21°39′10″N 88°04′31″E / 21.6528°N 88.0753°E / 21.6528; 88.0753
85-665: Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles ) south of Kolkata . This island forms the Sagar CD Block in Kakdwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian State of West Bengal . Although Sagar Island is a part of Sundarbans , it does not have any tiger habitation or mangrove forests or small river tributaries as
170-685: A distributary of the Ganges river (also known as Hooghly River or Muriganga river locally) to reach Kachuberia. Small boats also cross from Harwood Point to Kachuberia. Private cars and buses travel the roughly 32 km to the pilgrimage site at Sagardwip. From the pilgrimage parking area the Kapil Muni Temple is about 200 meters and the Gangasagar confluence is about 700 meters. The Government of India and Government of West Bengal are planning to connect Sagar Island with Kakdwip with
255-599: A water sharing dispute arose between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) after India declared its intention to build the Farakka Barrage. The original purpose of the barrage, which was completed in 1975, was to divert up to 1,100 m /s (39,000 cu ft/s) of water from the Ganges to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly distributary to restore navigability at the Port of Kolkata . It was assumed that during
340-1228: A 3.3 km rail-and-road bridge and to build Sagar Port on Sagar Island. Ganges Uttar Pradesh : Bijnor , Fatehgarh , Kannauj , Hardoi , Bithoor , Kanpur , Lucknow ( Gomti tributary), Prayagraj , Mirzapur , Varanasi , Ghazipur , Ballia , Kasganj , Farrukhabad , Narora Bihar : Begusarai , Bhagalpur , Patna , Vaishali , Munger , Khagaria , Katihar Jharkhand : Sahibganj West Bengal : Murshidabad , Palashi , Nabadwip , Shantipur , Kolkata , Serampore , Chinsurah , Baranagar , Diamond Harbour , Haldia , Budge Budge , Howrah , Uluberia , Barrackpore Delhi : ( Yamuna ) tributary Rajshahi Division : Rajshahi , Pabna , Ishwardi Dhaka Division : Dhaka , Narayanganj , Gazipur , Munshiganj , Faridpur Chittagong Division : Chandpur , Noakhali 43,900 m /s (1,550,000 cu ft/s) The Ganges ( / ˈ ɡ æ n dʒ iː z / GAN -jeez ; in India: Ganga , / ˈ ɡ ʌ ŋ ɡ ɑː / GUNG -ah ; in Bangladesh: Padma , / ˈ p ʌ d m ə / PUD -mə )
425-666: A new channel. This new main channel of the Brahmaputra is called the Jamuna River. It flows south to join the Ganges-Padma. During ancient times, the main flow of the Brahmaputra was more easterly, passing by the city of Mymensingh and joining the Meghna River. Today this channel is a small distributary but retains the name Brahmaputra, sometimes Old Brahmaputra. The site of the old Brahmaputra-Meghna confluence, in
510-494: A pact with Vishnu that he would undergo the rigours of marital life, on the condition that Vishnu would incarnate as his son. In due time Kapil Muni was born as an incarnation of Vishnu and became a great saint. Kapil Muni's ashram was located on the island. One day King Sagar's sacrificial horse disappeared; it had been stolen by Indra. The king sent his 60,000 sons to find it, and they found it next to Kapil Muni's ashram, where Indra had hidden it. Mistaking Kapil Muni for
595-410: A religious iconoclast himself, asked for a handful of his ashes to be thrown into the Ganges. "The Ganga", he wrote in his will, "is the river of India, beloved of her people, round which are intertwined her racial memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories and her defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture and civilization, ever-changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever
680-509: A sacred river to Hindus along every fragment of its length. All along its course, Hindus bathe in its waters, paying homage to their ancestors and their gods by cupping the water in their hands, lifting it, and letting it fall back into the river; they offer flowers and rose petals and float shallow clay dishes filled with oil and lit with wicks (diyas). On the journey back home from the Ganges, they carry small quantities of river water with them for use in rituals; Ganga Jal, literally "the water of
765-435: A sage, Kapila , whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara . Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld. Only the waters of the Ganges, then in heaven, can bring the dead sons their salvation. A descendant of these sons, King Bhagiratha , anxious to restore his ancestors, undertakes rigorous penance and
850-457: A total population of 212,037, of which 109,468 (52%) were males and 102,569 (48%) were females. Population below 6 years was 26,212. The total number of literates was 156,476 (84.21% of the population over 6 years). The Gangasagar fair and pilgrimage is held annually on Sagar Island's southern tip, where the Ganges enters the Bay of Bengal. This confluence is also called Gangasagar or Gangasagara. Near
