Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Rivers Tapti, Sutlej,beas& chenab

Courtesy: Mr.Gopala krishnan
=====================
NARMADA SINDHU KAVERI
GODAVRI NAMOSTHUTHAE 28
(To be concluded with series …. 30)
Dear friends
This is part 28 of the posting under the above title. I have covered all the
rivers told under the title already. I am continuing under the same title since
many members responded expressing the desire to post about other rivers also and
felt the title very impressive to them. This posting is about the rivers TAPTI .
Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan
1.Tapti River Introduction
The Tapti River is a river in central India, in Gujarat passing from Surat and
Songadh . It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with a length of
around 724 km. It is one of only three rivers in peninsular India that run from
east to west - the others being the Narmada River and the Mahi River of
Pondichery state . We pass through Mahi on the way to Kannur from Calicut of
Kerala state!!
The river rises in the eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya Pradesh state,
and flows westward, draining Madhya Pradesh's Nimar region, Maharashtra's
Kandesh and east Vidarbha regions in the northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau
and south Gujarat, before emptying into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea,
in the Surat District of Gujarat.
The river, along with the northern parallel Narmada river, form the boundaries
between North and South India.( If I recollect this was toaught in middle school
classes)
The Western Ghats or Sahyadri range starts south of the Tapti River near the
border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Tapti (Tapi) River empties into the Gulf
of Khambhat near the city of Surat in Gujarat.
2. Name- Mythology origin
The Tapti River originates in the Betul district from a place called Multai. The
Sanskrit name of Multai is Mulatapi, meaning origin of Tâpî Mâtâ or the Tapti
River.
Tapti is the daughter of Surya, the Sun God.( I knew about YAMI brother of
Yama , but Tapthi also daughter of SunGod is a new information to me )
The Tapi River in Thailand, was named after India's Tapti River in August 1915.
3.River basin and tributaries
The Tapti River basin encompasses an area of 65,145 km², which is nearly two
percent of the total area of India. The basin lies in the states of Maharashtra
(51,504 km²), Madhya Pradesh (9,804 km²) and Gujarat (3,837 km²).
The basin lies mostly in the northern and eastern districts Maharashtra state,
including Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, and
Nashik districts, but also includes the Betul and Burhanpur districts of Madhya
Pradesh and the Surat district of Gujarat.
4.List of tributaries
The principal tributaries of the Tapti River are the Purna River, Girna River,
Panzara River, Waghur River, Bori River and Aner River. Wikipedia list 42 more
rivers (Forty two rivers !!!) as other tributaries which include:
Shiva River in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra State
Arunavati River in Dhule district of Maharashtra state
Girna River in Nashik, Malegaon, Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra state. Joins
Tapti River at Kapileshwar at Dhule and Jalgaon Border
Purna River in Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra state
and Madhya Pradesh State. Joins Tapti River at Changdev in Jalgaon
Nala ganga and Viswa ganga rivers in Buldhana
Viswamithri and Umaa rivers in Akola
Chandra Bhaga and Khadu rivers in Amaravati
5.Some thing more about Poorna river
The word Purna means Complete. It is also equivalent to word 'Sampurna'
Purna River was also called as 'Payoshni' or 'Paisani'. ("Amrut") It is Sanskrit
word which means Ambrosia. Perhaps it was called as Payoshni/Paisani because it
flows through salt water belt but has very a good taste and is very
Hygenic.There are many rivers named as Purna
5.Places of interest
Major towns along the river include Multai, Betul and Burhanpur in Madhya
Pradesh, Bhusawal in Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat.
Major crossings of the river include the road bridge Sawalde in Dhule for
National Highway 3 and the railway bridge at Bhusawal for the Bhusawal - Khandwa
section of the Central Railway. The river is dammed by Hatnur Dam in Jalgaon,
Maharashtra and Ukai Dam in Songadh, Gujarat.
Other important sites along the river include the Melghat Tiger Reserve in
Amravati district, part of Project Tiger, on the southeast bank along the Madhya
Pradesh and Maharashtra boundary. Historical landmarks include the Asirgarh
fortress near Burhanpur, also known as the "key to the Deccan", and the ancient
Temple of Changdeo Maharaj at Changdev in Jalgaon.
