I am not at all sure how did the British came up with the name ‘”the Ganges” for the Ganga. But I do know where the Ganga comes from! The river Ganga is formed at a place called Devprayag at the juncture of the Bhagirathi river and the Alaknanda river. The Bhagirathi is named after king Bhagiratha who brought down the celestial Ganga from the heavens. And the word Alaknanda literally means a young girl- the curls or the locks of hair of a young girl between 8 to 10 years which may also mean a young girl herself. The curls and locks of her hair are the waves of the river or the way of the Alaknanda in the Himalayas. When they meet at Devprayag- She is called the Ganga. Also read: The Last Journey to Ganga and scenes from my Ancestral village And The Ganga means ‘She who moves Swiftly’. It is ironical because after Devprayag, the valley slowly starts opening up. The water still remains chilled but here coming to Rishikesh from …