935-513: Is 625 km (388 mi) long, with a drainage basin of 25,820 km (9,970 sq mi). The Hooghly River empties into the Bay of Bengal near Sagar Island . Between Malda and the Bay of Bengal, the Hooghly river passes the towns and cities of Murshidabad , Nabadwip , Kolkata and Howrah . After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges river is known as the Padma . The Padma
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#17327929671101020-593: Is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh . The 2,525 km (1,569 mi)-long river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand . It flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India , receiving the right-bank tributary, the Yamuna , which also rises in the western Indian Himalayas, and several left-bank tributaries from Nepal that account for
1105-416: Is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1945 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Akshaynagar Jnandamoyee Vidyaniketan High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1969 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Akshaynagar Kumarnarayan Madhyamik Sikshaytan Up High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It
1190-523: Is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1969 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Kakdwip Sishu Sikshaytan High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1963 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Kakdwip Government Sponsored Ashram High School For Girls is a Bengali-medium school for girls. It was established in 1980 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class X. Sundarban Adarsha Vidyamandir High School
1275-801: Is about 1,080,000 km (420,000 sq mi), of which 861,000 km (332,000 sq mi) is in India (about 80%), 140,000 km (54,000 sq mi) in Nepal (13%), 46,000 km (18,000 sq mi) in Bangladesh (4%), and 33,000 km (13,000 sq mi) in China (3%). Sometimes the Ganges and Brahmaputra–Meghna drainage basins are combined for a total of about 1,600,000 km (620,000 sq mi) or 1,621,000 km (626,000 sq mi). The combined Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin (abbreviated GBM or GMB) drainage basin
1360-602: Is characteristic of the overall Sundarban delta. This island is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti (14 January), hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers ( puja ) in the Kapil Muni Temple. Kolkata Port Trust has a pilot station and a light house. Sagar Island is located at 21°39′10″N 88°04′31″E / 21.6528°N 88.0753°E / 21.6528; 88.0753 . It has an average elevation of 4 metres (13 ft). A holy man, Kardam Muni, made
1445-741: Is different ways to determine the river's length, its discharge , and the size of its drainage basin . The name Ganges is used for the river between the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers, in the Himalayas, and the first bifurcation of the river, near the Farakka Barrage and the India-Bangladesh Border. The length of the Ganges is frequently said to be slightly over 2,600 km (1,600 mi) long, about 2,601 km (1,616 mi), 2,525 km (1,569 mi) or 2,650 km (1,650 mi). In these cases
1530-476: Is eventually granted the prize of Ganges's descent from heaven. However, since her turbulent force would also shatter the earth, Bhagiratha persuades Shiva in his abode on Mount Kailash to receive the Ganges in the coils of his tangled hair and break her fall. The Ganges descends, is tamed in Shiva's locks, and arrives in the Himalayas. She is then led by the waiting Bhagiratha down into the plains at Haridwar, across
1615-555: Is home to approximately 140 species of fish, 90 species of amphibians , and also reptiles and mammals , including critically endangered species such as the gharial and South Asian river dolphin . The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus . It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism . The Ganges is threatened by severe pollution . This not only poses a danger to humans but also to many species of animals. The levels of fecal coliform bacteria from human waste in
1700-783: Is joined by the Jamuna River , the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra . Further downstream, the Padma joins the Meghna River , the converged flow of Surma-Meghna River System taking on the Meghna's name as it enters the Meghna Estuary, which empties into the Bay of Bengal. Here it forms the 1,430 by 3,000 km (890 by 1,860 mi) Bengal Fan , the world's largest submarine fan , which alone accounts for 10–20% of
