Originating in the Himalayas and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges is India's most important and sacred river. Weaving together geography, environmental politics, and religious history, Sudipta Sen tells the story of the Ganges, from the communities that arose on its banks in prehistoric times to the multinational merchants who have long navigated its waters. Sen chronicles the Ganges's myths of origin in the Hindu tradition, its significance during the ascendancy of popular Buddhism, and the ways that the river came to occupy center stage in the history and culture of the subcontinent—both shaping and being shaped by the millions of people who live alongside it.