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How does the Ganges River flow from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal?

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Physical map showing the Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage networks across northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet (China), and Myanmar. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, from the high Himalayas in brown and white to lowland plains in green, and marks major rivers, tributaries, glaciers, dams, irrigated areas, and regions subject to flooding. An inset locator map highlights the region within South Asia. — Ganges River The Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage network.

The Ganges River originates in the southern Great Himalayas of northern India, primarily from two headstreams: the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi. These streams unite at Devprayag to form the main river, which then flows southwestward through the Siwalik Range before emerging onto the Indo-Gangetic Plain at Haridwar.1

From there, the river generally flows in a southeastward direction across the plains of northern India, receiving numerous tributaries such as the Yamuna, Gomati, and Ghaghara. Upon reaching central West Bengal, the river approaches the apex of its delta near the Farakka Barrage, where it begins to split into various distributaries.12

As it enters Bangladesh, the river—locally known as the Padma—joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) and eventually the Meghna River. The system finally empties into the Bay of Bengal through a vast network of channels and the Ganges delta, which includes the Sundarbans mangrove forest.134