GeoOracle #94: Ganges
15 September 2026 · Region · Difficulty 2 of 5
How it opened
I flow from snow-capped peaks toward an ancient delta, my waters sacred to millions who have thrived along my banks for millennia.
The five clues
- 01A ribbon of life born in the high Himalayas, I transform into a different name when I cross into the neighboring realm.
- 02I rise in Uttarakhand's western mountains and traverse the vast plain of North India before reaching Bangladesh.
- 03I receive the Yamuna from the right and countless tributaries from Nepal on my left, shaping civilization's most densely populated river system.
- 04My flow is partially diverted southward through a feeder canal in West Bengal, artificially connecting me to the Hooghly River.
- 05I am the second-largest river on Earth by discharge, eventually joining the Brahmaputra and Meghna to form a massive delta emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
The answer
Ganges
About this place
This trans-boundary river has been the lifeblood of South Asia for millennia, rising from the western Himalayas in Uttarakhand and carving through the Gangetic plain that supports hundreds of millions. As it flows southeastward through India and Bangladesh, it transforms into the Padma, merging with the mighty Brahmaputra to create one of Earth's most powerful river systems. The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system stands as the second-largest river by discharge, its delta shaping geography and culture across two nations.
Geography
The Ganges crosses the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, flowing out of the western Himalayas in Uttarakhand before turning south and east across the wide lowlands of North India. Along this stretch it takes in water from the Yamuna, arriving from the same mountain range, and from a set of streams descending out of Nepal that supply most of its volume. Further downstream, in West Bengal, part of its water is drawn off through a man-made channel toward the Hooghly, while the main course pushes on toward Bangladesh.
History
The river's course took shape as meltwater and monsoon runoff from the western Himalayas carved a path down through Uttarakhand into the plains below. Its character was further shaped by major tributaries joining in: the Yamuna from the same high ranges, and Nepalese streams whose combined discharge came to dominate its flow. In West Bengal, engineered works added another layer, splitting part of the river toward the Hooghly and altering how its waters reach the sea.
Notable features
Beyond India, the river's name changes to Padma as it enters Bangladesh, where it merges with the Jamuna, the lower Brahmaputra, and later the Meghna. Together these waters build the vast Ganges Delta before draining into the Bay of Bengal. This combined Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna system ranks as the second-largest river on Earth by discharge, a scale that makes it one of the defining waterways of South Asia.
Fact sheet
- Country
- India
- Continent
- Asia
- Coordinates
- 30.145, 78.597
Related puzzles
Other finished puzzles close to this one: same country, nearby, same continent or the same kind of place.