6.Sangam River Introduction
Sangam is the confluence of three of the holiest rivers in Hindu mythology -
Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. At the Sangam, the waters of the
Ganges and the Yamuna can be distinctly seen to merge into one. At Allahabad,
the meeting point of the rivers is believed to have great soul cleansing powers
and is a major pilgrimage site. It is even more holy because the invisible
Saraswati river is supposed to the join the Ganga and Yamuna at this point. It
is in Allahabad we perform the 1st phase of Gaya sraadha.
7.Legendry Saga:
According to mythology, the gods and demons once churned the oceans to retrieve
a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality - amrit -- after which a struggle
ensued between the two to wrest control of this pitcher. It is said that during
the scuffle, a few drops of amrit were spilled at places, making them hallowed
and sacred. The waters at the Sangam are believed to have received the amrit too
and a dip in these holy waters during the Kumbh is believed to cleanse and
purify the soul.
8.Religious Importance:
Brahma is said to have called this spot Tirth Raj, or 'King of Pilgrimage
sites'. The holy confluence draws pilgrims at all times, specially during the
Kumbh Mela time when loyal pilgrims gather here to offer their penances and seek
blessings.
It is believed that it is at the Sangam, that a few drops of the nectar 'Amrit
Bindu' fell making its waters truly spiritual and replete with soul-cleansing
powers as told earlier too.
9.Kumbha mela
During the month of Magha (Mid Jan to Mid Feb) hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
come to the bath at this holy confluence for the festival known as Magh Mela.
The most propitious time of all happens every 12 years when the massive Kumbh
Mela takes place. At this time the Sangam truly comes alive and attracts the
devout/tourists from all over the world. Millions of devotees bathe ritually in
the waters to break the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
In next posting I will continue with CHENAB,SUTLEJ and BEAS RIVERS
NARMADA SINDHU KAVERI
GODAVRI NAMOSTHUTHAE 29
(To be concluded with NEXT POSTING)
Dear friends
This is part 29 of the posting under the above title. I have covered all the rivers told under the title already. I am continuing under the same title since many members responded expressing the desire to post about other rivers also and felt the title very impressive to them. This posting is about the rivers CHENAB, SUT LAJ and BEAS rivers. Since I have proposed to conclude with next posting some briefing is adopted.
Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan
1.Chenab/Chandra bhaga river – introduction
The Chenab River is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi located in the upper Himalayas in the Lahul and Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh, India. In its upper reaches it is also known as the Chandrabhaga. It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of the Punjab, forming the boundary between the Rechna and Jech interfluves (Doabs in Persian). It is joined by the Jhelum River at Trimmu and then by the Ravi River Ahmedpur Sial. It then merges with the Sutlej River near Uch Sharif, Pakistan to form the Panjnad or the 'Five Rivers', the fifth being the Beas River that joins the Satluj near Ferozepur, India.
The Chenab then joins the Indus at Mithankot, Pakistan. The total length of the Chenab is approximately 960 kilometres. The waters of the Chenab are allocated to Pakistan under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty.
2.History
The river was known to Indians in the Vedic period as Chandrabhaga also Ashkini or Iskmati and as Acesines to the Ancient Greeks. In 325 BC, Alexander the Great allegedly founded the town of Alexandria on the Indus (present day Uch Sharif or Mithankot or Chacharan in Pakistan) at the confluence of the Indus and the combined stream of Punjab rivers (currently known as the Panjnad River).
3. Conscious of Punjab
The Chenab has the same place in the consciousness of the people of the Punjab as, say, the Rhine holds for the Germans, or the Danube for the Austrians and the Hungarians. It is the iconic river around which Punjabi consciousness revolves, and plays a prominent part in the tale of Heer Ranjha, the Punjabi national epic and the legend of Sohni Mahiwal.
This river has been in the news of late due to the steps taken by the Indian government to build a number of hydropower dams along its length (in India) most notably the Baglihar hydel power project (expected time of completion 2008- no updating found). This is a result of the Indus Basin Project. These planned projects on Chenab have been hotly contested by Pakistan which says that India is breaking the terms and clauses of the Indus water treaty by storing and channelling the waters of this river, a claim totally rejected by the Indian government.
4.Bridges
Chenab is tributary to Indus River. The river is crossed in Jammu and Kashmir by the world's highest railway bridge.
5.SATLUJ RIVER
The Mighty Satluj River lies in the Ngari region of the Tibet, the Dauladhar range forms its Southern Range – the Uttarkashi Range making a part of Uttar Pradesh and the Shimla of Himachal Pradesh. Satluj River enters India through Shipki La – as high as 6, 608 mts from sea. The major tributaries to the Satluj River are the Indus Valley River – the main river of Pakistan.
