Difference between revisions 4940214 and 4940215 on simplewiki

{{Geobox
|River
<!-- *** Name section *** -->
|name            = Ganges
<!-- *** Map section *** -->
|map             = GangesValley&Plain.jpg
|map_caption         = A map showing the course of the Ganges and its tributaries
<!-- General section *** -->
(contracted; show full)

==History==
During the early [[Vedic Age]], the [[Indus]] and the [[Sarasvati River]] were the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, not the Ganges. But the later three Vedas seem to give much more importance to the Ganges, as shown by its numerous references.
Possibly the first European Traveler to mention the Ganges was [[Megasthenes]] (ca. 350 – 290 BCE).
 In Rome's [[Piazza Navona]], ''[[Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi]]'' (fountain of the four rivers) was designed by [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]] and built in 1651. Th art-work symbolizes four of the world's great rivers (the Ganges, the [[Nile]], the [[Danube]], and the [[Río de la Plata]]), which is to represent the four continents (Australia and Antarctica were unknown then).

==Religious Significance==
===In Hinduism===
Hindus regard the Ganges as not only a river but also a mother, a goddess, a tradition, a culture and much more. In [[Hinduism]] it is considered holy to take a [[pilgrimage]] to the Ganges and take a dip. This leads to more illness, adding to the death toll. Many Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganga can purify a person's soul of all past sins, some believe that it can also cure the illness. So, many Hindu families keep Ganga water in their homes as th(contracted; show full){{Commonscat|Ganges River}}

[[Category:Rivers of India]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bangladesh]]

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{{Link GA|uk}}