1785-522: Is longer than its main outlet via the Meghna River, resulting in a total length of about 2,704 km (1,680 mi), if taken from the source of the Bhagirathi, or 2,321.50 km (1,442.51 mi), if from Haridwar to the Hooghly's mouth. In other cases the length is said to be about 2,304 km (1,432 mi), from the source of the Bhagirathi to the Bangladesh border, where its name changes to Padma . For similar reasons, sources differ over
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#17327929671101870-563: Is now South 24 Parganas. Kakdwip and Namkhana were the storm centres of the movement. Kakdwip subdivision has full rural population. The entire district is situated in the Ganges Delta . The southern part of the delta has numerous channels and islands such as Henry Island , Sagar Island , Frederick Island and Fraserganj Island. The subdivision is a part of the Sundarbans settlements . A comparatively recent country-wide development
1955-617: Is rescued by a celestial chariot which takes him instead to heaven. Kakdwip Kakdwip ( Bengali: [kɑːkd̪iːp] ) is a town of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal . It is situated on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River . It is the headquarters of the Kakdwip subdivision . When the Tebhaga movement broke out in 1946, the peasant movement affected several areas of what
2040-836: Is spread across Bangladesh, Bhutan , India, Nepal, and China. The Ganges basin ranges from the Himalaya and the Transhimalaya in the north, to the northern slopes of the Vindhya range in the south, from the eastern slopes of the Aravalli in the west to the Chota Nagpur plateau and the Sunderbans delta in the east. A significant portion of the discharge from the Ganges comes from the Himalayan mountain system. Within
2125-694: Is the guarding of the coastal areas by special coastal forces. The area attracts large number of tourists – Gangasagar and Fraserganj-Bakkhali are worth mentioning. Gobardhanpur holds a promise for the future. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. Kakdwip is located at 21°52′45″N 88°11′29″E / 21.8791446°N 88.1912992°E / 21.8791446; 88.1912992 . It has an average elevation of 4 metres (13 ft). Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw). According to
2210-403: Is the high point of the Ganges basin. The other peaks over 8,000m in the basin are Kangchenjunga , Lhotse , Makalu , Cho Oyu , Dhaulagiri , Manaslu , Annapurna and Shishapangma . The Himalayan portion of the basin includes the south-eastern portion of the state of Himachal Pradesh, the entire state of Uttarakhand, the entire country of Nepal and the extreme north-western portion of
2295-576: Is used in Hindu ritual and is therefore present in all sacred waters. Despite this, nothing is more stirring for a Hindu than a dip in the actual river, which is thought to remit sins, especially at one of the famous tirthas such as Varanasi , Gangotri , Haridwar , or the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj . The symbolic and religious importance of the Ganges is one of the few things that Hindus, even their skeptics, have agreed upon. Jawaharlal Nehru,
2380-426: The 2011 Census of India , Kakdwip had a total population of 19,368, of which 9,896 were males and 9,472 were females. There were 1,872 people in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people was 14,173, which constituted 73.2% of the population with male literacy of 77.1% and female literacy of 69.1%. The effective literacy (7+) of population over 6 years of age was 81.0%, of which male literacy rate
2465-1027: The Bay of Bengal . The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system is the second-largest river on earth by discharge . The main stem of the Ganges begins at the town of Devprayag , at the confluence of the Alaknanda , which is the source stream in hydrology on account of its greater length, and the Bhagirathi , which is considered the source stream in Hindu mythology . The Ganges is a lifeline to tens of millions of people who live in its basin and depend on it for their daily needs. It has been important historically, with many former provincial or imperial capitals such as Pataliputra , Kannauj , Sonargaon , Dhaka , Bikrampur , Kara , Munger , Kashi , Patna , Hajipur , Kanpur , Delhi , Bhagalpur , Murshidabad , Baharampur , Kampilya , and Kolkata located on its banks or those of its tributaries and connected waterways. The river
2550-618: The Hooghly River . Just before the border with Bangladesh the Farakka Barrage controls the flow of Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linked to the Hooghly for the purpose of keeping it relatively silt-free. The Hooghly River is formed by the confluence of the Bhagirathi River and Ajay River at Katwa , and Hooghly has a number of tributaries of its own. The largest is the Damodar River , which