6. Sutlej river cultivation
In India Satluj River makes an important source to cultivate various fruits and plants in the North Eastern Part. On both the sides of the river can be found crops of orchids, apricots, apples and grapes. It is the major source of providing life to many ornamental plants, which are grown in Indian Hill Stations – especially in the Northern India.
7. Major cities across Sutluj
Satluj crosses some of the major cities of India. Its course includes crossing - Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Solan, Mandi and Bilaspur districts. Some of the major tributaries of Satluj are viz. the Spiti, the Ropa, the Taiti, the Kashang, the Mulgaon, the Yula, the Wanger, the Throng and the Rupi as right bank tributaries, whereas the Tirung, the Gayathing, the Baspa, the Duling and the Soldang are left bank tributaries. Out of all these Baspa River, Spiti River, Nogli Khad and Soan River are the major Tributaries of Satluj River.
8. Pshong Tong Valley
In the Himalayan Ranges too, the Satluj River has a large deep area. This area is known as Pshong – Tong. Pshong Tong is a called as the fruit Valley for the variety of fruits it bears. Apples, apricots, grapes, cherries – all of them fill the lush green grounds making them colourful.
Though there isn't much of Religious aspects related to Satluj River, still it is considered to have the waters of Satluj River in any of the Religious Functions.
9 Sutluj raffling
Adventures: Satluj is very famous for an exciting and thrilling adventure. Popular as it is, Rafting is one of the most sought after adventures of India. All the three places, which the river crosses – Zanzkar Valley, the Dauladhar Range and the Uttarkashi Range are famous for rafting. People from all over the country and also from outside countries come to enjoy this thrill. It s a thing one must go for.
10.Satluj tourism
Satluj River crosses places, which are at quite a height. These places are Snow cladded in the Winters (November – January end) and require a lot of woollens to be taken along. However the summers (February to May end) are the best months to be here. (Sometimes there can be snowfall in February too, so check out before planning a tour).
•Ranges like Dauladher and Zanzkar are not considered as Hill Stations. So you can expect more of open places and easy Hotel Reservations. Not less than any other Hill Stations, these are beautiful places to go to in the Spring Season.
Shimla and Uttarkashi however can be quite crowded in the springs and winters as these are very famous Hill Stations of India. Ask us for all the details.
11. Sutluj mouth
The Sutlej joins with the Beas River in Hari-Ke-Patan, Amritsar, Punjâb, India, and continues southwest into Pakistan to unite with the Chenab River, forming the Panjnad River south of ancient Multân. The Panjnad joins the Indus River at Mithankot. Indus then flows through a gorge near Sukkur, flows through the fertile plains region of Sindh, and terminates in the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Pakistan.
12. Bhakra Nangal Dam
The waters of the Sutlej are allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan, and are mostly diverted to irrigation canals in India[1].
A huge, multipurpose Bhakra-Nangal Dam has been built on the Sutlej by the Indian government. There are several major hydroelectric projects on the Sutlej, e.g. the 1000MW Karcham-Wangtoo HEP. There has been a proposal to build a 214-kilometre (133 mi) long heavy freight canal, known as the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL), in India to connect the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. However, the proposal met obstacles and was referred to the Supreme Court.
13 Sutluj Vedic Saraswathi relation
The Sutlej was known as Úutudri in the Vedic period. The Royal navy vessels named after it, is HMS Sutlej (1899).
There is substantial geologic evidence to indicate that prior to 1700 BC at the latest, Sutlej was an important tributary of the Ghaggar-Hakra River (possibly through the Saraswati river) rather than the Indus with various authors putting the redirection from 2500-2000 BCor 5000-3000 BC.
Geologists believe that tectonic activity created elevation changes which redirected the flow of Sutlej from the southeast to the southwest[
The mighty Saraswati then began to dry up, causing desertification of Cholistan and the eastern part of the modern state of Sindh. The desertification resulted in abandonment of numerous ancient human settlements along the banks of Saraswati[
There is some evidence that the high rate of erosion caused by the modern Sutlej River has influenced the local faulting and rapidly exhumed rocks above Rampur.This would be similar to, but on a much smaller scale then, the exhumation of rocks by the Indus River in Nanga Parbat, Pakistan. The Sutlej river also exposes a doubled inverted metamorphic gradient.
