Question

The headwaters of the Ganga is called the ___
A.Bhagirathi
B.Alaknanda
C.Gangotri Glacier
D.None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The headwaters of a river are the source of its formation. Sometimes various small tributaries join together to form a river. In that case, the tributary starting from the farthest point of the joining point would be considered the headwater of the river.

Complete answer: Option A: Bhagirathi is a Himalayan river in Uttarakhand. In Hindu mythology, Bhagirathi is considered the headwater of Ganga. It is 205 km in length and meets the Ganges. It flows through the cities of Devprayag, Gangotri, Uttarkashi, and New Tehri.
Option B: Alaknanda originates at the Satopanth Glacier, and meets Bhagirathi at Devprayag and becomes Ganga. It is 195 km in length and its mouth is at the Ganges. Its tributaries are Saraswati, Dhauliganga, Nandakini, Mandakini, and Pindar.
Option C: Gangotri glacier is located in Uttarkashi, a region bordering Tibet. It is 30km in length and 2-4 km in width. It is surrounded by peaks such as Shivling, Meru, etc.

Therefore the correct answer is Option A Bhagirathi.

Note: While the Gangotri glacier is at the highest point, and the end of the glacier is the beginning of the river Bhagirathi, it is still not considered the headwaters of Ganga as the correct answer is Bhagirathi. Alaknanda and Bhagirathi both converge to form the Ganga; however Bhagirathi is longer and therefore farther away from the river, making it the actual headwater.