2635-718: The Indo-Gangetic Plain . The Indo-Gangetic Plain is geologically known as a foredeep or foreland basin . Major left-bank tributaries include the Gomti River, Ghaghara River, Gandaki River and Kosi River; major right-bank tributaries include the Yamuna River, Son River, Punpun and Damodar. The hydrology of the Ganges River is very complicated, especially in the Ganges Delta region. One result
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2720-514: The Kaimur Range and contributes an average flow of about 187 m /s (6,600 cu ft/s). After the Tamsa, the 625 km (388 mi) long Gomti River joins, flowing south from the Himalayas. The Gomti contributes an average annual flow of about 234 m /s (8,300 cu ft/s). Then the 1,156 km (718 mi) long Ghaghara River (Karnali River), also flowing south from
2805-610: The Mahabharata , in one of its popular ślokas , says, "If only (one) bone of a (deceased) person should touch the water of the Ganges, that person shall dwell honoured in heaven." As if to illustrate this truism, the Kashi Khanda (Varanasi Chapter) of the Skanda Purana recounts the remarkable story of Vahika , a profligate and unrepentant sinner, who is killed by a tiger in the forest. His soul arrives before Yama ,
2890-553: The Sealdah–Namkhana line of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system. With the electrification of the railways, suburban traffic has grown tremendously since the 1960s. As of 2005-06, more than 1.7 million (17 lakhs) commuters use the Kolkata Suburban Railway system daily. After the partition of India, refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan and Bangladesh had a strong impact on the development of urban areas in
2975-464: The Shraddha rites. Hindus also perform pinda pradana , a rite for the dead, in which balls of rice and sesame seed are offered to the Ganges while the names of the deceased relatives are recited. Every sesame seed in every ball thus offered, according to one story, assures a thousand years of heavenly salvation for each relative. Indeed, the Ganges is so important in the rituals after death that
3060-598: The Vishnupadi , which until now had been circling the cosmic egg. Flowing out of the vault, she plummets down to Indra's heaven, where she is received by Dhruva , once a steadfast worshipper of Vishnu, now fixed in the sky as the Pole star . Next, she streams across the sky forming the Milky Way and arrives on the moon. She then flows down earthwards to Brahma 's realm, a divine lotus atop Mount Meru , whose petals form
3145-488: The 729 km (453 mi) long Kosi River , join from the north flowing from Nepal, contributing about 1,654 m /s (58,400 cu ft/s) and 2,166 m /s (76,500 cu ft/s), respectively. The Kosi is the third largest tributary of the Ganges by discharge, after Ghaghara (Karnali) and Yamuna. The Kosi merges into the Ganges near Kursela in Bihar . Along the way between Prayagraj and Malda , West Bengal ,
3230-743: The Alaknanda, Dhauliganga , Nandakini , Pindar , Mandakini and Bhagirathi. Their confluences, known as the Panch Prayag , are all along the Alaknanda. They are, in downstream order, Vishnuprayag , where the Dhauliganga joins the Alaknanda; Nandprayag , where the Nandakini joins; Karnaprayag , where the Pindar joins; Rudraprayag , where the Mandakini joins; and finally, Devprayag, where
3315-595: The Bhagirathi joins the Alaknanda to form the Ganges. After flowing for 256.90 km (159.63 mi) through its narrow Himalayan valley, the Ganges emerges from the mountains at Rishikesh , then debouches onto the Gangetic Plain at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar . At Haridwar, a headworks diverts some of its water into the Ganges Canal , which irrigates the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh , whereas
3400-602: The Brahmaputra, and the Surma-Meghna river system. In full flood only the Amazon is larger. The Indian subcontinent lies atop the Indian tectonic plate , a minor plate within the Indo-Australian Plate . Its defining geological processes commenced seventy-five million years ago, when, as a part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana , it began a northeastwards drift —lasting fifty million years—across
3485-431: The Ganges flow at Farakka was less than 2,000 m /s (71,000 cu ft/s) then India and Bangladesh would each receive 50% of the water, with each receiving at least 1,000 m /s (35,000 cu ft/s) for alternating ten-day periods. However, within a year the flow at Farakka fell to levels far below the historic average, making it impossible to implement the guaranteed sharing of water. In March 1997, flow of
