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Ganga: The Many Pasts of a River

The mystique of the Ganga—as a celestial being, a mother goddess among devout Hindus, a water body with miraculous healing powers, and ‘a river of last resort’—continues to inspire faith and awe among millions. In this ambitious and lavishly illustrated book, Sudipta Sen seamlessly blends geography, ecology, and political and religious history to offer an intimate view of India’s most sacred and beloved river.

Beginning with the earliest settlers on its banks, Sen traces the significant historical moments that shaped the river, including sprawling ancient kingdoms, the rise of Buddhism, rival empires of the Sultans and Mughals, and thriving European trade. Parallel to these chronicles flow the evocative myths and stories, lyrical expositions and travellers’ narratives in which the Ganga prevails as a timeless cultural icon.

With the advent of modern technology, architects of the British Empire forever altered the Ganga’s waterscape, as did the planners and developers of a newly independent India. Today, this majestic river finds its existence threatened by alarming levels of industrial pollution and toxic waste. Sen argues that the unwavering belief in its ‘divine purity’ has not ensured its safety the overexploitation of the Ganga basin endangers the very survival of the world’s third-largest river that flows through the heart of an entire civilization.