The Stories of Indian River Gods

Compilation of mythological stories of Gods and Goddesses associated with the major rivers of India - Sindhu, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Saraswati, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Kosi, Narmada, Godavari, Tungabhadra and Cauvery.

The Sindhu or the Indus River The Indus is an important river of the Sapta-Sindhu or the Seven-Sindhu Rivers in north-western India. The River is called Sindh in Urdu and Sindhi; Sindhu in Sanskrit and Hindi; Hindu in Persian and Indos in Greek. The name ‘India’ comes from the Indus River. The river is called Sindhu in India, but it was called Indus by Westerners. The Sindhu rises near the Mansarovar Lake in Kailash, in the Himalayas. It flows westward through Kashmir and is joined by several rivers including the five rivers of Punjab – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Satluj. It flows into the Arabian Sea. The river separates the Indian sub-continent from the Iranian plains. The word ‘Sindhu’ originates from the Sanskrit word ‘Sidh’ meaning ‘to keep off’. As this region fed by the seven rivers was extremely fertile and well-irrigated, many Western conquerors attacked and tried to rule over it. But, they had to cross the Sindhu River to get into the Sindhu kingdoms, land of the Indo-Aryans, located on the banks of this river. Hinduism began in these lands of the Indo-Aryans living alongside the river. Sindhu River is mentioned in the ancient Hindu text of Rig-Veda, the earliest chronicle of the Aryans. This river dates back to the Age of Mahabharata, when Jayadratha, son of Vriddhakshatra, ruled the Sindhu Kingdom. Then, in 3800 BC, the river became the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The cities were well-designed with planned streets, plumbing, sewers, and indoor toilets. They even had written script, a flourishing industry and traded peacefully. River Sindhu is one of the rare rivers to be treated as a male river. It is considered as a form of Lord Varuna, the Hindu God of Water. In 10th century AD, Mirk Shah was the ruler of Thatta. He was an evil tyrant, and easily influenced by the shrewd people advising him. One day, he called the “Panch,” the representatives of local Sindhis who were Hindus.

He ordered them to convert to Islam or be prepared to die. The Sindhis begged for mercy and were given forty days to do the same. The Sindhis prayed to Lord Varuna to help them. They performed a strict penance for forty days, praying, fasting, singing praises of the God, growing hair and meditating severely. After forty days, Varuna was pleased and said he would save them from tyrant Mirk Shah by being born to Mata Devki, wife of Ratanchand Lohano in Nasarpur. After three months, Sindhis were delighted to know that Mata Devki would be having a baby. A few months later, amidst heavy rain and flooding, Mata Devki’s baby was born. When the baby opened its mouth, a miracle happened – the Sindhis saw a vision of the Sindhu River with an old man sitting on the local Pala fish. The baby was named Udaichand. Some people called him Uderolal and others Amarlal. He was also called Daryashah. The cradle in which the baby slept would swing by itself, and therefore he also came to be known as Jhulelal. His mother Mata Devki died after a few days and father Ratanchand got married again. A few days later Mirk Shah summoned the Sindhi leaders once again and reminded them to convert to Islam. The Sindhis asked for more time. Mirk Shah agreed, but since he had heard about the miracle child, he asked his minister Ahirio to keep an eye on the events in Nasarpur and update him regularly. Ahirio tried to kill the child by poisoning him, but the child did not die. Instead, miraculously, he changed his form into an old man with a flowing white beard, and then into a sixteen-year youth with a sword in his hand and leading soldiers to a war. Ahirio realised that this was a vision of Lord Sindhu. He returned and narrated his magical visions to Mirk Shah. Although the tyrant was scared, he did not give any importance to Ahirio’s words. The same night, Mirk Shah dreamt that a child was sitting on his neck. In a few years, Uderolal completed his studies. His step-mother asked him to work for a living by selling baked beans in the market. But, Uderolal went to the banks of the Sindhu River, threw the beans into the river or distributed them to the needy.

