Ganga : Generally it is considered that the word or name Ganga has come from the Sanskrit verb word GAM. According to another opinion the term GADGAD has been changed as Ganga. However, we have to go to the Himalayas, birth place of Ganga, for finding out the significance of name Ganga. We may find out three place names which are similar in utterance with Ganga. The name are Renigango, Gangtok and Gangotri.
Renigango is a peak of Mountain Buxa of Himalayas in the District Jalpaiguri of W.B. Gangtok is the capital of state Sikkim which is situated in the east Himalayas. According to Sikkim language Gang means high and tok means place or location. The entire meaning of Gangtok stands high place or location.Gangotri is an area or place of
coming down of Ganga-flows. This Himalayan-area is in Uttar Pradesh or Uttaranchal.In the view of geographers, the above mentioned three place are situated to the south of Tibet. Secondly the places are situated on high position. Now it is easy to understand that Ganga is the root word of Gangotri. Again the term Gang is in the root of Ganga.
We already knew that Gang means high location. Therefore, the significance of word Ganga stands - a river which comes from high location. It is to say that once the source point of Ganga was undiscovered. This may be understood by the legend of great king Bhagirath who discovered the source and traced the way of Ganga on the Earth. The word Ganga might be considered as Sino- Tibetan language because the three places are situated near Tibet.
Bhagirathi : Bhagirathi is a name of Ganga. According to ancient literature king Bhagirathi traced Ganga on the Earth. For this cause Ganga is called Bhagirathi. However, we have to think the mater scientifically.
The flows of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet each other at Devaparaga in Himalayas. It is remarkable that the joint flow of Bhagirathi and Alaknada is called Ganga. And also the flow from the source Gomukh to Devaparaga is called Bhagirathi, not Ganga. The cause of it would be explained in time.Ganga comes down to plainland at Haridwar. From Haridwar it runs a long way with a large number of tributaries and reaches in the District of Murshidabad of West Bengal without any division of Ganga flow. For the loading of many tributaries the Ganga was considered as a great charioteer or Mahirathi Ganga. We have to remind that the Sindhu or Indus river was considered as a charioteer in the Regveda for bringing many tributaries. The tributaries were mounted on the main river or on the Chariot of great Charioteer. The Mahirathi Ganga divides itself into two parts in Murshidabad District. As the result the Mahirathi Ganga becomes Bhagirathi Ganga or Bhagirathi. Here Bhagi means division and Rathi means charioteer. Mahi means great.
The above descriptions and explaintions tell us that Bhagirathi is a GEOGRAPHICAL NAME. It is remarkable that the lower flow from division point (in Murshidabad) to sea at Gangasager was called as Bhagirathi. Again according to the name Bhagirathi of lower flow, the most upper flow from source Gomukh to Devaparaga was named as
Bhagirathi. Like this naming system was done by ancient navigators for demarcation of the total flow from Gomukh to Gangasager to avoid mistakes. If the upper flow would not named Bhagirathi the source point of Ganga might be considered to the source point of the river Yamuna or Chambal or so on. Again it was not hard work in ancient to discover the end point of Ganga at Gangasagar. But it was most hard work to discover the source point of Ganga. It is easy to understand from the legend that the king Bhagirath was the discoverer of source point of Ganga. At present we are unable to know the real name of Bhagirath in want of sufficient historical elements. And again it might be that the discoverer would like to be known as the son of Mother Bhagirathi. It is simple that the son of Bhagirathi would be named as Bhagirath. No doubt, the name Bhagirath comes from Bhagirathi, not Bhagirathi from Bhagirath
Renigango is a peak of Mountain Buxa of Himalayas in the District Jalpaiguri of W.B. Gangtok is the capital of state Sikkim which is situated in the east Himalayas. According to Sikkim language Gang means high and tok means place or location. The entire meaning of Gangtok stands high place or location.Gangotri is an area or place of
coming down of Ganga-flows. This Himalayan-area is in Uttar Pradesh or Uttaranchal.In the view of geographers, the above mentioned three place are situated to the south of Tibet. Secondly the places are situated on high position. Now it is easy to understand that Ganga is the root word of Gangotri. Again the term Gang is in the root of Ganga.
We already knew that Gang means high location. Therefore, the significance of word Ganga stands - a river which comes from high location. It is to say that once the source point of Ganga was undiscovered. This may be understood by the legend of great king Bhagirath who discovered the source and traced the way of Ganga on the Earth. The word Ganga might be considered as Sino- Tibetan language because the three places are situated near Tibet.
Bhagirathi : Bhagirathi is a name of Ganga. According to ancient literature king Bhagirathi traced Ganga on the Earth. For this cause Ganga is called Bhagirathi. However, we have to think the mater scientifically.
The flows of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet each other at Devaparaga in Himalayas. It is remarkable that the joint flow of Bhagirathi and Alaknada is called Ganga. And also the flow from the source Gomukh to Devaparaga is called Bhagirathi, not Ganga. The cause of it would be explained in time.Ganga comes down to plainland at Haridwar. From Haridwar it runs a long way with a large number of tributaries and reaches in the District of Murshidabad of West Bengal without any division of Ganga flow. For the loading of many tributaries the Ganga was considered as a great charioteer or Mahirathi Ganga. We have to remind that the Sindhu or Indus river was considered as a charioteer in the Regveda for bringing many tributaries. The tributaries were mounted on the main river or on the Chariot of great Charioteer. The Mahirathi Ganga divides itself into two parts in Murshidabad District. As the result the Mahirathi Ganga becomes Bhagirathi Ganga or Bhagirathi. Here Bhagi means division and Rathi means charioteer. Mahi means great.
The above descriptions and explaintions tell us that Bhagirathi is a GEOGRAPHICAL NAME. It is remarkable that the lower flow from division point (in Murshidabad) to sea at Gangasager was called as Bhagirathi. Again according to the name Bhagirathi of lower flow, the most upper flow from source Gomukh to Devaparaga was named as
Bhagirathi. Like this naming system was done by ancient navigators for demarcation of the total flow from Gomukh to Gangasager to avoid mistakes. If the upper flow would not named Bhagirathi the source point of Ganga might be considered to the source point of the river Yamuna or Chambal or so on. Again it was not hard work in ancient to discover the end point of Ganga at Gangasagar. But it was most hard work to discover the source point of Ganga. It is easy to understand from the legend that the king Bhagirath was the discoverer of source point of Ganga. At present we are unable to know the real name of Bhagirath in want of sufficient historical elements. And again it might be that the discoverer would like to be known as the son of Mother Bhagirathi. It is simple that the son of Bhagirathi would be named as Bhagirath. No doubt, the name Bhagirath comes from Bhagirathi, not Bhagirathi from Bhagirath