Distraught after the death of his wife Sati, Shiva isolates himself and becomes immersed in deep meditation. Prompted by the evil Paap (sin) to capitalize on the opportunity, the demon Taraka who had been granted a boon that he could only die at the hands of Shiva's son stages an attack on Devalok, ousting the demigods. To restore order and vanquish sin, Adishakti takes birth as Ganga and Uma, the daughters of Himavat, king of the mountains. While younger sister Uma undertakes arduous austerities to break Shiva's penance and beget the child prophesied to slay Taraka, elder sister Ganga is brought to heaven. Raised under the tutelage of Brahma and sanctified by the water that had once washed the feet of Vishnu, Ganga becomes a celestial river coursing the heavens, purifying anything she touches. With Ganga guarding heaven's periphery, the defeated Paap turns his sight to earth. There he ravages the land and its inhabitants alike, until Ganga is besought to descend upon earth to wash away sin with her cleansing waters.
