RAS question
The Ganges originates as the Bhagirathi from:
Correct answer: (B) Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh.
The Ganges originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.
Explanation
The point being tested is the headstream name, not just the popular name of the river. The State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCG) Namami Gange Uttarakhand identifies the Bhagirathi as the source stream of the Ganga and says it emanates from the Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m. This is in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. The river is called Bhagirathi at this stage; at Devprayag, where the Alaknanda joins it, the river acquires the name Ganga. This is why Gangotri Glacier at Gaumukh is the precise answer, while other Himalayan glaciers in the options belong to different river systems or headstreams.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Yamunotri Glacier is associated with the Yamuna, so it does not identify the Bhagirathi source of the Ganga.
- (C) Milam Glacier is linked to the Gori Ganga, not to the Bhagirathi headstream of the Ganga.
- (D) Satopanth Glacier is linked to the Alaknanda, which meets the Bhagirathi at Devprayag rather than being the Bhagirathi's source.
Concept
This tests Indian drainage geography, especially the distinction between a river's source stream and the name it takes after confluence. RAS repeatedly asks such items because Himalayan river origins, confluences and tributary systems are core map-based facts.