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3570-401: The Ganges in Bangladesh dropped to its lowest ever, 180 m /s (6,400 cu ft/s). Dry season flows returned to normal levels in the years following, but efforts were made to address the problem. One plan is for another barrage to be built in Bangladesh at Pangsha , west of Dhaka . This barrage would help Bangladesh better utilize its share of the waters of the Ganges. The Ganges is
3655-478: The Ganges river passes the towns of Chunar , Mirzapur , Varanasi , Ghazipur , Ara , Patna , Chapra , Hajipur , Mokama , Begusarai , Munger , Sahibganj , Rajmahal , Bhagalpur , Ballia , Buxar , Simaria , Sultanganj , and Farakka . At Bhagalpur, the river begins to flow south-southeast and at Farakka, it begins its attrition with the branching away of its first distributary , the 408 km (254 mi) long Bhāgirathi-Hooghly , which goes on to become
3740-647: The Ganges". The Ganges is the embodiment of all sacred waters in Hindu mythology . Local rivers are said to be like the Ganges and are sometimes called the local Ganges. The Godavari River of Maharashtra in Western India is called the Ganges of the South or the 'Dakshin Ganga'; the Godavari is the Ganges that was led by the sage Gautama to flow through Central India. The Ganges is invoked whenever water
3825-444: The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna are given separately, at about 16,650 m /s (588,000 cu ft/s) for the Ganges, about 19,820 m /s (700,000 cu ft/s) for the Brahmaputra, and about 5,100 m /s (180,000 cu ft/s) for the Meghna. The maximum peak discharge of the Ganges, as recorded at Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh, exceeded 70,000 m /s (2,500,000 cu ft/s). The minimum recorded at
3910-426: The Ganges, and are granted instant salvation. If the death has occurred elsewhere, salvation can be achieved by immersing the ashes in the Ganges. If the ashes have been immersed in another body of water, a relative can still gain salvation for the deceased by journeying to the Ganges, if possible during the lunar "fortnight of the ancestors" in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin (September or October), and performing
3995-705: The Himalaya, the Ganges basin spreads almost 1,200 km from the Yamuna-Satluj divide along the Simla ridge forming the boundary with the Indus basin in the west to the Singalila Ridge along the Nepal-Sikkim border forming the boundary with the Brahmaputra basin in the east. This section of the Himalaya contains 9 of the 14 highest peaks in the world over 8,000m in height, including Mount Everest which
4080-502: The Himalayas of Tibet through Nepal joins. The Ghaghara (Karnali), with its average annual flow of about 2,991 m /s (105,600 cu ft/s), is the largest tributary of the Ganges by discharge. After the Ghaghara confluence, the Ganges is joined from the south by the 784 km (487 mi) long Son River , which contributes about 1,008 m /s (35,600 cu ft/s). The 814 km (506 mi) long Gandaki River , then
4165-479: The Hindu tradition, she is also considered the vehicle of ascent , from earth to heaven. As the Triloka-patha-gamini , (Sanskrit: triloka = "three worlds", patha = "road", gamini = "one who travels") of the tradition, she flows in heaven , earth , and the netherworld , and, consequently, is a "tirtha" or crossing point of all beings, the living as well as the dead. It is for this reason that
4250-483: The Lord of Death, to be judged for the afterworld. Having no compensating virtue, Vahika's soul is at once dispatched to hell . While this is happening, his body on earth, however, is being picked at by vultures, one of whom flies away with a foot bone. Another bird comes after the vulture, and in fighting him off, the vulture accidentally drops the bone into the Ganges below. Blessed by this event, Vahika, on his way to hell,
4335-665: The ashes with holy water ( niravapanjali ). Through deep meditation , King Bhagiratha induced Shiva to order Ganga down from heaven and the 60,000 sons were freed ( moksha ) and ascended to Heaven, but the river Ganges stayed on the Earth. The date of the descent of Ganga was the date, as is at present the 15th Day of January of the Gregorian Calendar which coincides with that of Makar Sankranti (when Surya enters Makar Constellation, i.e. " Uttarayan " of Hindu Panchangam ). As per 2011 Census of India , Sagar Island had
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#17327929671104420-429: The bulk of its flow. In West Bengal state, India, a feeder canal taking off from its right bank diverts 50% of its flow southwards, artificially connecting it to the Hooghly River . The Ganges continues into Bangladesh, its name changing to the Padma . It is then joined by the Jamuna , the lower stream of the Brahmaputra , and eventually the Meghna , forming the major estuary of the Ganges Delta , and emptying into
