| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (49 min. 1 sec.) ; 296936678 bytes |
| Summary |
We descend from the foothills of the Himalayas to join the Ganges on its journey across the vast Indian plains. On the way, we pass some of the greatest and most ancient cities, and witness how the Ganges has influenced Indian civilisation and wildlife for thousands of years.This episode takes us on a journey right across the vast central Indian plain. This was once the heart of India's wilderness, a thriving mosaic of jungle, grasslands and wetlands, home to tigers, elephants and wild buffalo. These plains are also the cradle of Indian civilisation. For 5,000 years empires have flourished and fallen along the banks of the Ganges. The program explores how the Mughals built magnificent palaces and diverted the river's waters into huge irrigation canals to create vast agricultural fields along the river banks. European invaders used the mighty river as a huge transport route that brought ships, factories and warehouses to the banks of Ganges. And the British Raj left a legacy of railways, colonial buildings and the great city of Calcutta. Magnificent cities and buildings still play host to timeless festivals and rituals - from the cremation ghats in Varanasi to the fire festivals in Haridwar and the ultimate celebration of the river, the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, perhaps the largest human gathering on Earth, attended by 50 million devotees. Today, one-tenth of the world's population lives within the Gangetic basin, yet, surprisingly, some wildlife still thrives on these crowded plains. Sarus cranes now perform their courtship dances amongst rice paddies, whilst troops of macaques dwell in ancient temples and mango orchards. But others, like the unique Gangetic river dolphins and gharial crocodiles, have all but gone, only surviving in remote stretches of the river.PRODUCTION DETAILS:A BBC/Travel Channel co-production. Series Producer: Ian Gray; Executive Producer: Brian Leith |
| Notes |
Closed captioning in English |
| Event |
Broadcast 2010-11-18 at 18:00:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Hindu mythology.
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Livestock -- Showing.
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Marine animals -- Effect of water pollution on.
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Streamflow.
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Swamp ecology.
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Wilderness areas -- Management.
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Asia -- Ganges River.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Bhuchar, Sudha, cast
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