Ganga — The Lifeline of India

Rivers are the arteries of human civilization which feed selflessly with love and care, and so all civilization is built alongside the rivers. In the northern to south-eastern part of India, the majority of civilization developed around the river Ganges and its tributaries. Ganga, or Ganges, as it is internationally called, is the most important lifeline of India. The Ganges River basin has been inhabited by humans since the 2nd millennium BC.

With its origin in the Gangotri glacier in the northern Himalayan mountains, the Ganges remains one of the leading rivers in the world. It travels 2,510 km to the sea, supports 400 million people along its banks, and creates the world’s largest delta in India and Bangladesh. Although shorter than other major rivers, its significance comes from the rich culture, religion, economy, and livelihood it provides — and arguably no other river has such a fan following.

Ganges remains the most holy river in Hinduism. From the birth of a child to death, life’s association with this mystic river is a quintessential part of the Hindu way of life. There is a belief that after cremation, if a Hindu’s ashes are immersed in the Ganges, the soul will travel undoubtedly to heaven.

With great responsibility comes great burden. Ganges carries the burden of being one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Its banks are populated by large cities, and it is forced to absorb human waste and industrial waste.

Another concern today is the alarming rate at which the Gangotri glacier is melting. If the current rate continues, the probability of the Ganges drying up in the near future becomes real. This is my main concern, as the majority of Indians and most of the world are unaware of this catastrophe. Hindus in India still treat Ganges as a Goddess, and nobody can imagine where we are heading if corrective actions are not taken immediately.

As a visual artist, I am looking for the opportunity to learn from this great river of Indian civilization and wish to share my experience and learnings through my artwork — documenting it in visual form so that present and future generations are able to appreciate the legacy of this lifeline of India. I intend to journey across the flow of the river, from its origin to its end, and capture in this project the daily life that depends on it and the changes it is undergoing — through paintings, photography, video, and mixed media.

I was raised in a Hindu family in Kolkata, on the bank of the river Hooghly (a tributary of the Ganges). I witnessed my family’s involvement with Ganges during daily religious activities. Then, I was not aware of pollution or climate change; for me, the Ganges and its pious water were a Godly substance. As I grew up and became aware of the actual situation, I felt the responsibility to act. I believe through this project I can create sensitivity and repay my devotion to the greatest legacy of India.

I am inspired by the ancient classical Indian poet Kalidasa (c. 4th–5th century CE), who wrote the epic Meghaduta in Sanskrit. Kalidasa described aesthetically the landscapes of India, the ancient cities, rivers, flora and fauna of his time. Indian poets such as Rabindranath Tagore, Michael Madhusudan Dutta, and Jibanananda Das were inspired by his work. Tagore was particularly drawn to Kalidasa; he disliked the changed landscape of his own time and longed for Kalidasa’s era. He described these feelings in his poems more than 100 years ago. Inspired by Tagore, I feel a similar pain about what development has brought to India. I felt my inner voice urging me to work on the changes happening to the river Ganges and the lives gathered around it.