He would spend his time preaching spiritual teachings to the people on the banks of the river. In the evening, before going home, he would fish out a container full of fine quality rice from the river. One day, his father Ratanchand watched the miracle and realised Uderolal was their saviour. The word spread about great Uderolal. Mirk Shah asked Ahirio to set up a meeting with Uderolal about the conversion matter. Ahirio had become a devotee of Uderolal and asked him to rescue him from the situation. In that instant, Uderolal miraculously changed form and became a man on a Pala fish with a flowing white beard. Ahirio realized that Uderolal and Khwaja Khizr, whom he worshipped for so long, were one and the same. Uderolal then changed form into a youngster and went off on his horse with a sword and a flag in his hands. Ahirio again told Mirk Shah about his vision and said all Gods were one. Allah and Hindu Gods were all one. But, Mirk Shah got angry and ordered Uderolal’s arrest. When his soldiers tried to capture Uderolal, big waves flooded the palace and fires also broke out. Uderolal appeared in a vision to Mirk Shah and preached that all Gods were one. He ordered him not to torture the Sindhis based on religion. Mirk Shah realised he had been foolish and begged for Uderolal’s forgiveness and grace. With just one nod Uderolal made the floods recede and put out the fires. Mirk Shah became wise and began to respect all religions. Uderolal asked Hindus to build a temple in the memory of Mirk Shah’s changed behaviour and attitude. He asked them to light a fire everyday in the temple and make water available for a holy sip near the site. Uderolal named his cousin as the first head of the religious sect which believes in the Water God. He gave him seven symbolic items and named the followers “Daryahi.” Soon Uderolal gave up his earthly form and left for the heavens as Lord Varuna. The Muslim followers wanted to build a ‘Qaba,’ while the Hindus wanted a ‘Samadhi’. They fought over the matter. Lord Varuna’s voice from the heavens asked them to build a shrine that was acceptable to both religions, resembling a temple and a dargah. The Sindhu River had unified the Muslims and the Hindus.

The Jhelum River

The Jhelum River originates from the Verinag spring at the foothills of the Pir Panjal range in the Indian Kashmir valley. The Verinag Spring is named after Nila Nag, the son of the famous Hindu sage Kashyap Rishi, who is said to have established kingdoms in Kashmir. The Jhelum River is part of the Sapta- Sindhu Rivers. The Kishenganga (Neelum), the Kunhar and the Poonch rivers join the Jhelum, which then merges with the Chenab. River Chenab merges with the Sutlej forming the Panjnad River, which joins the Indus River to end in the Arabian Sea. Jhelum is called Vitasta in the Rig-Veda, the holy scriptures of Indo-Aryans. The Kashmiri name for this river is Vyeth. As per the Hindu religious text Srimad Bhagavatam, Vitasta is one of the magnificent rivers flowing in ancient India. Egyptian geographer Ptolemy called it the Bidaspes. The ancient Greeks named it after Greek God Hydaspes, a descendent of Titan, and the son of Sea-God Thaumas and the Cloud-Goddess Elektra. He is brother of Rainbow Goddess Iris, and step-brother to Harpies, the God of snatching winds. Alexander the Great and his army crossed the Jhelum in BC 326. At the Battle of the Jhelum, he fought with the brave Porus, a powerful Indian Rajah, or King. It was his last major battle in the Indian sub-continent. Before the Battle of the Jhelum, Alexander had gained control of most of the Indian land lying west of the Jhelum River. In June 326 BC, Alexander faced Porus’ huge army comprising of 50,000 Infantry, 3000-4000 Cavalry, 300 War-Chariots, and 200 War-Elephants. Alexander tried to trick Porus into thinking that the Greek army was larger and stronger. He sent large shipments of food to his own camp, to make Porus believe that the Greeks were prepared for a lengthy battle. Each night, Alexander also sent his troops up across the river, bringing them back. He made his war-trumpets blare loud in order to trick Porus into thinking that the enemy was attacking. When Alexander came to know that Porus’s friends were on their way to help Porus, he decided to attack before they reached. Alexander gave his cape and spear to a person