The source of the Sutlej is just west of Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. This is roadless area, and was first explored by kayak and raft by Russian and German teams in 2004.
The largest modern industrial city along the Sutlej banks is Ludhiana.Ludhiana is famous for its woolen items and Locks .
14 BEAS RIVER
The Beas River is the second easternmost of the rivers of the Punjab, a tributary of Indus River. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km (290 miles) to the Sutlej River in western Punjab state.
15.Etymology
The river was also known as Arjikuja of the Vedas or Vipasa to the ancient Indians and the Hyphasis to the Ancient Greeks .
The present name Beas is thought to be a corruption of the older name and original name Vipasha in Sanskrit. The river got this name, Vi-pasha, the one who removed the bondage or pasha in Sanskrit), according to a ancient texts, the river was named after sage Vasistha.
16.Vasistha and Beas
Vasistha, tried to end his life due to the death of his 100 sons, by jumping into this river and tying himself. But as soon as the sage fell into the river, all the knots got untied and he did not die. The river is also referred to as Vipasha in Himachal, especially by the scholars.
It is, that Beas is a misnomer for Vayasa (exchange of B with V and always truncation of the last vowel is common in North Indian languages) is named after Veda Vyasa, the presiding patron of the river, he is said to have created it from its source lake, the Vyas Kund.
17.Geography
The Beas River marks the eastern-most border of Alexander's conquests in 326 BC. According to Kavyamimansa [3] of Rajasekhara, the kingdom-territories of of Gurjara-Pratihara monarch Mahipala I was extended till the upper course of the river Bias in the north-west.
The river begins at the Rohtang Pass in the state of Himachal Pradesh, merging with the Sutlej at Harike Pattan south of Amritsar in Punjab, India via Mandi. The Sutlej continues into Pakistani Punjab and joins the Chenab River at Uch to form the Panjnad River; the latter in turn joins the Indus River at Mithankot. The waters of the Ravi, Beas (Vipasha) and Sutlej (also known as Shathadru) rivers are allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.
I am concluding the series with NEXT POSTING
NARMADA SINDHU KAVERI
GODAVRI NAMOSTHUTHAE 30
This is FINAL PART 30 of the posting under the above title. This posting is about the rivers Dudh Kosi, Meghna and a brief about Saptha Sindhu.
1.DUDH KOSI
Dudh Kosi (Milk River) is a river in eastern Nepal.I was attracted to the river by its very name.
1.1Course-Dudh kosi
The river begins just east of Gokyo Lakes and flows south to Namche Bazaar. There, it is joined by the Bhote Kosi, which drains the south and west of the Mount Everest massif. Continuing south, the Dudh Kosi exits Sagarmatha National Park and passes to the west of Lukla. The Lamding Khola joins the Dudh Kosi to the southwest of Surkya and continues its southerly course to Harkapur, where it joins the Sun Kosi river and forms the Kosi River.
1.2Kayaking
The river is having extreme white water on flow and hence the name. Normally it can't be used for watersports. The first kayak trip was made 1976 by a British expedition under the leadership of Mike Jones.
2. MEGHNA RIVER
The Meghna River is an important river in Bangladesh, one of the three that forms the Ganges Delta, the largest on earth fanning out to the Bay of Bengal. Being a part of the Surma-Meghna River System, Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of different rivers originaing from the hilly regions of eastern India. The river meets Padma River in Chandpur District. The river ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal in Bhola District.
2.1 Meghna widest river in Bangaladesh
The Meghna is the widest river among those that flow completely inside the boundaries of Bangladesh. At one point near Bhola, Meghna is 12 km wide. In its lower reaches this river follows almost a straight line in its path. Despite its very calm and quiet look, this river is the cause of many deaths every year. Several ferry sinkings in the past have killed hundreds, like the MV Salahuddin-2 and the MV Nasrin-1. Near Chandpur it is very dangerous.
The river's average depth is 1,012 feet (308 m) and maximum depth is 1,620 feet (490 m). In the origin of Hatiya and Bhola, the deepest point is the Meghna River Creek, it reaches 1,998 feet (609 m).
2.2 Course- Meghna river
The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers originating from the hilly regions of eastern India. Down to Chandpur, Meghna is hydrographically referred to as the Upper Meghna. After the Padma joins, it is referred to as the Lower Meghna.
Near Muladhuli in Barisal district, the Safipur River is an offshoot of the Surma that creates one of the main rivers in South Bengal. 1.5 km wide, this river is one of the widest in the country as well.
