The sacred river Ganges in India is the abode of deities. Real India – Varanasi and the sacred river Ganges

Ganges - the sacred river is considered by Hindus to be a continuation higher power, the embodiment of Ganga, the goddess who is the source of all earthly waters and reservoirs. If tourists call the river familiar male name, then the Hindus will certainly correct: not the Ganges, but the Ganga and it, like Versailles (see) for the French, is one of the symbols of the country. It is so clean in the mountains, you can still swim in it, however, downstream everything looks terrible.

Ganga is a woman who sent dead people to be cleansed of filth so that they could move on to another life with pure karma. Sending water to the Himalayan mountains, the Ganga collects them into a river, which the Hindus called by its bright name.

Ganges and the City of the Dead – Varanasi

Those who love to travel and experience the world as it really is come to the city of Varanasi, which stands on the banks of the Ganges River, for special experiences. Wanting to look at this “city of the dead,” as many call it, tourists are already aware of what they are about to see with their own eyes.

The civilized world is rich not only in wonderful sights, but also in sometimes surprising traditions and rituals incomprehensible to foreigners. Meanwhile, for Indians usual life, this is their religion, culture and simply way of thinking and behavior.

Living in Kerala, I asked an Indian friend why I hadn’t seen cemeteries and what they did with their dead. It should be noted that it is considered the most educated state in India. The answer amazed me, he answered quite cheerfully: “Fry”, this word, as far as I know, denotes the process of frying. That is, he answered me with a laugh that they roast their dead.

Varanasi – a city of contrasts

Varanasi is a center of pilgrimage. There is an opinion that this city appeared more than 1000 BC. e. and developed as a civilized city. Over the millennia of the city's existence, many religious temples were built here, universities appeared and libraries opened.

The Muslims who attacked the city destroyed almost everything that had been built. Library books burned. And most importantly, the inhabitants of the city, who were the bearers of culture and knowledge, were destroyed. The city took a long time to recover, but it was never able to return to its former greatness. Today this city with a million inhabitants lives its usual life.

The most famous place in the city is now the ghats - the steps of the Ganga embankment. It is these steps that are considered to be the most important place for Hindus who dream of being burned right here, on the banks of the sacred river.

Not everything is so sad on the ghats. In addition to burning corpses, pilgrims and city residents communicate, have fun, pray, wash, wash, walk and even talk. mobile communications. People just live here. They consider themselves the happiest being next to the waters of the great Ganges.

Varanasi – unique city, which connects life and death together. Hindus who become old and infirm tend to come here from everywhere. It is an honor to meet the last dawn here in prayer and break away from the bustle of earthly life.

The city of Varanasi in Hinduism is the center of the Universe. Here the contrasts of human existence are so strong that it is beyond the power of a foreigner to fully understand what is happening around.

But, as the Hindus themselves say, Varanasi is the city of eternity.

Ganga - an unusual temple

The Ganga embankment here is a kind of temple. People do not stop praying, meditating or doing yoga here. By ancient legend, this city was founded by the god Shiva (read here -), and that is why it is designated an honorable place for pilgrimage in India.

Everything that happens here makes an indelible impression on visiting foreigners. The most desperate ones try to see and understand at least a little of what is happening, since you won’t find anything like this anywhere else.

One of the traditional prayers performed on the banks of the Ganges River in the first rays of the sun is the most impressive attraction in the world. A huge number of tourists come here to see it.

The Ganga River as a Cemetery

Many people know that it is customary for Indians to cremate corpses and scatter the ashes over water. The Ganges in this case is the most honorable refuge for the burnt bodies of Hindus. One may, of course, be surprised that cremation is carried out not only by the numerous crematoriums in the area, which do not stop working even for an hour.

Right on the shore right next to famous place in Varanasi, on the ghats, corpses lie in rows, waiting for their turn to be burned right there. Bonfires burn here day and night. This spectacle is not for the faint of heart.

And the Indians simply do their job, observing traditions and rituals, as this has all happened for many centuries in a row.

However, the Hindu religion does not allow corpses to be burned. sacred cows, monks, children and pregnant women. Their “burial” takes place in a different way: a stone is tied and the body of the deceased is immersed in the river. The waters accept the bodies of the dead in any form, as the heavenly Ganga commanded.