resembling him, and made him stay in the camp so that Porus’ army would think Alexander was still across the river on the opposite side. Then, Alexander and his main assault team secretly sailed over the flooded river. With 5000 horses and 10000 foot soldiers, his battalions of the phalanx, an aggressive attack group, Alexander secretly surrounded Porus’ army from all sides. But, the monsoons had flooded the river, making it impossible for his horses to swim across. So he put the horses on rafts. But, when Alexander’s horses were put on the rafts, they fell into water as soon as they scented the war elephants. There was a lot of mud along the banks and Alexander’s soldiers kept slipping. Poor visibility added to their problems. During the battle, his men had to also face the wrath of the army of 200 elephants in Porus’ army. There was a lengthy battle and a ferocious one, but Alexander’s forces managed to win the battle. Alexander did not kill Porus. He was so impressed with his bravery that he was generously rewarded and gave his kingdom back. He made him ruler again, but kept him under Alexander’s empire. Alexander is said to have built a city on the place where he started to cross the Hydaspes. He named this place Bucephala in honour of his famous horse Bucephalus, which was killed in the war and buried in Jalalpur Sharif. It is said that the ancient city of Bucephala is near the modern city of Jhelum. But, others believe that the horse was buried in Phalia, a tehsil or cluster of villages near Jhelum, and that the name Phalia is named after Bucephala. But, the Battle of Jhelum became his last major conquest. Alexander’s men, tired, restless, and definitely unwilling to face elephants in battle again, mutinied when they reached the next river of Beas. They forced Alexander to start heading back toward Greece.

The Chenab River The Chenab River is also called the Chandrabagha River, and means the Moon River in Urdu. It is one of the Sapta-Sindhu Rivers. It was known as the Ashkini River or Iskamati in the Vedic Age. The river originates from the melting snow of the Bara Lacha Pass in Lahaul and Spiti in the Himalayas. Two high altitude lakes of Chandratal and Surajtal give birth to the Chandra and Bhaga rivers. These rivers join at Tandi forming the Chandrabhaga River. While flowing westward through parts of Jammu and Punjab, the Chandrabhaga is joined by the Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, forming the Panjnad River, which then joins the Indus and ends in the Arabian Sea. The invading Greeks led by Alexander the Great referred to it as River Acesines. In 325 BC, Alexander the Great is said to have founded the town of Alexandria at the confluence of the Punjanad and Indus rivers. The Chenab River is an icon of Punjabi culture. The love stories of Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu took place along the banks of the Chenab. Waris Shah wrote a poem in 1766 narrating the story of the love of Heer and Ranjha, in the backdrop of the scenic and lush banks of the Chenab River. Heer was a beautiful woman, born in a wealthy Jats family in Punjab. Dheedo Ranjha, also a Jat, was the youngest of four brothers from the Takht Hazara village on the banks of the Chenab. He was his father's favourite son. His brothers earned their living by farming, but Ranjha sat on the banks playing the flute. He quarrelled with his brothers about land, and left home. After wandering for some days, he came upon Heer's village. Heer’s father gave him a job as a shepherd. When Ranjha and Heer met by the river, they immediately fell in love with each other. They secretly met for a few years, but were caught by Heer's jealous uncle Kaido. Heer’s parents Chuchak and Malki force her to marry a man named Saida Khera. Ranjha is heartbroken and started wandering again. During his travels, he met Baba Gorakhnath, and became a jogi (sage) and led a spiritual life. He wandered all over Punjab, and one day, landed in a village where Heer was living with her husband. On seeing Ranjha, she ran away from home and asked him to marry her. The lovers came back to Heer's village, and Heer's parents finally agreed to their marriage. However, on the wedding day, Heer's jealous uncle Kaido poisoned her food. When Ranjha came to know, he rushed to her place, but it was too late. Heer had died. Ranjha