are Rudraprayag, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi.
The Main Pilgrimage Sites Near Ganges - The Holiest River
Rudraprayag located at the confluence of the rivers of Alaknanda and Mandakini is 34 km away from Srinagar in Garhwal. One comes across the famed temples of Lord Shiva and Jagdamba and the temple of Koteshwar in and around Rudraprayag.
Rishikesh features the Chandrabhaga stream which merges with the river Ganga. Rishikesh is located in Uttaranchal at a height of 356 meters. The temples in Rishikesh feature the most sacred Neelkanth Mahadev temple.
Haridwar being reputed as one of the 7 holy pilgrim sites for Hindus is known to house the footprints of God. One of the sacred Ghats in Haridwar is Har Ki Pauri and numerous religious rituals are conducted on this Ghat. The two most temples in Haridwar are the temples of Chanda Devi and Mansa Devi and the ritual of Ganga Aarti is the most fascinating ritual observed during the evening time.
The other two privileged pilgrimage sites along the banks of Ganges are Allahabad and Varanasi. These two pilgrimage sites are of utmost importance from the aspect of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad and the numerous Ghats in Varanasi make it one of the holiest destinations for the Hindus to attain salvation. This river concludes its journey at Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh as it enters Bihar. The Ganges river covers a distance of 1557 miles till it merges into the Bay of Bengal.
Know more about the Popular Pilgrimage Sites in India as you read through allindiaportal.com.
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