It was named after the goddess Ganga, the daughter of the mountain god Himalaya. Hindus regard the Ganges as the holiest of rivers. In the west and centre of the region Turks, Mongols, Afghans, Persians and Arabs intermingled with the original Aryans, while in the east and south (the Bengal area) the people originate from a mixture of Tibetan, Burman and hill peoples. The people of the Ganges basin are of mixed origin. Bird life in the Ganges basin is also prolific. There remains high fish populations in the rivers which provides an important part of the inhabitants' diet. The Royal Bengal Tiger still lives in the Sunderbans and kills about 30 villagers every year. Today, however, it has become intensely cultivated to meet the needs of the growing population and many of the wild animals have disappeared. The delta used to be densely forested and inhabited by many wild animals. In November 1970, for example, 200 000 - 500 000 people were killed in such storms. The delta also experiences strong cyclonic storms before and after the monsoon season which can be devastating. The water supply to the river depends on the rains brought by the monsoon winds from July to October and the melting snow from the Himalayas during the period from April to June. The peat found in the delta is used for fertiliser and fuel. On the seaward side of the delta are swamplands and tidal forests called Sunderbans which are protected conservation areas in both Indian and Bangladeshi law. The rains from June to October cause most of the Bangladeshi delta region to flood, leaving the villages that are built on artificially raised land isolated. The river courses in the delta are broad and active, carrying a vast amount of water. The silt deposits of the delta cover an area of 23 000 sq miles (60 000 sq km). The river flows through 29 cities with population over 100,000, 23 cities with population between 50,000 and 100,000, and about 48 towns. The Ganges river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated in the world and covers an area of 400 000 sq miles (1 000 000 sq km). It is 1 560 miles (2 510 km) long and flows through China, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The river has its source in the Himalayas, at Gaumakh in the southern Himalayas on the Indian side of the Tibetan border. The river known as the Ganges is officially and popularly known by its Hindu name, Ganga. Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India, born in Allahabad on the Ganges. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture and civilization, ever changing, ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga.' 'The Ganga, especially, is the river of India, beloved of her people, round which are intertwined her memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories and her defeats.

Rive ganges