Ganga in Ceylon and India

Summary

Under the heading “Miscellany,” this short note addresses the meaning and distribution of the term “gāṅgā” in epigraphical sources and regional nomenclature. The Gunai­ghar Grant of Vainyagupta, a 6th‑century copperplate from Bengal, uses the phrase “paścimena Ha(?)‑cātagaṃgā” to denote a boundary described as a “stream.” The editor renders “gang” (gāṅgā) as “stream,” pointing out that in Eastern Bengal the word still carries that sense. The author cites additional inscriptions where “gāṅgā” simply means stream or river rather than specifically the sacred Ganges. He notes that the average North Indian associates “Ganges” exclusively with the river at Benares but may attach different sanctity to its regional branches such as the Padmā or Bhāgirathi. In Ceylon, numerous rivers incorporate the term “gāṅgā” in their names: the Kelāni‑gāṅgā near Colombo, the Kalu‑gāṅgā in the Western Province, the Nilvala‑gāṅgā in the Southern Province, the Māgama‑gāṅgā and Kataragāma‑gāṅgā in the east, and the Mahāweli‑gāṅgā, the island’s longest river. These names show that “gāṅgā” simply means river in Sinhala. The author argues that the presence of “gāṅgā” in place names across India and Ceylon reflects a linguistic rather than a religious usage. He cautions against reading cultic significance into geographic names and suggests that, in several inscriptions, “bathing in the Ha(?)‑cāta‑gaṃgā” cannot be taken to mean bathing in the Gangā river. The note thus underscores the importance of contextualising epigraphic terminology and recognising regional linguistic variations.