My Journey to the River of India: The Ganga I Travelogue by Mihika

My Journey to the River of India: The Ganga

Namaste! My name is Mihika. I am a 9-year-old girl from Bengaluru. Last summer, I travelled to Uttarakhand with my parents and grandparents. I thought it would be a normal family holiday, but it turned into an exciting journey where I solved a mystery!

In my family, the Ganga is very special. My parents and grandparents often talked about it and wanted to take a holy dip in it. I kept wondering, “Why is everyone so excited about one river?” I had also heard stories that the Ganga came from the head of Lord Shiva. So I wondered, if I was going to see the Ganga, would I get to see Lord Shiva too? Those questions became my mystery.

Our first stop was Dehradun. The mountains and green surroundings made me feel that I had entered a completely different world. My parents told me that many rivers get their water from the Himalayas. I thought that might be my first clue.

From there, we took a winding road up to the hill station of Mussoorie. I was incredibly excited because Mussoorie is home to my absolute favourite author, Ruskin Bond! I have read so many of his ghost stories and tales about these very mountains. We rushed to the famous Cambridge Book Depot on Mall Road, which is where he always goes. Even though I didn’t get to meet him in person, the bookstore was amazing! It was filled with so many of his books. I bought a whole stack of them to read on the trip. Reading his stories right there in the mountains felt like my second big clue!

*Mihika Bhat at Mussoorie

Then we went to Haridwar, which is known as the Gateway to God. We visited the Chandi Devi Temple and Mansa Devi Temple. My favourite part was riding the cable car! I was so excited that I kept looking down at everything below.

We also visited Rishikesh and walked across Ram Jhula. Looking at the river flowing below while people prayed beside it made me understand that the Ganga is not just water to people. It is part of their faith and daily life. Right after we crossed the bridge, we went to eat at the famous Chotiwala Restaurant. It was so funny! There was a man sitting outside on a high chair dressed up as the “Chotiwala Maharaj” mascot with a giant painted face and a huge ponytail sticking straight up! I couldn’t stop looking at him. Inside, we ate a huge, delicious traditional North Indian Thali served with pure ghee. But despite all these amazing clues, I still had not solved my mystery.

Then we reached Devprayag. This was where everything became clear. At Devprayag, I saw two rivers, the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi, meeting each other and forming the Ganga. What amazed me was how different they looked! The Alaknanda looked calm and gentle, while the Bhagirathi looked fast and powerful. I could actually see the two rivers joining together. It reminded me of two completely different people becoming best friends and making something beautiful together.

*Mihika Bhat at Devaprayag

That was the moment I solved my mystery. I finally understood why the Ganga is so special. It is not just a river. It is connected with history, stories, faith, temples and the lives of millions of people.

I realized the Ganga is like a giant, magical thread. On one end, it keeps nature alive by bringing pure water all the way down from the snowy Himalayas to give food and water to millions of people. On the other end, it brings people closer together. Even though my family lives thousands of kilometres away in Bengaluru, the Ganga is a part of our daily prayers at home. It acts like a giant bridge that connects ancient stories of gods and kings with real, modern families today. It is like the ultimate grandmother of all rivers, watching over India for thousands of years.

My family and I also took a holy dip in the Ganga. The water was FREEZING! I wondered, “Brrr! Why is it so cold?” Then I remembered that the river gets its water from the snowy Himalayas.

I did not see Lord Shiva, but I came home with something more valuable—a better understanding of why the Ganga is so important. I also brought some Ganga water home. My family worships it every day. Whenever I see it, I remember Devprayag, the two rivers, and the mystery I solved.

---

FAQs

1. Who is the author of “My Journey to the River of India: The Ganga”?
The travelogue is written by 9-year-old Mihika from Bengaluru.

2. Where did Mihika travel with her family?
Mihika travelled to Uttarakhand with her parents and grandparents and visited places including Dehradun, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Devprayag.

3. Why was the Ganga special to Mihika’s family?
The Ganga was special because it is deeply connected with their faith, prayers and family traditions.

4. What mystery was Mihika trying to solve?
Mihika wondered why everyone was so excited about the Ganga and whether she might see Lord Shiva, after hearing the story that the Ganga descended from his head.

5. What did Mihika discover at Devprayag?
At Devprayag, she saw the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet and form the Ganga.

6. Why was Devprayag an important part of Mihika’s journey?
Devprayag helped Mihika understand how the Ganga is formed and became the moment when she solved her mystery.

7. What places did Mihika visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar?
She visited Ram Jhula in Rishikesh and Chandi Devi Temple and Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar.

8. What did Mihika enjoy about Mussoorie?
She loved visiting Cambridge Book Depot, associated with her favourite author, Ruskin Bond, and bought several of his books.

9. What did Mihika learn about the Ganga?
She learned that the Ganga is much more than a river. It is connected with nature, history, stories, faith and the lives of millions of people.

10. What did Mihika bring back from her journey?
Mihika brought some Ganga water home, which her family worships, along with wonderful memories and a deeper understanding of the river.

Where can you buy books?
You can buy books at Bookosmia.com and Amazon.

Voices of Play: A National Play Manifesto By Children, Of Children and For Every Caring Adult

Voices of Play: A National Play Manifesto By Children, Of Children and For Every Caring Adult is a Bachpan Manao Collabaction by REACH India Collective, Shiksharth, and EkStep Foundation. Published by Bookosmia. Illustrated by Samyuktha Udupa. Contributors: Deepika Mogilishetty, Ashish Shrivastava, Archana Mohan, Keren Sam, Hita Kumar and Varun Naik. Made possible by 22 partner organisations who captured the voices of over 4,000 children across 10 states. Does Play have a voice? What does Voices of Play mean? Across ten states and shaped by over 4,000 children, Voices of Play is a joyful window into the world of play told by children themselves. Brought to life with the support of 22 organisations, achored by Ek Step Foundation’s Bachpan Manao program, it gathers stories, games, and memories from anganwadis, community spaces, preschools, and classrooms— capturing a rich tapestry of childhoods and the worlds of play around us we may have never noticed before. With artwork recreated from children’s own drawings and moments captured from the field, this book, published proudly by Bookosmia (smell of books) is made with children, not just about them. Built on their trust, it celebrates play as imagination, memory, and a language that belongs to every child.

This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.
Photo Credit –: AI generated images from Chat GPT and Magic Media from Canva .Gemini AI and jetpack Image Generator

Want to publish your articles, reviews, stories, audio stories, bedtime stories and poems ?
Did you know that children can submit audio stories to be turned into Bedtime Stories and published on Bedtime Stories – A Podcast by Bookosmia?
Write to us at sara@bookosmia.com or submit your article at the link below
Get Published

Europe Through My Eyes I Travelogue By Shaurya