Ganga is the Hindu goddess who personifies the Ganges River.
Ganga is revered as a sacred mother figure and as a goddess of purification and forgiveness. Hindu traditions associate her waters with cleansing spiritual impurity, and many pilgrims visit the river for bathing, prayer, funerary rites, and festivals. The river’s name in English, Ganges, derives from Ganga.
A central legend tells how King Bhagiratha brought Ganga from heaven to earth to purify the ashes of his ancestors. Because her descent would have struck the earth with overwhelming force, Shiva caught the torrent in his matted hair and released it in gentler streams. This story explains Ganga’s close association with Shiva as well as her connection with the Himalayas.
Ganga also appears in the Mahabharata as the mother of Bhishma, one of the epic’s most important warriors. She is often depicted riding a makara, a mythical aquatic creature. Saraswati and Yamuna are separate river goddesses, not alternate names for Ganga.