Ganga (goddess)

Ganga, Jahnavi
The Ganga
Late 19th-century Kalighat painting
Other names	Jahnavi, Ganges, Gange, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Vishnupadi, etc.
Devanagari	गंगा or गङ्गा
Sanskrit transliteration	Gaṅgā
Affiliation	Devi, River
Abode	Brahmaloka or Brahmapura, Himalayas and Earth
Mantra	Om Ganga Namaha
Consort	Shantanu
Siblings	Parvati
Children	Bhishma
Mount	Makara

In Hinduism, the river Ganga is considered sacred and is personified as a goddess Gaṅgā. It is worshipped by Hindus who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates Moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death) the water of Ganga is considered very pure. Pilgrims immerse the ashes of their kin in the Ganga, which is considered by them to bring the spirits closer to moksha. Moksha, however, is not an aim to strive for, as Hindus believe in the everlasting cycle of life and death. 

Ganga is the melodious, the fortunate, the cow that gives much milk, the eternally pure, the delightful, the body that is full of fish, affords delight to the eye and leaps over mountains in sport, the bedding that bestows water and happiness, and the friend or benefactor of all that lives. 

Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the Ganges, including Gangotri, Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi. During the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand, candlelit floats are released into waterways to honour Gautama Buddha and goddess Ganga for good fortune and washing away sins (pāpa in Sanskrit, used to describe actions that create negative karma by violating moral and ethical codes, which brings negative consequences). Many religious people bathe in the Ganga as it is believed that it cleans the body as well as the mind (from sins,) from past and present lives  and make them divine. This is the reason why people throw the ashes of the deceased into the Ganga.It is also believed that throwing the ashes of the deceased can bring religious and definitely physical impurities to the river in return for salvation. 

Bhagavata Purana depicts the birth of the narmad. According to Bhagavata Purana, Lord Vishnu in one of his incarnations, appeared as Vaman in the sacrificial arena of Asur King Mahabali. Then in order to measure the universe, he extended his left foot to the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its covering with the nail of his big toe. Through the hole, the pure water of the Causal Ocean (Divine Brahm-Water) entered this universe as the Ganga River. Having washed the lotus feet of the Lord, which are covered with reddish saffron, the water of the Ganga acquired a very beautiful pink colour. Because the Ganga directly touches the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu (Narayana) before descending within this universe, Ganga is known as Bhagavat-Padi or Vishnupadi which means Emanating from the lotus feet of Bhagavan (God). It finally settles in Brahmaloka or Brahmapura, abode of Lord Brahma before descending to planet Earth at the request of Bhagiratha and held safely by Lord Shiva on his head to prevent destruction of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth). Then, the river Ganga was released from Lord Shiva 's hair to meet the needs of the country according to Hindu mythology. In other legends, Himavan fathered Parvati and Ganga.