The Ganges River begins with melting snow from the Himalayan Mountains, and it winds 1,500 miles east through the tropical climate of northern India as its tributaries combine to form the river that the Hindu religion considers the sacred territory of the goddess Ganga. Bathing in the river, and drinking from it, transform an ordinary routine into a religious experience. People from all over India travel to the Ganges, following wide steps down into the river. A bottle of the water, taken home, is part souvenir and part holy relic.