Ganga - the dirtiest river in the world

The fact that all industrial waste and sewage flows into the Ganges without passing through purification filters is, as they say, not a problem. The fact is that, in fact, an incredible number of corpses descend into the river for many reasons.

One of the main reasons is the poverty of the Indian population. They eke out such a miserable existence that there is not enough money even to cremate corpses on ordinary bonfires, since burning corpses in India is a real business, and firewood is expensive and not every family can afford.

So they send the bodies of the dead down the river, which float until they are eaten by fish, or are thrown ashore by a wave. In these places there is even such a profession: a corpse raker. In narrow places on the river, so many dead bodies accumulate that their accumulation forms a “traffic jam”, and the bodies keep floating up and down.

Despite the floating corpses, life is in full swing on the banks of the Ganges. The most amazing thing is that Indians drink water directly from the river. European researchers took an analysis of the water and were simply horrified by the presence of dirt and harmful substances in it. And the people of India believe that the water in the Ganges River is sacred, they have been drinking it since birth.

The Ganges could purify itself for many centuries. The development of industry has added problems and for several decades now there have been attempts by the authorities to clean up sacred waters. However, it has not yet been possible to achieve success in resolving this issue.

Huge amounts of money are allocated for work to clean water from ash, garbage, industrial waste, sewage, and to remove corpses from the banks of the Ganges River. The money is allocated, but the dirt and terrible smell remain. The reason for this is most likely the way of life of the many millions of people who inhabit the country and want to surrender their bodies to the waters of the Ganges, as well as corruption, which is also still invincible.

And this is a half-hour shocking film about Ganga

The Ganges River is sacred to Indians. They are convinced that she is a continuation of the heavenly power of the goddess Ganga, who is considered the patroness of the sources of all rivers, seas and other bodies of water on Earth.

Foreigners call this river in the masculine form: “Ganga”, and Indians call it in the feminine form: “Ganga”. This goddess cleanses all the dead from earthly filth. Therefore, in India, the dead are sent along the river towards another world.

In the Himalayan mountains, where the source of the Ganges River is located, it is crystal pure water. But as we move towards the Bay of Bengal Indian Ocean towards its mouth the river looks very polluted.

Characteristics of the Ganges River

The length of the Ganges is more than 2,700 km, and its basin is more than 1,000,000 square meters. km. The source of the river is located in the Western Himalayas at an altitude of about 500 m, and its mouth is at the Bay of Bengal.

The waters of the Ganges are widely used for irrigating crops. Shipping on it is poorly developed. Main function Ganga is a symbol of Hinduism and the whole of Great India as a whole.

Almost along its entire length, the Ganges is an ordinary lowland river with slow flow. It is fed by the waters of countless tributaries, also flowing from the Himalayas, as well as mountain snows, waters of monsoon rains and cyclones.

During its flow, the Ganges River changes its direction many times: southwest, southeast, south. At the end it merges with another famous Indian river, the Brahmaputra, and together they flow into the bay.

Flora and fauna of the river

Just a few hundred years ago, dense trees grew here, untouched by man. rainforests, there were elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers. Numerous species of waterfowl, animals, fish, and reptiles lived on the banks of the Ganges.

Quite a lot of animals live here now: bears, foxes, leopards, leopards, deer, etc. The Ganges floodplain is famous for its unique tropical butterflies and insects.

The river is known for crocodiles, turtles, Gangetic freshwater dolphins, of which there are two species, sharks, etc. In the lower reaches you can find flora little studied by biologists. Bengal tigers also live here.

Both areas of human activity are widely developed in India and Bangladesh. Entire regions of these countries live off pilgrims and travelers to the sacred Ganges River, who arrive here from all over the world.

Tourists and pilgrims visit Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi. They love to be in the middle and lower parts of the Great River. And in its upper part there are rapids where it is convenient to go rafting.

The first mentions of this river are in ancient Indian literature: the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. Everywhere it is emphasized that the Ganges River has a heavenly, divine origin.

Legends tell about the birth of the goddess, her sending to Earth and her life there. They emphasize that the Ganga has the ability to cleanse and remove sins from people. It also symbolizes motherhood and the inextricable connection between the worlds of the living and the dead.

