Every twelve years, tens of millions of men, women and children gather on the flood plain of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers in Allahabad, India, for the Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering of humanity for ...

Over the next few weeks, more than 120 million people will converge at the confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati, in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj for a ...

India's holy Ganges begins as a crystal clear river high in the icy Himalayas but pollution and excessive usage transforms it into toxic sludge in places on its journey through burgeoning cities, ...

There’s a dreamlike quality to Giulio Di Sturco’s photograph of Hindus preparing to bathe in the Ganges. Taken in soft morning light, the image shows devotees assembled by the river, their figures ...

More than 2,000 years ago, a powerful king built a fort on the banks of India's holiest river, on the fringes of what is now a vast industrial city. Today, little of the ancient construction remains, ...

The Ganges is a lifeline for millions of people who live within its catchment as a source of water, transport and food. During the Hindu pilgrimage known as Kumbh Mela the Ganges plays host to the ...

This story is part of a special National Geographic News series on global water issues. Even as pollution levels in the Ganges River continue to rise, recent legal rulings may offer up a new defense ...