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Former good article nomineeGanges was a Geography and places good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
July 10, 2012Good article nomineeNot listed

Change the word Ganges with Ganga.

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Why is the Ganga river referred to as the Ganges in this article? The world doesn't revolve around the British. The original name is Ganga and should be referred to as Ganga only. It's an Indian river, so there's no need to name it as the Ganges just because some British mispronounced it. TheDarkKnight433 (talk) 19:03, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@TheDarkKnight433, please see the first discussion on this page and the many discussions about this in the archives which you can access from the archive box at the top of the page. There was a move discussion about exactly this just a few months ago at Talk:Ganges/Archive_7 that you should read first for some background on why this article is at Ganges. Ravensfire (talk) 19:13, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, after reading the entire discussion, it's evident that many people were in favor of changing the name of the river to its original name, which is "Ganga". "Ganges" isn't even an English word; Britishers who resided here weren't able to pronounce its actual name, so they called it Ganges. This river originates from India, and the word "Ganga" predates the English language itself. No one refers to it as the Ganges here in India. Therefore, I propose to reopen this discussion. TheDarkKnight433 (talk) 19:27, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@TheDarkKnight33:, you write: No one refers to it as the Ganges here in India. Please see [1] RegentsPark (comment) 22:20, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Giving an example of a hotel? What if it's owned by some other nationals? I will give you more relevant source. How about from Government of India? TheDarkKnight433 (talk) 23:20, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@TheDarkKnight433:. Not one hotel, many hotels, and clearly not owned by "other nationals". But, since you bring up government sites, take a look at this one from the Uttar Pradesh ministry. Unfortunately, your "no one refers to the Ganges here in India" is just plain incorrect.RegentsPark (comment) 12:31, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
As extensively discussed a few months ago, WP:COMMONNAME has the article using Ganges. I'm quite sure you're able to find source that use your preferred name - please note all of that was included in the discussion. Ravensfire (talk) 00:50, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
It doesn't matter what some people use. The ORIGINAL and official name is GANGA and you have to use that only. Indian places/geography should be written using original Indian names. Not what COLONIALISTS misspelled. 2409:408C:9113:F136:0:0:10BC:50A1 (talk) 10:11, 4 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This is the English Wikipedia, which uses the COMMONNAME in English, so it is recognized by our readers, world-wide. We do not "have to use" the official name as is explained at Official name. As explained above, this matter has been extensively discussed, and the consensus was to keep with Ganges. Please do not edit contrary to consensus. Thank you - Arjayay (talk) 12:00, 4 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Correct me if I am wrong. WP:COMMONNAME only takes "English published news sources" for consideration. Is that so? Because in web search trend, use of Ganga clearly surpasses Ganges by a margin of 50-100 times (times, not percent) — which is what COMMON people use. Waonderer (talk) 05:17, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I would be careful when using google trends. Ganga is also a fairly common name of a person. Ganges is not. RegentsPark (comment) 16:10, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Not to mention a popular recreational drug .... Johnbod (talk) 01:21, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The Google Ngram is a better tool, though I'm not sure how to filter out results for the Goddess, people's names, misspellings of "ganja", etc. Dāsānudāsa (talk) 07:59, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This is the English Wikipedia, which means the titles must be in English format. If you look at some Indian-language versions of Wikipedia, you will see Ganga. CodeMiner11 (talk) 17:45, 14 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]
You can't just unilaterally declare consensus. If there could be consensus here on something it is that there's no consensus. 72.159.77.93 (talk) 23:44, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The Name should be changed to Ganga - which is the original and correct name. What is Ganges? It's a Colonial Racist name! 68.116.189.102 (talk) 00:52, 24 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