At Ghatalpur of Brahmanbaria District, the river Titas emerges from Meghna and after circling two large bends by 240 km, falls into the Meghna again near Nabinagar Upazila. Titas forms as a single stream but braids into two distinct streams which remain separate before re-joining the Meghna.
River Meghna from the bridge over the riverIn Daudkandi, Comilla, Meghna is joined by the great river GOMOTI( not Gomathi ), created by the combination of many streams. This river reinforces Meghna a lot and increases the waterflow considerably. The pair of bridges over Meghna and Gomoty are two of the country's largest bridges. The Dakatua River is also part of the river system in Comilla district.
2.3 Padma, Jamuna and Meghna combined flow
Meghna is reinforced by the Dhaleshwari before Chandpur as well. The name for the largest distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh is the Padma River. When the Padma joins with the Jamuna River, the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and they join with the Meghna in Chandpur District, the result in Bangladesh is called the Lower Meghna. When the brown and hazy water of the Padma mix with the clear water of the Upper Meghna, the two streams do not mix but flow in parallel down to the sea - making half of the river clear and the other half brown. This peculiarity of the river is always a great attraction for people. ( I was attracted to write about Meghna on account of it)
After Chandpur, when the river has the combined flow of the Padma and Jamuna it moves down to the Bay of Bengal in an almost straight line. In her course from Chandpur to Bay of Bengal, the Meghna braids into a number of little rivers including the Pagli, Katalia, Dhonagoda, Matlab and Udhamodi. All of these rivers flow out from the Meghna and rejoin again at points downstream.
Near Bhola, just before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the river divides into two main streams in the Ganges delta and separates an island from both sides of the mainland. The western stream is called Ilsha and the eastern one is called Bamni.
3. SAPTHA SINDHU
Rivers, such as the Sapta Sindhu ("seven rivers"), play a prominent part in the hymns of the Rigveda, and consequently in early Vedic religion.
3.1 Sapta Sindhu details
The Sapta Sindhu are a group of seven chief rivers of uncertain or fluctuating identification (the number seven is of greater importance than the exact members of the group, compare the Saptarishi, and also the seven seas.
It is unclear how exactly the seven rivers were intended to be enumerated. They are often referred as located in the Punjab region in northwestern India / northern Pakistan. If Sarasvati's membership is taken for granted, and the five major rivers of the Punjab are included (Sutudri, Parusni, Asikni, Vitasta, Vipas all tributaries of Sindhu), one river is missing.Perhaps Arjikiya or Sushoma also may be among it . In RV 10.64.8 and RV 10.75.1, three groups of seven rivers are referred .
3.2 Geography of the Rigveda
Identification of Rigvedic rivers is the single most important way of establishing the geography of the early Vedic civilization. Rivers with certain identifications stretch from eastern Afghanistan to the western Gangetic plain, clustering in the Punjab. Some river names appear to go back to common Indo-Iranian rivers, with cognate river names in Avestan, notably the Sarasvati and the Sarayu.
A number of names can be shown to have been re-applied to other rivers as the center of Vedic culture moved. It is only possible to establish a clear picture for the latest phase of the Rigveda, thanks to the Nadistuti sukta which contains a geographically ordered list of rivers. The most prominent river of the Rigveda is the Sarasvati, next to the Indus in the late Rigveda. The reason for this is mostly ascribed to the movement of Vedic Aryans from out of their early seats in Gandhara and eastern Afghanistan into the Indus valley.
Dear readers
I am completing my posting under the head Narmada Sindhu Kaveri Godavari Namosthuthae with this.
I TAKE THIS OCCASION TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE THANKS TO THE MODERATORS OF FOUR YAHOO GROUPS THATHA PATTI, US BRHAMINS, IYER 123 AND PATTARS FOR PUBLISHING MY POSTINGS .
I have replied all the members who have responded on reading my postings. If any body is not responded, it is because I have not received their mail. A few members like Saikrishnan has furnished added information.
A LOT OF MEMBERS HAVE SEND APPRECIATIONS ON READING MY POSTINGS. I THANK ONE AND ALL WHO ENCOURAGED ME MUCH .
Undoubtedly I too have enriched my knowledge by making out these postings.
Sincerely
Gopala krishnan 2-5-2010
(CONCLUDED)

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

 Every moment, thank God

No comments:

Post a Comment