took the poisoned sweet which killed Heer and ate it. He fell dead by her side. They were buried by the village on the Chenab riverside. The same river is also the backdrop of the love stories of Sohni-Mahiwal and Sassi-Punnu. Sassui was the daughter of the Raja of Bhambore in Sindh. When she was born, the astrologers told the king that she would be a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The king ordered the child to be thrown into the Chenab River. A washerman found the girl floating in a wooden box in the river and took her home. He was childless and was glad to adopt her. Sassui grew into a beautiful young woman. People began to discuss her beauty far and wide. Punhun, Prince of Makran, heard of her beauty and was desperate to meet her. He went to her village and sent his clothes to her father, who being a washerman, had to wash them. When the two met at the washerman's house, Punhun and Sassui immediately fell in love. Sassui's father saw this and was upset. He had wanted Sassui to marry a washerman. But since he was the Prince, the washerman decided to test Punhun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui. He asked him to wash clothes. To prove his love, the prince washed the clothes, but tore them as he didn’t know how to wash. He had failed the test, but he came upon an idea to silence the villagers whose clothes he had washed. He hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to their marriage. But, Punhun’s father and brothers were against his marriage to a washerman's daughter. They pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations. But, they forced Punhun to drink a wine. When he was unconscious due to the wine, they carried him on a camel’s back and returned to Kech. When Sassui realized that she was cheated, she was so upset that she ran barefoot towards the town of Kech. She had to cross a big harsh desert. She kept walking until her feet were blistered and her throat was parched from calling out Punhun’s name. She finally died in the desert. When Punhun became conscious, he started to run towards Sassui’s village. He kept calling her name. In the desert, a shepherd told him about her death. Punhun cried himself to death in the same desert, a few miles from the Chenab. It is in the same waters of the Chenab River, Sohni and Mahival’s love story began. In the 18th century, a beautiful girl Sohni was born to a potter named Tulla in Gujarat town on the banks of the Chenab. She grew up into a beautiful young woman who helped her father decorate his pots. After decorating, she sold the pots in their shop by the river. One day, Shahzada Izzat Baig, a rich trader from Bukhara, came to the village on business. He saw Sohni at the shop and fell in love with her. Just to see her, he bought water pitchers from the shop everyday. Sohni also fell in love with him. He soon gave up his business and became a servant in Sohni's father’s house. He took their buffaloes for grazing. Everyone called him Mahiwal (buffalo herder). But, when people got to know about their love, Sohni’s parents got her married off to a potter from their community and she was sent away with her husband. Mahiwal became a hermit. He moved to a small hut across the river from Sohni's new home. At night, the two met by the river daily. Sohni came to the riverside and Izzat swam across to meet her. Daily, he would catch a fish and roast it, and bring it for her to eat. One day, he was unable to catch a fish and he cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. When Sohni saw the bandage and the wound, she cried and asked him not to swim. She promised to cross the river till his wound healed. Sohni did not know how to swim, and used a pot as an airbag and crossed the river. After meeting him, she returned using the pot and hid it in the bushes on the banks. Soon, people came to know about their secret meetings. Sohni’s sister-in-law followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni kept her pot. The next day, the sister-in-law replaced the hard-baked pot and replaced it with an unbaked pot. That night, when Sohni tried to cross the river with the help of the pot, it began to dissolve and she drowned in the river. When Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning, from the other side of the river, he jumped in, but he drowned as well.