To repeat, this is the English Wikipedia, which uses the COMMONNAME in English, so it is recognized by our readers, world-wide. Johnbod (talk) 01:21, 25 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The argument that the title of this article should remain as "Ganges" because Wikipedia typically uses the "common English name" overlooks the evolving linguistic, cultural, and scholarly context surrounding the river. While "Ganges" has historically been the English term for the river, the name "Ganga" is increasingly used in academic, environmental, and international circles, and is arguably a more accurate reflection of the river's significance in its native and global contexts.
== 1. Cultural and Linguistic Significance ==
The name Ganga is the indigenous name of the river in Sanskrit, Hindi, and many other languages of the Indian subcontinent. It holds deep cultural, religious, and geographical significance, especially in India, where the river is revered as a goddess. The term "Ganges," while historically used in the West, does not carry the same cultural weight.
== 2. Prevalence of "Ganga" in Modern Discourse ==
There has been a noticeable shift in English-language usage toward "Ganga" in recent years. This shift is evident in scholarly texts, government publications, environmental campaigns, and media outlets. The increasing use of "Ganga" reflects a broader cultural and linguistic recognition of the river's name in its native context.
== 3. References to "Ganga" in Scholarly and International Contexts ==
== 4. Use of "Ganga" in Global Media and Academic Publications ==
== 5. Why "Ganga" is the Correct Term ==
Using "Ganga" instead of "Ganges" is not only more culturally accurate but also aligns with global trends in language use. As the world recognizes the importance of the original name, this shift away from the anglicized "Ganges" reflects a growing awareness of cultural respect and linguistic accuracy.
In light of the preponderance of usage of "Ganga" across scholarly, media, and environmental contexts, I propose that the article title be changed to Ganga to better reflect the river's true significance and its increasing recognition in global discourse. MHGA2025 (talk) 17:31, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Posting AI-generated text on talk pages will not convince anyone, and is quite rude to boot. You should not do this again. MrOllie (talk) 17:37, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Really? I am the rude one? Can you please provide cogent arguments against what I said instead of ad hominem attacks? MHGA2025 (talk) 18:28, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not here to debate with chatbots. PS: All the links in your message are broken or don't say what the message claims they would say. The books don't exist. That's because AI chatbots just make up fake citations. MrOllie (talk) 18:35, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, please don't use AI, it's a violation of Wikipedia's Terms of Service. You can be banned for this. CodeMiner11 (talk) 23:55, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Wow someone using a play on my handle to post. Guess I should feel flattered?
I wouldn't have used AI though. Not because I feel the use of AI is particularly egregious (it's certainly less egregious than the openly anglo-centric position many hold here). Providing evidence for something like this is a waste of time.
That the river should be called Ganga is a self evident truth. MHGA2024 (talk) 01:23, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think it's right to blame "someone" for you using AI on Wikipedia. It would be better if you apologized. CodeMiner11 (talk) 01:40, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Huh? I don't even follow this page. I am more interested in Wikipedia's coverage of genocide. But now I follow this page obviously. MHGA2024 (talk) 01:47, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Imagine coming on the English Wikipedia and then complaining about anglocentrism. Dāsānudāsa (talk) 08:42, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I just got to see this article and talk page and I agree with you 100%.
There's a reason the Wikipedia pages for Kolkata, Mumbai etc are called that and not their former names.
Guys, it's called Ganga. Get convinced or move over. This is not even like Denali vs McKinley where the folks who called it Denali are long gone - falling prey to disease and wanton violence. You have a billion and a half people telling you it's odd that you're hanging on to colonial usage of a river in their country and you want evidence? MHGA2024 (talk) 01:33, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
yes we all support you .and want to correct the mistake .so please allow to edit it .we calls china chin in india so that doesn't mean china to replace its name with chin.why it is written ganges i never in my life heard of it. Sandysandp (talk) 15:10, 22 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
yes we all support you .and want to correct the mistake .so please allow to edit it .we calls china chin in india so that doesn't mean china to replace its name with chin.why it is written ganges i never in my life heard of it. Sandysandp (talk) 15:11, 22 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 21 March 2025