India has rich history and culture. This huge country is inhabited by many peoples. Some of them profess Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity and other religions. But the majority of the population prefers Hinduism. This is 900 million people or 80.5% of the inhabitants of the Hindustan Peninsula. It is for these people that the Ganges River, flowing across the Indo-Gangetic plain to the southeast, is considered sacred.

The mighty stream of water is associated with the goddess Ganga. It appears in the form of a heavenly river, which once upon a time sank to earth and, having acquired material forms, flowed across northern India. Hindus from all over the peninsula make pilgrimages to the sacred waters. The dead are cremated on their banks, and the ashes are scattered over the river surface. It is believed that in this way the deceased are absolved of all sins. Nowadays those living take baths in sacred waters, and enlightenment comes in their souls. All this is very romantic, exciting and attracts inexperienced Europeans and Americans with its exoticism.

Ganges River

The length of the river is 2620 km, which corresponds to 34th place in the world among all rivers. The pool covers an area of ​​1 million 80 thousand square meters. km and covers the territories of two countries: India and Bangladesh. The sacred waters originate in the western Himalayas. There, on the skyward peak of Gangotri, lies a huge ice cap. Its length is at least 30 km, and its height above sea level is 7755 meters.

The glacier is melting in its lower part. Numerous streams flow from it. They unite first into rivulets, and then into rivers. One of these rivers, called Bhagirathi, begins its journey at an altitude of 3892 meters above sea level. The village of Gangotri is located 20 km from the source of the river. It is noteworthy for the temple of the goddess Ganga. This is the residence of a holy being. This is where its beginning is located, giving life to the great Indian river Ganges.

Bhagirathi covers a distance of 700 km and merges with the Alaknanda River. This happens near the city of Devaprayag. Two rivers unite into one, and it is from this place that people begin to call the water flow “Ganges”. The area belongs to the Lower Himalayas and is located at an altitude of 642 meters above sea level.

Ganges River on the map

The sacred river passes a series of hills, swampy plains and enters the operational space. This is the Indo-Gangetic plain. On it, the stormy mountain current becomes calm and majestic and changes its direction from south to southeast. This is the so-called upstream. Its length is about 900 km.

In the middle reaches, populous cities rise along the banks of the river. You can name Kanpur with a population of 3 million people, Allahabad with a population of 1.3 million people, and Patna with a population of 2 million people. Near Allahabad, the Ganges River receives its main tributary Jamnu. Its length is 1376 km. After this, the width of the sacred stream increases noticeably and becomes equal to 1 km.

After the city of Bhagalpur, another large tributary flows into the river, called “Koshi”. After this, the sacred stream spreads to almost 2 kilometers and turns south towards the Bay of Bengal. The relief in these places is an ideal plain, and the river flow begins to break up into branches, each of which has its own name. Bhagirathi goes to the right near the Indian city of Sahebganj. After this, the sacred stream receives the name "Padma".

Below, another branch separates from it, called “Jalangi”, and the Padma flows into the territory of Bangladesh. It moves steadily towards the Indian Ocean and breaks up into many small branches. Near the city of Rajbari, located in western Bangladesh, the river receives the Jamuna River, which is the main branch of India's second sacred river Brahmaputra. Just before it flows into Bay of Bengal the sacred water stream is diluted by another large river Meghna. This whole huge river mass flows into salt waters one of the great oceans of the planet.

Boats on the Ganges River

The Ganges River forms the world's largest delta. She represents one education of three rivers: Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Its area is 59 thousand square meters. km, and the length along the Bay of Bengal is 322 km. The length of the delta covers a distance of 348 km, as it originates near the city of Rajbari. In this territory, rich fertile soil, is home to nearly 145 million people.

The water level in the sacred stream basin is regulated by the monsoons. From June to September, 84% of the annual precipitation falls. Consequently, river flow depends on the seasons of the year. This creates many problems for residents of the region and has a direct connection with agriculture, as droughts alternate with floods. Particularly in Bangladesh, during the dry season, people lack fresh water, and during the rainy season they suffer from floods.