The Ravi River Ravi River originates in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas. It is joined by Budhil, Nai, Seul, Siawa and Ujh rivers, and flows across the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges. It is one of the Sapta-Sindhu Rivers. The river joins the Chenab which merges with the Sindhu River and ends in the Arabian Sea. Ravi River is called Iravati (Airavati) or Purushni in Sankrit in the Rig Veda. A part of the Dasharajnya, or The Battle of the 10 Kings, was fought on the Purushni or Iravati in Punjab. This historic battle, which helped in the formation of Bharata Empire, is described in the Rig-Veda by Sage Vasishtha, who was the chief poet at the court of King Sudas who ruled the Bharata kingdom. The battle has been confirmed by historians and archaeologists as being true. In this great battle, 10 powerful tribal chiefs in ancient India came together to become allies in a common goal – to destroy Raja Sudas. They assembled their armies on the banks of the Ravi and Saraswati rivers and waged a prolonged war. King Sudas was the 16th generation descendant of Emperor Bharata. His ancestors had expanded their kingdom by waging a long war with the powerful Dasa King Sambara and destroying his 99 towns in Udabraja. When Sudas came to throne, he had inherited these smaller kingdoms. He further expanded his empire by defeating smaller kings. He let them retain their kingdoms, but made them serve his empire. These small kings sat in his court. They pretended to be his allies, well-wishers and advisers. But, they secretly plotted the war against him. They deserted him one by one and became the powerful group of Ten Kings, led by Sudas’ arch-enemy King Anu. They outnumbered Sudas’ army by 10 times. In the prolonged war over many years, Sudas fought the confederacy of these 10 kings, with the blessings of royal Sage Vasishtha and Sage Vishwamitra. The battle seemed impossible to win. Sudas emerged victorious in the end. Sudas victory was nothing short of a miracle. The Hindu Gods led by Lord Indra supported the noble Raja Sudas. They let Sudas take advantage of the Ravi River by making it shallow, and allowing him to cross it easily. After winning the war, Raja Sudas established a vast and powerful kingdom. In his honour, all people of the sub-continent came to be known as Bharatas. His descendants then divided into Puru and Kuru lineages, and waged another great war – the Mahabharata. Much later in history, on the banks of the Ravi River, the love story of Mirza and Sahiban happened. Two Muslim Jatts Mirza and Sahiban were childhood friends and studied together. Mirza and Sahiban fell in love when they met at his relatives’ house where he was sent to study. A few years later Sahiban’s parents forcibly arranged her marriage with Tahar Khan. Sahiban sent a message to Mirza asking him to rescue her on the eve of her wedding day. But, against his own sister’s advice, he prepares to travel to rescue his beloved. He was prepared to fight with the Sials, the aggressive brothers of Sahiban. Mirza arrived on his mare on the eve of the wedding day and eloped with her. On the way near the Ravi River, they rested under a tree and Mirza fell asleep. But, the Sials had found out and followed him and Sahiban saw her brothers. She wanted to prevent a fight and avoid getting her brothers killed as she knew Mirza was an ace archer and his arrows would kill them. Before waking Mirza, Sahiban broke his arrows so that he couldn’t use them on her brothers. She hoped that her brothers would be understanding and accept Mirza into the family. But, the Sials fought and killed Mirza from behind with a sword’s blow to his head. Seeing this, Sahiban killed herself with Mirza’s sword. The Ravi River was also witness to another Great Struggle – the fight for Indian Independence. In 1929, Indians united under the Congress Party and made ‘Purna Swaraj’ (full freedom) their ultimate goal. They unfurled the tricolour flag on the banks of the Ravi amidst signing of the Vande Mataram song and chanting of Inquilab Zindabad slogans.

