The Ganges is the lifeblood of India, carrying over a thousand names. To the priests who recount the ancient myths at its source, it is the origin of the world; its water is sacred and healing. Ilija Trojanow has traveled the great river from the Himalayas, where it breaks from eternal ice, to the bustling cities, navigating it and its banks by boat, bus, on foot, and in overcrowded trains. He attends Hindu festivals and speaks with people who warn of an ecological disaster due to the gigantic dams. His colorful account is a literary homage to a country caught between ancient traditions and a highly uncertain modernity, and to the sacred river that flows through it for hundreds of kilometers.