Currently navigation on the sacred river is very poorly developed. This is explained by the large withdrawal of water for agricultural needs. Therefore, people mainly sail on flat-bottomed boats, and transport goods by railway. There are very few river vessels in the middle and lower reaches. There are none above Allahabad at all. India in last decades does not rely on shipping. As for Bangladesh, river freight transport is used more actively here.

River dolphin living in the Ganges River

The great sacred river Ganges is considered one of the most polluted in the world. They dump their waste into it industrial enterprises, not really caring about their cleanliness. Population density must also be taken into account. Household waste and human sewage mercilessly pollutes the riverbed. Therefore, not only drinking, but even swimming in the river can lead to infectious diseases.

Here one should also take into account the fact that not all the dead are burned. Poor people don't have money to a large number of firewood, so the bodies are simply thrown into the water. Every year there are millions of corpses, which further aggravates the problem of river water pollution. But despite everything, there are many species of fish in the water. The river is also home to freshwater dolphins, which are less intelligent than sea dolphins, but are still one of the smartest animal species. Let's hope that human intelligence will be higher than the dolphin's, and people will eventually find the opportunity to cleanse the sacred waters of impurities and make the sacred stream suitable for life.

Stanislav Lopatin

Ganges - greatest river India. Its basin is one of the most populated places in the world: over 120 million people live here. The whole wonderful history, culture and life of the Indian people is connected with the Ganges Valley.
For a long time, geographers did not know anything reliable about the sources of the Ganges. His cradle, lost in the inaccessible depths of the Himalayas, the most high mountains on our planet, was shrouded in impenetrable mystery.

Later, when it was definitely established that the Ganges is formed by the confluence mountain rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda, disputes arose among geographers over which of the branches should be considered the main source of the Ganges. Some were of the opinion that Bhagirathi is main river: it has long been known, mentioned in ancient books, bears the name of a legendary saint and is itself considered sacred. Others gave preference to Alaknanda because it is longer and water-bearing than Bhagirathi. Still, the majority was inclined to consider Bhagirathi as the main source.
The Bhagirathi River originates in the high-mountain Gangotri glacier, the tongue of which ends abruptly with a hundred-meter ledge. It flows from the Cow's Mouth Ice Grotto. Many hanging ice icicles give it a fantastic look, reminiscent of the entrance to a fairytale palace.

The crystal clear glacial waters of Bhagirathi, descending from the steep slopes of the mountains, cut through a deep narrow gorge. A stream of water rushes at its bottom. The grotto is about three meters wide. But, descending along the gorge and receiving water from the same rapid tributaries along the way, the river becomes more significant and noisy.
If you go down to the bottom of the gorge, it will seem that evening has come - it is so gloomy, cramped and wild here. Rocky, almost vertical walls rise up hundreds of meters, and it seems that it is impossible to get out of here. You can spend whole days making your way through the thickets, deafened by the roar of the furious stream, and not meet either housing or a traveler anywhere.
Alaknanda rushes towards Bhagirathi. It arises in the depths of the highest node of the Himalayas, formed by the Kamet and Nanda Devi massifs, the peaks of which rise more than 7,500 meters above sea level. The swift Alaknanda also meanders through wild gorges and finally connects its waters with Bhagirathi.
Merging together, these two streams are called the Ganges. It's already here big river several hundred meters wide. For another three hundred kilometers, its current is of a violent rapids nature.
Having overcome the Siwalik Mountains, the last obstacle on the way to the sea, the Ganges emerges into the wide expanses of the Gangetic Plain. Here the entire appearance of the river changes: the flow calms down, the valley becomes wide, the vast floodplain is cut up by branches, and the low areas of the floodplain are occupied by swamps. The river calmly and majestically rolls its waters along a spacious bed 500-800 meters wide; local population calls her the Quiet Ganga.
As soon as the Ganges reaches the plain, its waters begin to be withdrawn for irrigation. Here he does not skimp, generously filling the canals with water brought from the depths of the Himalayas. The Upper Gangetic Canal, which branches off to the right, near the city of Hardwar, takes up especially much. It irrigates a vast interfluve stretching from the Ganges to the Jamuna River.
Despite big losses The Ganges is not becoming scarce, but, on the contrary, is increasing more and more, receiving replenishment from the Himalayan tributaries.

