Ganga

Goddess personifying the Ganges River, revered as the most sacred river in Hinduism. Her origin is described in the Rigveda (10.75), where she is invoked among the great rivers. According to the Ramayana (Balakanda 43-44) and the Bhagavata Purana (9.9), Ganga originally flowed only in the celestial realms. King Bhagiratha performed severe penance to bring her to earth to purify the ashes of his ancestors.

Pleased, Ganga descended, but her force was so great that Lord Shiva caught her in his matted locks to break her fall, releasing her in gentle streams. Hence she is also called Bhagirathi and Jahnavi (after King Jahnu, who drank her and later released her from his ear). Ganga is depicted as a fair-complexioned goddess seated on a makara (crocodile-like creature), holding a lotus, a water pot, and sometimes a vina, wearing a flowing white garment. She is the consort of Shiva, residing on his head.

In Hindu cosmology, Ganga is the purifier of sins and bestower of liberation (moksha); bathing in her waters is believed to cleanse all impurities. The Mahabharata (Vana Parva) states that even a drop of Ganga water can purify a sinner. She is worshipped pan-India, especially in North India, with major festivals like Ganga Dussehra (celebrating her descent), Ganga Saptami, and the Kumbh Mela, where millions bathe in her waters. The Skanda Purana and Devi Mahatmya also extol her glory.

Ganga is considered the mother of Bhishma (as per the Mahabharata) and is a central figure in many myths. Her role as a river goddess symbolizes the flow of grace and the eternal cycle of purification.

Fair-complexioned, seated on makara. Holds lotus, water pot, and sometimes a vina. Often depicted with a flowing white garment.