The Ganga (as the Bhagirathi) originates from the:

The Ganga rises as the Bhagirathi from the snout of the Gangotri glacier, at a place called Gaumukh ("cow's mouth"), at a height of about 3,900 to 4,000 metres in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

About the Gangotri glacier:

• It is one of the largest glaciers of the Himalayas, about 30 km long and 0.5 to 2.5 km wide.
• It lies in the Garhwal Himalayas, surrounded by peaks such as Shivling, Thalay Sagar, Meru and Bhagirathi.
• Like most Himalayan glaciers, it has been retreating, partly because of climate change; its snout has moved back by over a kilometre in the past century or so.

Gangotri town:

• The Gangotri temple, dedicated to the goddess Ganga, lies about 18 km downstream from Gaumukh, in Uttarkashi district.
• It is one of the four Char Dham shrines of Uttarakhand.
• According to legend, King Bhagiratha performed penance here to bring the Ganga down from heaven to earth, which is why the river is called the Bhagirathi at its source.

Formation of the Ganga:

• The Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda are the two headstreams of the Ganga.
• They join at a town in Uttarakhand, and from that point the combined river is called the Ganga; the confluence is covered in a separate question.
• The Ganga then enters the plains at Haridwar.

Facts about the Ganga:

• It is India's longest river and its national river (declared in 2008).
• Its basin is the largest in India.
• It flows into the Bay of Bengal through a vast delta.

The Gangotri National Park:

The Gangotri glacier lies within the Gangotri National Park, home to snow leopards, Himalayan blue sheep (bharal) and musk deer.

Namami Gange:

The Namami Gange Programme, launched in 2014, aims to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Chhota Shigri glacier lies in the Lahaul area of Himachal Pradesh.
• ✗Satopanth glacier is the source of the Alaknanda.
• ✗Milam glacier is the source of the Gori Ganga, a tributary of the Kali.