On the elevated banks of the middle reaches of the Ganges there are many settlements. Among them are large beautiful cities India Kanpur and Allahabad - "City of Allah", or "God's City". He is known as ancient city Hinduism and is famous for its monuments of Indian and Muslim architecture.
From the mouth of the largest right tributary - the Jamuna River - the lower reaches of the Ganges begin. One after another, the left large tributaries - Gogra, Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda - pour their waters into it. The Ganges swells from excess water, its width reaches 2-3 kilometers.
The muddy yellow waters of the Ganges flow slowly across the endless plain, breaking into numerous branches and channels. In some places, the hills of South India approach the very banks of the river. In such flood-free areas, picturesque cities rise proudly, among them Benares and Patna.
Benares was repeatedly the capital of the feudal principalities and states that arose over the centuries in Northern India. According to legend, Buddha himself lived in it.
Patna too historical city, based on the site of Pataliputra, the ancient Indian capital. Nowadays it is an industrial and administrative center, an important road junction.
In the lower reaches of the Ganges crosses the Bengal lowland, there it breaks into branches and, together with the Brahmaputra, forms the grandiose Bengal delta.
Brahmaputra - “Son of Brahma” - carries a large mass of water from the depths of the Tibetan Plateau. In terms of water content, it can almost be equated to ours. Siberian river Obi.
About 200 years ago, the Brahmaputra flowed into the Bay of Bengal on its own, but after a severe flood it changed course and broke through to the Ganges.
Together with the Brahmaputra, the Ganges pours 1,200 cubic kilometers of water into the Bay of Bengal per year. This is more than twice the annual flow of the big river our homeland - the Yenisei. In terms of the abundance of water, the Ganges and Brahmaputra rank third in the world after the Amazon and Congo.

