Ganga by Sri Swami Sivananda 

The Ganga is the most sacred river of India. The origin of the Ganga is ascribed to celestial glory. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "I am the Ganga among rivers".

For a Hindu, the word Ganga has its own sacred association. Every Hindu thirsts for a dip in the Ganga, and for a drop of its water at the time of his death. Aspirants and mendicants build their huts on the banks of the Ganga for practising penance and meditation. 

In the Satya Yuga, all places were sacred. In the Treta Yuga, Pushkara was considered the most holy place. In the Dvapara Yuga, Kurukshetra was regarded as the most sacred place. In Kali Yuga, the Ganga has that glory. Devi Bhagavata says: "He who utters the name of Ganga even from hundreds of miles afar is freed from sins and attains the abode of Lord Hari".

Ganga is the form of Vishnu. She came out of the Supreme Being. Her sight is soul-stirring and elevating. She flows in the valleys and lives by the side of Parvati, daughter of Himavan. How magnificent she is when she flows in the valley of Rishikesh! She has a blue colour like that of the ocean. The water is extremely clear and sweet.