The Beas River Beas (or Bias) River originates in the Himalayas and flows through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in India. It is one of the seven Sapta-Sindhu rivers in the Indus basin. It joins Satluj River, which merges with the Indus and flows into the Arabian Sea. It is named Beas after Sage Veda Vyasa, the patron saint of the river. He is said to have created the river from its source lake Vyas Kund. ‘Beas’ is the Northern Indian pronunciation for Vyas. The River was originally called Vipasha, Arjikuja or Vipas in Sanskrit in the Rig-Veda. Vipasha means ‘one without bondage or bonds’, and refers to Sage Vasishtha, Lord Brahma’s son and one of the Great Sapta-Rishis (seven sages). He was the royal priest in the court of King Kalmashpad (alias Saudas), the son of Raja Sudas, and a descendent of Aryan kings Bhageeratha, Lord Rama, and King Bharata who ruled Bharata Empire. King Saudas greatly respected Sage Vasishtha. But, Sage Vasishtha’s rival, Sage Vishwamitra, was jealous of the royal honour given to Vasishtha. He wanted to disgrace and upset Vasishtha by any means. Vasishtha had 100 sons. One day his eldest son Saktri was walking down a narrow road when he saw King Saudas riding towards him. “O Saktri, please move out of my way,” the king ordered. But, Saktri refused politely saying, “I will not. In fact, please move out of my way. As per our societal rules, Brahmins are greater than the Kshatriyas or kings, so you have to give me way, O king!” The King was furious and lashed Saktri with his whip. Saktri became angry, and in pain, he cursed the king, “You will become a human-flesh-eating beast!” Meanwhile, Sage Vishwamitra was present at the scene invisible to everyone. He was waiting for a chance to ruin Vasishtha and took advantage of this situation. As soon as Saktri had uttered his curse, Vishwamitra magically commanded a man-eating demon to enter the King's body. When the king was possessed with the demon, he immediately pounced on Saktri and ate him up. He also went around the forest and ate the remaining 99 sons of Vasishtha. When the sage heard of his sons’ deaths, he was so upset that he decided to kill himself. He stood on top of Mount Meru and fell down. But, when he fell on the rocks below, they felt as soft as cotton and he was not injured at all. So, he entered a burning forest, but the fire did not burn him. He jumped into the sea, but the waves brought him to the shore safe and alive. Vasishtha then tied himself with strong ropes and jumped into the Arjikuja River, which had swollen with monsoonal rains. The river refused to kill him. It untied all his bonds, and put him back on its banks, well and vipash (unbound). The river then got its name Vipasha or Vipas – meaning ‘without bondage’. Vasishtha plunged into another river, Sutlej, which was swift and infested with crocodiles. But, this river too refused to kill him, and rushed into a hundred different directions. The river got its name Shatadru – meaning ‘one that flows in a hundred streams’. Unable to kill himself, Vasishtha returned to his ashram and met King Saudas, who was still possessed. The King tried to eat Vasishtha too. But, the sage chased away the demon from his body, and released him from the curse. Vasishtha ordered the king to return to his kingdom and rule with wisdom and equality. The Beas River had freed the sage from worldly ties (feelings for family relations), so that he could focus on spiritual matters of life. So, it was blessed with the name Vipasha/Vipas (without bonds). The Beas River is also mentioned in the ancient historical text Kavyamimansa of Rajasekhara. According to this book, Mahipala I ruled the kingdom of Gurjara-Pratihara located on the banks of the Beas. The graphs in the book show that the Aryans were crossing the Beas River and slowly migrating to the western world. A poem by Sage Vishwamitra in this book talks about the historical westward migratory movement of the warrior forces of King Sudas across the Beas River. Until recently it was believed that Aryans migrated from the Western world to India. But these texts proved the opposite. They noted that Aryans in India migrated from the East, across the land of five rivers of Punjab provinces into the West, proving that Aryans were indigenous to India. Thousands of years later, several rulers from beyond the Iranian plains and the North-West tried to attack and conquer the fertile lands of the Sapta-Sindhu basin. Alexander the Great too invaded India in his effort to rule over the entire world. The river was called Hyphasis by the ancient Greeks during his time. It was in 326 BC, at the edge of the Beas River, that Alexander’s invasion stopped and his ambitions came to a sudden end. After the Battle of Jhelum with King Porus, Alexander’s men refused to fight any more battles. They were not ready to stand in the pouring monsoonal rains for another war or be crushed to death by war elephants used by Indian kings. They were sick of fighting for eight long years. At River Beas’ shores, Alexander’s men revolted and forced him to start heading back. The troops started a mutiny here. The emperor tried to change their minds, but when his men did not budge, he gave in and started his journey back home.