4505-431: The confluence is the Kapil Muni Temple. The Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the triennial ritual bathing of Kumbha Mela . In 2007, about 300,000 pilgrims took the holy dip where the Hooghly meets the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Almost five-hundred thousand pilgrims thronged Sagar Island in 2008. For the rest of the year about 500,000 people come to
4590-407: The earthly continents. There, the divine waters break up, with one stream, the Bhagirathi, flowing down one petal into Bharatavarsha (India) as the Ganges. It is Shiva , however, among the major deities of the Hindu pantheon, who appears in the most widely known version of the avatarana story. Told and retold in the Ramayana , the Mahabharata and several Puranas , the story begins with
4675-446: The end of the 18th century, the course of the lower Brahmaputra changed dramatically, significantly altering its relationship with the Ganges. In 1787 there was a great flood on the Teesta River , which at the time was a tributary of the Ganges-Padma River. The flood of 1787 caused the Teesta to undergo a sudden change course, an avulsion , shifting east to join the Brahmaputra and causing the Brahmaputra to shift its course south, cutting
4760-457: The foot of Gangotri Glacier at Gomukh , at an elevation of 4,356 m (14,291 ft) and was mythologically referred to as residing in the matted locks of Shiva ; symbolically Tapovan, which is a meadow of ethereal beauty at the feet of Mount Shivling, just 5 km (3.1 mi) away. Although many small streams comprise the headwaters of the Ganges, the six longest and their five confluences are considered sacred. The six headstreams are
4845-407: The global burial of organic carbon . The Ganges Delta , formed mainly by the large, sediment-laden flows of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, is the world's largest delta, at about 64,000 km (25,000 sq mi). It stretches 400 km (250 mi) along the Bay of Bengal . Only the Amazon and Congo rivers have a greater average discharge than the combined flow of the Ganges,
4930-435: The island. According to reports on 14 January 2018, 18-2 million people had visited Ganga Sagar in 2018, against 1.5 million in 2017. From Kolkata, Diamond Harbour Road ( NH-12 ) runs south around 90 km to Harwood Point, near Kakdwip , where a ferry runs to Kachuberia at the north end of the island. The Panchyat Samity maintains a parking area near the ferry landing. The ferry travels about 3.5 km across
5015-400: The largest of which merge with other large rivers before themselves joining the Bay of Bengal. But this current channel pattern was not always the case. Over time the rivers in Ganges Delta have often changed course , sometimes altering the network of channels in significant ways. Before the late 12th century the Bhagirathi-Hooghly distributary was the main channel of the Ganges and the Padma
5100-423: The locality of Langalbandh , is still considered sacred by Hindus. Near the confluence is a major early historic site called Wari-Bateshwar . In the rainy season of 1809, the lower channel of the Bhagirathi, leading to Kolkata, had been entirely shut; but in the following year it opened again and was nearly of the same size as the upper channel but both however suffered a considerable diminution, owing probably to
5185-416: The main flow of the Ganges to shift to the southeast and the Padma River. By the end of the 18th century, the Padma had become the main distributary of the Ganges. One result of this shift to the Padma was that the Ganges now joined the Meghna and Brahmaputra rivers before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The present confluence of the Ganges and Meghna was formed very recently, about 150 years ago. Also near
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#17327929671105270-456: The mountains which stretch along the northern frontier, traverse the level country, and not a few of these, after uniting with each other, fall into the river called the Ganges. Now this river, which at its source is 30 stadia broad, flows from north to south, and empties its waters into the ocean forming the eastern boundary of the Gangaridai , a nation which possesses a vast force of the largest-sized elephants." (Diodorus II.37). In 1951
5355-402: The nectar of the gods which then plunges to the earth and waters it with sustenance. In the Vaishnava version of the myth, the heavenly waters were then a river called Vishnupadi ( Sanskrit : "from the foot of Vishnu"). As Vishnu as the avatar Vamana completes his celebrated three strides —of earth, sky, and heaven— he stubs his toe on the vault of heaven, punches open a hole and releases
