Ganges river cruises

At 2,500km in length, with a vast delta that spans 70,000km^², and so wide at some points that it’s almost impossible to see the opposite bank, the Ganges is one of the world’s mightiest rivers. The Ganges’ importance to Hindus who worship it as the goddess Ganga cannot be overstated: the ashes of thousands of people are scattered on it every day, and those that bathe in it believe their sins to be washed away. Many of India’s capitals were built along its banks, while some 400 million people live close to the river, often drawing their livelihood from it. The Ganges is an ever-flowing, ever-the-same symbol of India itself, as deep as 33m in places but deeper still in spirituality.

Ironically, given how sacred the river is, the Ganges is terribly polluted, and much of the river’s wildlife is at risk of dying out – the Ganges river dolphin and many other species are critically endangered. One cause of that pollution is human remains. Those who die in the holy city of Varanasi consider themselves lucky – they can be cremated on the riverbank, and receive instant salvation, while their ashes are immersed in the water. This is tradition. It’s not a practice many would want, or think possible, to end. But river cruises on the Ganges are a good way of promoting tourism as a source of income that relies on taking better care of the river, while encouraging local communities to keep control of litter on its banks.