The Ganges Delta is a complex labyrinth of branches, channels, and islands. On the western side it is limited by the Hooghly branch, and the main branch of the Ganges-Padma-Meghna is located on the eastern edge. Some branches are huge rivers several kilometers wide. Among them, Hooghly, the “Sacred Ganges of the Brahmins,” stands out. It is home to Kolkata, the largest multimillion-dollar city in India. Come here freely sea ​​vessels. Kolkata is a huge port connected by steamship lines with many countries of the world. 7-8 million tons of cargo pass through it every year.
Having reached the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges valley cuts into it and stretches for about 150 kilometers in the form of a deep underwater groove. Scientists believe that it was flooded in the Tertiary period due to land subsidence.
In the warm part of the year, the rivers of the Gangetic basin are high in water, and in winter they are low.
Varsha, the rainy season, begins from June-July. Until October, the monsoons dump huge amounts of water into the Gangetic Plain. For the monsoons, the Ganges Delta is a hospitably open gate, and the Bengal lowland is a wide road, a “pipe” along which they uncontrollably drive leaden, heavy, low clouds saturated with moisture from the bay.
The first obstacles in the way of the winds are the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia mountains. Although they are low (their highest peak, Shillong, rises 1961 meters above sea level) and block only part of the “pipe”, the first blow of the monsoon falls on them. The clouds pour out an incredible amount of water here. Remember the name Cherrapunji, familiar from geography textbooks - the most rainy place on the ground. It is located on the southern slope of the Shillong hills. It happens that a meter-long layer of water pours onto the ground here in a day, and during the rainy seasons a layer of water falls that reaches the height of a 5-6-story building!
Having made their way further to the north, the monsoons encounter the Himalayas - a high, insurmountable wall for them, change direction and spread up the valleys of the Ganges and Brahmaputra. In 2-3 weeks, the monsoons cover both the plain and the foothills of the basin. It rains without respite at this time. You are amazed at how much water the monsoons pump from the surface of the Bay of Bengal to the land and what a colossal amount of work is done.
During monsoon rains and downpours, a lot of water flows from elevated areas into river beds. Rivers are swelling and overflowing their banks. The rises on the Ganges reach 15-20 meters in height.
Heavy rainfall often causes flooding. The population, especially the inhabitants of the Gangetic plain, has been suffering from them for a long time.
As you move away from the mouth of the Ganges, precipitation falls less and the likelihood of catastrophic spills decreases. If for the inhabitants of the lower Ganges an abundance of water conceals terrible threat, then the inhabitants of the middle reaches are always happy when the river is full and generously waters the irrigation canals - this means that there will be a good harvest.
Great disasters are caused to the population by floods not only of the Ganges itself, but also of many of its Himalayan tributaries - the Jamuna, Ramganga, Gumti, Gogra, Kosi.
The Ramganga River periodically floods its valley. The lower reaches of Gogra turn into a wide strip of water due to rainfall. In the late autumn of 1960, one of the most enormous floods occurred in the Gumti River valley. It overflowed its banks and flooded many settlements, leaving residents homeless. But the biggest trouble is caused by Kosi, the “River of Sorrow,” as it is popularly called. Its valley is one of the most populated places in India: for every square kilometer of area there are 800-900 inhabitants.
The Kosi originates in the depths of the Himalayas, where it collects a large amount of water through an extensive network of its tributaries. Several of its tributaries flow down from the slopes of Chomolungma - highest peak peace.
Coming out of the mountains, Kosi begins to overflow across the plain even with relatively small rises in water, because the riverbed, clogged with stones taken from the mountains, is not able to accommodate the entire mass of water. Kosi floods are often combined with floods of neighboring rivers: Bagmati, Buri-Gandaka, Kamly. Then the plain turns into a vast lake. The Kosi Valley is located right on the path of the monsoons, so downpours often raise the water in the river by 5-9 meters per day. It is not surprising that floods on this river occur suddenly and develop rapidly. The river carries a lot of sand and pebbles with water and generously scatters them over the fields of farmers, destroying crops and deteriorating soil fertility.
Another dangerous area has always been the valley of the Damodar River, a tributary of the Hooghly branch of the Ganges. Of course, this river is significantly inferior to the Himalayan tributaries. But due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, sudden and very severe floods are common here, which cause a lot of trouble to the population.
At first impression, nature favors human life in the Ganges Valley: there is a lot of warmth here, and the fertile lands are abundantly irrigated by rain and high-water rivers. It is very important that there is a lot of water during the period of plant growth and development.
Man began to use these benefits of nature since ancient times; The Ganges basin was developed so quickly that it eventually became one of the most populated areas of our planet.
But on this seemingly blessed land, man never had peace. The story of his life here is a chronicle of a continuous cruel struggle with nature, a struggle for existence, from which, alas, he did not always emerge victorious.
Monsoons irrigate the Gangetic basin quite well. The river valley in the upper and middle reaches of the Ganges receives 500-1,000 millimeters of precipitation per year, and in the rest - 1,000-2,000 millimeters or more. One might think that this amount of moisture is quite enough to obtain abundant, sustainable harvests. But it was not there!
The fact is that precipitation is very unevenly distributed over time and territory, and therefore periods heavy downpours, causing floods on the plains, are replaced by droughts. In both cases, this threatens a person with loss of harvest, shortage of food, and hunger.
The climate of the Ganges basin is very unique and has sharp contrasts. The year here is divided into three characteristic seasons.
The cool season lasts from November to March. The weather is wonderful at this time. The days are warm and gentle. The sky is cloudless. Residents of the Gangetic Plain have no idea what snow is, because in January, the coldest month, the air temperature during the day is 15-17°, and at night 5-10°. At this time, flowers bloom magnificently everywhere.
The second season, from March to May, is hot. At the beginning of it, peasants harvest the first spring harvest. And in the second half of the season the heat sets in. The scorching rays of the sun burn out the vegetation, the grass burns out, the livestock suffers, becomes lean and, if not fed, dies. Everything is so dry that fires occur very often. People's performance decreases and their memory weakens. It is especially difficult for Europeans. To moderate the heat, residents curtain the windows at sunrise, close the doors with wicker and pour plenty of water on it.
Varsha, the rainy season, usually begins in June. It opens monsoon rains or showers and thunderstorms. Until October, 80-90% of the annual precipitation falls.
People are looking forward to the moment when the rains come. Cracked soil requires moisture. But monsoons are capricious. They may start a week or two later than usual, and then the crops will die. Therefore, when the time comes, everyone looks at the sky with hope and impatience - whether the long-awaited cloud, the harbinger of the monsoon, will appear.
As soon as the first rains fall on the earth, everything comes to life and blossoms from their life-giving moisture. The crops quickly rise, the berries and fruits are filled with juice. The farmer's heart rejoices.
But - again there is anxiety... The monsoon may drag on. And by the time everything is ripe and it’s time to harvest, there will be heavy rains and floods. Everything will die. Or the other extreme - suddenly the rains stop ahead of schedule. Then the merciless sun will burn the unripe ears and will not allow the fruits to ripen. This means that this is also an irreparable problem!
But the worst thing is when the monsoon completely bypasses the fields of farmers. Then drought is inevitable.
These are terrible words - flood, drought, crop failure. Hunger was always their companion. In the Gangetic plain and
In Bengal he has more than once killed hundreds of thousands human lives. This means that the abundance of precipitation does not at all protect the inhabitants of the Ganges basin from natural disasters, in particular from droughts.
Man's desire to get rid of the vagaries of climate has forced him to artificially irrigate fields with river water for a long time. This is the only way to save crops from destruction and give them water at a time when they need it most.
So the water began to play vital role in agriculture. That is why it is of great value and a vital necessity in this part of the world.
Over the centuries, the inhabitants of the Gangetic Plain have created a densely branched irrigation network. They dug large canals - Upper and Lower Gangetic, Eastern and Western Jamun, Agra, Sardu and other irrigation mains. Thanks to their efforts, artificial rivers stretch across the country for hundreds of kilometers. First-order channels depart from them, and from those - second-order channels, etc.
Even people experienced in technology are amazed by the main canals of India - the engineering thought is so wonderfully embodied in them. These large artificial watercourses, encountering deep valleys, river beds and canals along the way, cross them via powerful aqueduct bridges, amazing in their size and boldness of design. Thousands of sluices, gates, switchboards and distribution devices make up a large and complex irrigation system.
All this needs to be skillfully managed and orchestrated. It is necessary to strictly observe the flow regime in the canals and maintain a certain speed of water movement in them. At too high speeds, water can erode the walls of canals and disrupt the irrigation rhythm, and if the flow is slow, sediment will begin to settle in the channel and the canal will fail prematurely.
Irrigation is a great art. The farmer must master it perfectly. You need to know where, how much and at what time to supply water, because improperly applied irrigation can cause irreparable damage.