The Sutlej River Also known as the Red River, the Sutlej River was called Zaradros by Ancient Greeks. It is the longest of the five tributaries of the Indus River and is one of the Sapta-Sindhu Rivers. The river originates from Lake Rakshastal near Mount Kailas and Mansarovar Lake, and flows through the Shipki La pass in Himachal Pradesh and over Punjab plains, where it is joined by the Beas River. Merging with the Chenab River, it forms the Panjnad River, which unites with the Indus and ends in the Arabian Sea. Sutlej is mentioned as the Shutudri or Shatadru River in Sankrit in the Rig Veda. It got this name when Sage Vasishtha had tried to kill himself by drowning himself in the river. He was upset over the death of his hundred sons and did not want to live anymore. At first he could not kill himself by drowning in the Beas or Vipasha River. So, he tried jumping into the waters of this river. The river was swift, with dangerous rapids and infested with crocodiles. But, the river refused to kill him. It rushed off into a hundred different directions. Thus, the river got its name Shatadru – meaning ‘one that flows in a hundred streams’. The Sutlej attracted many sages to its banks. Sages Markandeya and Veda Vyasa lived and practised spirituality near its banks. According to ancient folklore, an underground tunnel connected the Markand Tirtha with the Vyasa Cave, and the two sages visited each other often through this path. Sage Markandeya was born in Bhrigu Rishi’s clan. A devotee of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, he wrote the Markandeya Purana. Markandeya was the son of Sage Mrikandu and his wife Marudmati. Mrikandu did a severe penance to Lord Shiva and asked him for a son. Shiva gave him the choice of either a gifted son with a short life, or a dumb child with a long life. Mrikandu asked for a gifted child. Soon his son Markandeya was born. But, he was destined to die at the age of 16. Markandeya grew up as a great devotee of Shiva. On the pre-fixed day of his death, he began to worship Shiva and held the Lingam (Lord Shiva’s sculpture) in the temple. Lord Yama, the God of Death, was unable to take his soul because he was chanting Shiva’s name and hugging the Lingam, and therefore being protected by the Shiva. When Yama tried to put his powerful noose of death around the boy’s neck, it instead curled around the Shiva’s lingam. Shiva emerged from the Lingam in all his fury and attacked Yama. He threatened to kill Yama. When Yama asked for his forgiveness, Shiva agreed under the condition that the young boy would live forever. Markandeya went on to live past the end of the world. The earth was being engulfed in water. Markandeya prayed to Lord Vishnu to rescue him. Vishnu appeared in the form of a child floating on a leaf, and declared to the sage that he was Time and Death. He requested the sage to enter into his mouth and save himself from the flooding waters. Once inside the little boy's stomach, Markandeya saw a vision of all the worlds, the seven regions and the seven oceans. He also saw all the living beings on the earth inside the boy’s stomach. Markandeya prayed to Vishnu to explain the miraculous vision. Lord Vishnu appeared before him and explained the meaning of the world. The sage spent a thousand years with Vishnu and composed the Bala Mukundashtakam as part of his conversations with the Lord. Markandeya spent his life in spiritual pursuit in Markhand ashram near the banks of the Sutlej River, near present-day Bilaspur. He regularly met with Sage Veda Vyasa who lived in a nearby cave called Vyas Cave. This cave is located in Vyaspur on the left bank of River Sutlej. Sage Veda Vyasa (the one who classified the Vedas in to four parts) is the author as well as a key character in the Mahabharata. He wrote the Hindu texts of Vedas and Puranas. Vyasa was also an immortal like Markandeya. The son of Satyavati and Sage Parashara, he was born near the Yamuna River in Kalpi in Uttar Pradesh. He was father of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, who were adopted by King Vichitravirya. His third son was Vidura. In the Mahabharata epic, he chronicled the great war between his grandchildren – the Kauravas and Pandavas.

