Rivers In India
The Indian River Systems can be divided
into four categories the Himalayan, the rivers traversing the
Deccan Plateau, the Coastal and those in the inland drainage basin.
The Himalayan rivers are perennial as they are fed by melting glaciers
every summer. During the monsoon, these rivers assume alarming
proportions. Swollen with rainwater, they often inundate villages and
towns in their path. The Gangetic basin is the largest river system in
India, draining almost a quarter of the country.
¤ Five Major Rivers In India
¤ Ganga River
One of Indias most sacred rivers, the Ganga (or the Ganges)
originates in the Himalayas at Gaumukh (13,858ft). Legend has it that
the Ganga originated from the mythical Mountain Meru believed to be
located at the core of the universe, and also considered to be the
abode of gods.
From here the Ganga drops into Shivas matted locks (Shiva is
the Destroyer of the Universe in the Hindu Holy Trinity of
Creator-Preserver-Destroyer), that seem to cushion its fall before it
finally lands on earth.
That the river is of such spiritual significance for the Hindus is
borne out by the fact that a dip in the Ganga is believed to absolve
one of all sins. A few drops of Ganga jal (water) on a dying Hindus
lips are said to earn the latter a permanent abode in heaven.
Furthermore, Hindus believe that if the ashes of the dead are immersed
in the Ganga, their souls break free from the cycle of birth and
rebirth and attain nirvana. The three most revered towns situated on
the banks of the Ganga are Haridwar, Allahabad and the eternal
Saraswati is celeberated both as river diety and as the Goddess of
speech and learning. The meaning of the word Saraswati is full
of waters or full of lakes. The source of the river
is considered to be in Plakasha Prasravana in the Himalayan mountains
and the place where the river disappears is called Vinasana. The water
of the river Saraswati are inspiring. As a river Goddess, she
connected with fertality and procreation and particularly with
Sindhu in Rig Veda is reffered as one one of the rivers of Sapta
Sindhus. The river gots its name of Sindhu or Sindh through which it
flows. It is the great river of the world.It originated from the
Kailasa mountain near the Mansarovar in Tibet.
Godavari, the largest and the longest river of South India. It is
popularly reffered as to as the Dakshina Ganga. The Godavari means the
best of givers of water, or the best of the rivers giving cows.
According to traditions, Godavari is divided itsef into seven branches
before it meets the sea and they are named after the seven rishis.
Narmada is the largest of the major west flowinf rivers born in the
central highlands. It is described as the best among the rivers. It is
said that the river was issued by the body of Rudra. Narmada
originated from the Amarkantak hill and flows at a distance of 1300 km
and ultimately meets the Bay of Cambay near Bharuch. Narmada is
capable of purifying all creatures and even immovabbles.
The Yamuna, a tributary of the Ganga, is another important river.
Rising from Yamunotri in the Himalayas, it merges with the Ganga in
Allahabad. The Saraswati, a mythical river known to have existed a few
thousand years ago, is believed to follow its invisible underground
course to unite with the Ganga and the Yamuna at Sangam (meeting
point), or Prayag in Allahabad.
Rivers like the Chambal, Betwa and Sone flow northwards from the
Vindhya Mountain Range and drain into the Ganga and the Yamuna. The
basins of the Brahmaputra and the Indus cover about one-tenth of Indias
land area. Smaller rivers like the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and
Sutlej are tributaries of the Indus, a river that flows from Pakistan
into North India.
¤ Rivers Are Mainly Fed By
The rivers of the Indian peninsular plateau are mainly fed by rain.
During summer, their flow is greatly reduced, and some of the
tributaries even dry up, only to be revived in the monsoon. The
Godavari basin in the peninsula is the largest in the country,
spanning an area of almost one-tenth of the country.
The rivers Narmada (Indias holiest river) and Tapti flow almost
parallel to each other but empty themselves in opposite directions.
The two rivers make the valley rich in alluvial soil and teak forests
cover much of the land.
While coastal rivers gush down the peaks of the Western Ghats into
the Arabian Sea in torrents during the rains, they cease to flow after
the monsoon. Streams like the Sambhar in western Rajasthan are mainly
seasonal in character, draining into the inland basins and salt lakes.
In the Rann of Kutch, the only river that flows through the salt
desert is the Luni.
Owing to the harsh Indian summer, it is not possible to navigate by
barges and small ships throughout the year even on massive rivers like
the Ganga and the Yamuna. In Calcutta where the Ganga is deep and the
water doesnt dry up, Kidderpore functions as a dock for ferries
and small ships coming in from the Bay of Bengal.