I want to warn you right away that this post is not for the faint of heart. It’s amazing, but this is possible in our time, in our modern society, in the 21st century - century high technology:

Some information from Wikipedia.

Ganga in Hindu mythology is a celestial river that descended to earth and became the Ganges River. Since ancient times it has been considered a sacred river for Hindus. Of all the rivers in the world, this river is the most revered. The waters of the Ganges, according to legend, have the ability to purify and remove sins, and the river itself remains a symbol of holiness and purity, despite the physical pollution of its water.
The main ritual associated with the river is simply swimming in its waters. Residents of nearby areas often come to bathe in the river daily. Many pilgrims from all over India and other countries come to the river solely for the purpose of performing the sacred bath, which is considered obligatory at least once in the life of a Hindu.

The Ganges is a popular burial site. Since the river in Hinduism is the link between Earth and Heaven, it is believed that when Hindus throw the ashes of their deceased relatives into the waters of this river, it helps them achieve moksha (salvation) and go to heaven. Therefore, cremation anywhere along the river is desirable for Hindus. Often people bring the dead here across the whole country, and on the banks of the river there are constantly burning fires on which the dead are burned. If cremation on the river bank is not possible, relatives can subsequently bring the ashes to the Ganges, and some companies even offer transportation from abroad and perform appropriate ash scattering ceremonies. The poorest Indians, however, often, in view of the high, in their opinion, cost of firewood for cremation, the cost of electric crematoriums and the cost of Brahmin services, consider the ceremony to be prohibitively expensive, which is why they simply throw the bodies of the dead into the water.

The river, however, has a long-standing reputation for self-purification, which is partly confirmed by official science. In connection with this, a constantly high number of bacteria also contains bacteriophages, which destroy a significant part of dangerous bacteria and prevent them from multiplying any more. a certain level. The waters of the Ganges River are also capable of retaining oxygen; the details of this process are poorly understood. According to National Public Radio, dysentery and cholera have now disappeared from the river and the risk of widespread epidemics in Lately decreased

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