5440-410: The new communication opened below the Jalanggi on the upper channel. Discharge of the Ganges River at Farakka Barrage (period from 1998/01/01 to 2023/12/31): The first European traveller to mention the Ganges was the Greek envoy Megasthenes (ca. 350–290 BCE). He did so several times in his work Indica : "India, again, possesses many rivers both large and navigable, which, having their sources in
5525-564: The periphery of Kolkata. The new immigrants depended on Kolkata for their livelihood, thus increasing the number of commuters. Eastern Railway runs 1,272 EMU trains daily. Sundarban Mahavidyalaya , established in 1965, is affiliated with the University of Calcutta . It offers honours courses in Bengali, English, Sanskrit, history, political science, philosophy, economics, geography, education, mathematics and accounting & finance, and general degree courses in arts, science, and accounting & finance. Kakdwip Birendra Vidyaniketan High School
5610-426: The plains first to the confluence with the Yamuna at Prayag and then to Varanasi, and eventually to Ganges Sagar (Ganges delta), where she meets the ocean, sinks to the netherworld, and saves the sons of Sagara. In honour of Bhagirath's pivotal role in the avatarana , the source stream of the Ganges in the Himalayas is named Bhagirathi, (Sanskrit, "of Bhagiratha"). As the Ganges had descended from heaven to earth in
5695-444: The region. The seasonality of flow is so acute it can cause both drought and floods . Bangladesh, in particular, frequently experiences drought during the dry season and regularly suffers extreme floods during the monsoon. In the Ganges Delta, many large rivers come together, both merging and bifurcating in a complicated network of channels . The two largest rivers, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, both split into distributary channels,
5780-469: The river Ganges begins at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in the town of Devprayag in the Garhwal division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Bhagirathi is considered to be the source in Hindu culture and mythology, although the Alaknanda is longer, and therefore, hydrologically the source stream. The headwaters of the Alakananda are formed by snow melt from peaks such as Nanda Devi , Trisul , and Kamet . The Bhagirathi rises at
5865-409: The river near Varanasi are more than 100 times the Indian government's official limit. The Ganga Action Plan , an environmental initiative to clean up the river, has been considered a failure which is variously attributed to corruption , a lack of will in the government, poor technical expertise, poor environmental planning , and a lack of support from religious authorities. The upper phase of
5950-414: The river's source is usually assumed to be the source of the Bhagirathi River, Gangotri Glacier at Gomukh and its mouth being the mouth of the Meghna River on the Bay of Bengal. Sometimes the source of the Ganges is considered to be at Haridwar, where its Himalayan headwater streams debouch onto the Gangetic Plain. In some cases, the length of the Ganges is given by its Hooghly River distributary, which
6035-409: The river, however, can achieve the same results by bathing in any nearby body of water, which, for the true believer, takes on all the attributes of the Ganges. The karunasiri is an old theme in Hinduism with a number of different versions of the story. In the Vedic version, Indra , the Lord of Svarga ( Heaven ) slays the celestial serpent, Vritra , releasing the celestial liquid, soma , or
6120-477: The river, whose course has been roughly southwest until this point, now begins to flow southeast through the plains of northern India. The Ganges river follows a 900 km (560 mi) arching course passing through the cities of Bijnor , Kannauj, Farukhabad , and Kanpur . Along the way it is joined by the Ramganga , which contributes an average annual flow of about 495 m /s (17,500 cu ft/s) to
6205-599: The river. The Ganges joins the 1,444 km (897 mi) long River Yamuna at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj (previously Allahabad), a confluence considered holy in Hinduism. At their confluence the Yamuna is larger than the Ganges contributing about 58.5% of the combined flow, with an average flow of 2,948 m /s (104,100 cu ft/s). Now flowing east, the river meets the 400 km (250 mi) long Tamsa River (also called Tons ), which flows north from
6290-554: The same Ganga." In late May or early June every year, Hindus celebrate the karunasiri and the rise of the Ganges from earth to heaven. The day of the celebration, Ganga Dashahara , the Dashami (tenth day) of the waxing moon of the Hindu calendar month Jyeshtha , brings throngs of bathers to the banks of the river. A dip in the Ganges on this day is said to rid the bather of ten sins (dasha = Sanskrit "ten"; hara = to destroy) or ten lifetimes of sins. Those who cannot journey to
