RAS question
The Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier as:
Correct answer: (A) Bhagirathi.
The Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier near Gaumukh as the Bhagirathi, and is known as the Ganga after the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag.
Explanation
The river asked about is the upper course of the Ganga system. NCERT identifies the source area as the Gangotri Glacier near Gaumukh in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand; at this point the river is known as the Bhagirathi. This is why Bhagirathi is the right answer, not simply another Himalayan tributary name. The name Ganga is used downstream only after the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag. Gaumukh is at 3,892 m, while the NCERT text rounds the height to about 3,900 m; both point to the same origin near the Gangotri Glacier.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Yamuna is wrong because Yamuna originates from Yamunotri, while the Gangotri-Gaumukh stream is identified as Bhagirathi.
- (C) Mandakini is wrong because the Gangotri-Gaumukh stream is Bhagirathi, whereas Mandakini is a different river in the Alaknanda system.
- (D) Alaknanda is wrong because NCERT treats it as the river that meets the Bhagirathi at Devprayag, after which the combined stream is called the Ganga.
Concept
This tests the Himalayan drainage system, especially the source names and confluence-based naming of major rivers. It recurs in RAS because questions on Indian geography often hinge on precise river origins, tributaries and prayags.