So, the Ganges is very important to the people of India. You will always see people using the waters. But it is not clean by western standards. There are often dead bodies, garbage, pollutants. But it is a sacred river and one of the draws to travel to India. Are there any clean parts to visit? Are the source waters clean? I would love to be able to go in the river, but do not think it would be healthy.
Ganga's water is not clean by any standards. Anywhere above Rishikesh water is clean especially just before monsoon when there has been no rains and the only water that you get is from glaciers. Further up you go better it gets just like any other river. I am not too sure about the sacred part as almost every town and city Ganga flows through you see raw sewage being dumped into the river. At some places water is so bad that there are no fishes or any other organisms. It is a very polluted river and by the time it reaches Varanasi water is poisonous.
I guess that at the source on the Himalayas or better to say where Ganges is created out of several smaller rivers, it is clean like any other river at the beginning of the road especially if it is on a mountain like the Himalayas. One thing was interesting in the original post and it is the DEAD BODIES. I guess you mean of animals but it really sounded very horror movie like. I do believe it is considered to be a holy river even though it is being polluted by almost everyone.
You heard the news where The National Green Tribunal asked the center to find at least 'one' place where the Ganges is clean. Well, they were not able to find any! It's a very disappointing news for our country but that is the truth. You can find a place where the Ganga looks absolutely clean but there are some places where the quality of water is decent. As admin said, water is somewhat cleaner than other places anywhere above Rishikesh.
It certainly looks and even smells fairly polluted in places. I've never felt the need to enter the actual water itself and I would personally avoid it. There are many smaller rivers that flow into the Ganges that are clean and clear but they become tainted further down in their course. Theres a wealth of other clean oceans and rivers that you can experience in India that will be far more pleasant.
I find it strange that people say it is not a sacred river. I was under the impression that pilgrims even travel to the river to take some back to shrines. Is this more of a local custom that may not apply to all Indian cultures? That is interesting to know.
While I've only ever seen the Ganges on the TV, every documentary I've watched as shown the river to be dangerous and to be honest, for such a well known landmark it doesn't look very appealing stmt all. As for it being a spiritual river, I do remember hearing that myself but as you say, take a look at how the river is polluted and how its shown little respect, I also find that hard to believe.
The way you guys here describe the Ganges river makes me think twice about it being a sacred river. There's no way something that is sacred can turn out to be polluted and ill-kept. But then again perhaps it really is different what you hear or read on books from what is actually happening.
I was under the impression people still travel to it for rituals. Also, they put their dead into the river as well. You can see along the banks where they had pyres to burn the deceased. That is because the river has meaning to them culturally and religiously. I don't know if we can say it is not sacred just because it is polluted.