6375-559: The same place was about 180 m /s (6,400 cu ft/s), in 1997. The hydrologic cycle in the Ganges basin is governed by the Southwest Monsoon . About 84% of the total rainfall occurs in the monsoon from June to September. Consequently, streamflow in the Ganges is highly seasonal. The average dry season to monsoon discharge ratio is about 1:6, as measured at Hardinge Bridge . This strong seasonal variation underlies many problems of land and water resource development in
6460-471: The size of the river's drainage basin. The basin covers parts of four countries, India, Nepal , China , and Bangladesh; eleven Indian states, Himachal Pradesh , Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh , Bihar, Jharkhand , Punjab , Haryana, Rajasthan , West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Delhi . The Ganges basin, including the delta but not the Brahmaputra or Meghna basins,
6545-416: The state of West Bengal. The discharge of the Ganges also differs by source. Frequently, discharge is described for the mouth of the Meghna River, thus combining the Ganges with the Brahmaputra and Meghna. This results in a total average annual discharge of about 38,000 m /s (1,300,000 cu ft/s), or 42,470 m /s (1,500,000 cu ft/s). In other cases the average annual discharges of
6630-455: The story of the avatarana is told at Shraddha ceremonies for the deceased in Hinduism, and Ganges water is used in Vedic rituals after death . Among all hymns devoted to the Ganges, there are none more popular than the ones expressing the worshipper's wish to breathe his last surrounded by her waters. The Gangashtakam expresses this longing fervently: O Mother! ... Necklace adorning
6715-499: The then unformed Indian Ocean. The subcontinent's subsequent collision with the Eurasian Plate and subduction under it, gave rise to the Himalayas, the planet's highest mountain ranges. In the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough , which, having gradually been filled with sediment borne by the Indus and its tributaries and the Ganges and its tributaries, now forms
6800-553: The thief, the sons accused Kapil Muni, who in his wrath at the false accusation burned the sons to ash and sent their souls to Hell . Later having compassion for the King Sagar's sons, Kapil Muni acceded to the prayers of King Sagar's descendants, agreeing to the restoration of the sons, if Parvati in the form of the river goddess Ganga would descend to Earth to perform the Last Ritual (Hindus also called as"Tarpan") of mixing
6885-541: The worlds! Banner rising to heaven! I ask that I may leave of this body on your banks, Drinking your water, rolling in your waves, Remembering your name, bestowing my gaze upon you. No place along her banks is more longed for at the moment of death by Hindus than Varanasi, the Great Cremation Ground, or Mahashmshana . Those who are lucky enough to die in Varanasi, are cremated on the banks of
6970-402: The worst dry season the Ganges flow would be around 1,400 to 1,600 m /s (49,000 to 57,000 cu ft/s), thus leaving 280 to 420 m /s (9,900 to 14,800 cu ft/s) for the then East Pakistan. East Pakistan objected and a protracted dispute ensued. In 1996 a 30-year treaty was signed with Bangladesh. The terms of the agreement are complicated, but in essence, they state that if
7055-523: Was 85.7% and female literacy rate was 76.2%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 9,130 and 57 respectively. Kakdwip had a total of 4,448 households as of 2011. Kakdwip police station covers an area of 91 km (35 sq mi). It has jurisdiction over parts of the Kakdwip CD block. Kakdwip is on the National Highway 12 . Kakdwip railway station is on
7140-474: Was established in 1971 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Bhubannagar High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1942 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII. Bhubannagar Bhubanmohan Vidyapith Secondary School is a Bengali-medium coeducational school. It was established in 1969 and has facilities for teaching from class V to class X. Kalinagar Dwarikanath Institution Up Secondary School
7225-482: Was only a minor spill-channel. The main flow of the river reached the sea not via the modern Hooghly River but rather by the Adi Ganga . Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the Bhagirathi-Hooghly and Padma channels were more or less equally significant. After the 16th century, the Padma grew to become the main channel of the Ganges. It is thought that the Bhagirathi-Hooghly became increasingly choked with silt, causing
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