Introduction
Ganga is the river goddess, the personification of the Ganges. The Bala Kanda tells how she was brought from the heavens to earth by the penance of Bhagiratha.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
The descent
The sons of Sagara had been burned to ashes by the sage Kapila, and only the waters of Ganga could free them. Bhagiratha performed penance for many years, until Brahma agreed to send the goddess down. Because the earth could not bear her force, Shiva caught Ganga in his hair and released her gently.
Names
She followed Bhagiratha's chariot and is called Bhagirathi. When she flooded the sacrifice of the sage Jahnu, he drank her, and released her, so she is also called Jahnavi.
Origin
In the Bala Kanda, Ganga is the elder daughter of the mountain Himavan.