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Laigia.ca (talk) 18:17, 21 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

'by mistake add on link

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cannolis (talk) 18:47, 21 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Correct River Name to what it is called in ever text written in history

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Correct Ganges to Ganga 1 is written as 1 not 2 Sandysandp (talk) 15:27, 22 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Bob the minion (talk) 22:55, 23 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I believe it's a proposal to rename the page, which I support. In India, in Indian English, which this article should be written in because English is spoken in India and the article has to do with India, it is called Ganga. Counting everything from "See also" to "External links", there are 63 uses of "Ganga", 62 of "Ganges", and 5 of "Padma". Not only is "Ganga" the more relevant name in the regional dialect, but it's equally, if not slightly more, common in the source material this article draws on. We aren't Britannica; we don't have to sound British. 1101 (talk) 10:19, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
"Ganga river" - About 4,550,000 results.
"Ganges river" - About 4,590,000 results.
They are about equally common, but variation is regional. Ganga is the more common name in the region the Ganga is in. 1101 (talk) 10:23, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Google hits are not reliable for this purpose. If you consult NGrams you'll get relevant data. And if you include the most common way it is referred to in english, 'The Ganges', that overshadows all other options. MrOllie (talk) 11:55, 27 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Your last statement is an opinion. English is spoken by tens of millions of Indians, and in Indian English, usage of Ganga is much more than Ganges. And by the way, this river is culturally most relevant to India, so the common name used over there should be the one used.
PS: You may argue "why not Padma then?". Padma is a distributary of Ganga. Smart Sherlock (talk) 06:36, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Your last statement is an opinion. I gave a link to the data supporting my statement, you have not. MrOllie (talk) 11:52, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Ganga+river%2CGanges+river%2CThe+Ganges%2CThe+Ganja%2Cganga%2C+the+ganga&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&case_insensitive=true&corpus=en&smoothing=0#
Look here. Smart Sherlock (talk) 12:30, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Here is the data for the past year.[2] The result is overwhelming, and worldwide. By the way, I am American-born and even I say Ganga, not Ganges. Ganges sounds extremely British to me. 1101 (talk) 13:16, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, and on YouTube, as well.[3]
Also, in some of those past discussions there was a significant degree of ignorance or misunderstanding among the claims made by editors, such as that Ganges is the English name and Ganga is a Hindi name. That isn't true, Ganga is a word in English. Hindi doesn't use the Roman alphabet. I've also seen editors claim Ganga is only recognizable in South Asia, but not in most English-speaking countries. Well, first of all, India is an English-speaking country. Second of all, Americans like me recognize Ganga.[4]
We need a new discussion, preferably driven by editors who actually know what they're talking about, and not who speak out of ignorance or personal biases against the very existence of Indian English. 1101 (talk) 13:23, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The current name doesn't benefit Americans, who don't care either way or are split. It doesn't benefits Indians, who prefer Ganga. It doesn't benefit a worldwide audience, who also prefers Ganga. It only seems to take the current name for the benefit of the British, probably because they historically colonized many parts of India, such as Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, but renamed — as this article should be! 1101 (talk) 13:28, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Your use of NGrams was misleading. 1101 (talk) 12:22, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
[5]. 1101 (talk) 12:23, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Imagine using a British name for something American. Like calling an American soccer team a football team. It's just ridiculous. The British don't have primacy when it comes to the English language. It exists in multiple countries, including India. 1101 (talk) 12:25, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
(Reply to nobody in particular) Is this for the same reason that our Italy article is not called Italia? Or why our Germany article isn't called
Deutschland? Knitsey (talk) 13:56, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
You don't seem to understand.
  1. The data is on my side.
  2. Ganga is English.
1101 (talk) 13:58, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
It is my understanding that Ganges is Hellenistic (Gangis), then Latin, which is where the English language version is taken from? Knitsey (talk) 14:05, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Ganga isn't a translation, it is the word used in Indian English! Same with Mumbai vs Bombay. Smart Sherlock (talk) 17:43, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 3 April 2025

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Ganges → Ganga – To use the most common English-language name, the most easily recognized English-language name, and the name in India's national variety of English.[6][7][8][9] (see preceding discussion above) 1101 (talk) 13:58, 3 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

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