The Saraswati River Saraswati River is no longer in existence in its mighty form. Often called an invisible river, Saraswati is the seventh river of the Vedic Sapta-Sindhu river system. It’s referred to as the Mother of the Seven Rivers in the ancient texts. Rigveda was written on the banks of this once-mighty river. The river is said to have originated from Saraswati-Rupin Glacier at Naitwar in Uttaranchal. Saraswati had three tributaries Sutlej, Drishadvati and Yamuna. They flowed together along a channel, presently known as the Ghaggar River in Rajasthan. The river flowed through the Rann of Kutch to end in the Arabian Sea. Presently, the Saraswati springs from Himalayan glaciers in Har-ki-Dun in Uttaranchal and emerges at Adi Badri through the foothills of the Shiwalik ranges as a small stream and then suddenly disappears into the earth. It appears from underground in Allahabad and is believed to unite with the Ganga and Yamuna rivers forming the Prayag Sangam (the holy meeting point of three rivers) in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. According to an old Hindu story, Aryans fought with the non-Aryan tribes on the banks of the Saraswati. During these battles, Lord Vishnu requested the river to disappear underground. When the tribes were deprived of water, they were forced to abandon their efforts to conquer the land. Saraswati River is therefore also called as the Prithudhar (subjugator of Aryans). According to another story, Sage Veda Vyasa narrated the Mahabharata and the Puranas from the Vyas Cave (Mana) near the Sutlej banks to Lord Ganesha, who wrote it with his broken tusk. Since River Saraswati made a tremendous noise, due to its rapids and thunderous billowing flow, it disturbed the sage in his narrations. Veda-Vyas cursed the river to disappear from village itself. According to the Mahabharata and the Rig-Vedas, the mighty river rose from the Himalayas and flowed north of the Kurukshetra battlefield. The epic noted that (around 3500 years ago) earthquakes and floods changed the course of the river and it dried up and disappeared into the desert. After recent studies, historians have proved the holy texts right. They proved that Saraswati River was a mighty river of the past, which originated in Kailash Mansarovar, made its way through the Sivalik Hills, and flowed through the Ghaggar valley in Haryana and the Rajasthan desert. It flowed towards the Hakra River in the Cholistan desert before reaching the Rann of Kutch through the Nara Valley and ended in the Arabian Sea. Saraswati River was the mother of the Indus Valley civilization which flourished around the same time. Rishi Gritsamada called Saraswati as mother, river and goddess because she nurtured the civilization on her banks, which is still referred to as the Indus Valley Civilization. In 1900 BC, the Indus-Saraswati cities were abandoned by people who migrated eastward and re-settled on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

The Ganga or the Ganges River The Ganga River is one of the world’s longest rivers, and an integral part of Indian history, culture and spirituality, mentioned extensively in the Vedas, Puranas and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Ganga River, termed Ganges by the Western world, originates in the Himalayas at Gaumukh (the shape of the ice formation is like a cow's mouth). The mighty river emerges from the Gangotri glacier as Bhageerathi River (named after King Bhageeratha), runs downstream, joins Alaknanda River and flows through the Northern Plains of India forming a rich network of tributaries. It ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal. There are many legends associated with river Ganga, some of which are even mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures. It is the most important river for Hindus. Stories and legends about Ganga are an integral part of the Hindu culture. Ganga is considered Lord Brahma’s daughter. She was born when Brahma washed Lord Vishnu’s feet and collected the water into his holy jug. This holy water became Ganga, Brahma’s daughter. Lord Vishnu had taken the avatar of Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin, to rid the earth of Bali, a rich and powerful demon king. Bali had expanded his kingdom to cover the earth and the skies. Lord Indra, the king of Gods, was afraid of losing the Heavens to him and asked Vishnu’s help. One day, Bali performed a great yagna, sacrificial fire, and made donations to Brahmins. He gave them whatever they asked for. Vishnu, in the guise of a dwarf Brahmin, went up to Bali asked for three footsteps of land. Immediately, the king agreed and asked him to measure it out. Miraculously, the dwarf grew into a massive giant – and became Trivikrama. With one footstep he covered earth. The second footstep covered the skies. When Trivikrama’s foot covered the skies, Lord Brahma washed his foot and collected the water into his holy jug. This holy water became Ganga, his daughter. For the third footstep, King Bali offered his head as there was no place left. Trivikrama put his foot on Bali’s head and pushed him into underworld Patalaloka where serpents and demons lived. There is another legend which says Ganga was the daughter of King Himavan or King Meru of the Himalayas. She was sister of Goddess Uma, who was married to Lord Shiva. But, Ganga lived in the heavens under Brahma’s care. Ganga was playful, happy and proud. Once Sage Durvasa was visiting heavens and taking a bath. A breeze blew off his clothes to his embarrassment. Naughty Ganga saw and broke into uncontrolled laughter. The angry sage cursed young Ganga that she would come down on Earth as a river, and all humans would take a purifying dip in her waters! Meanwhile on earth, the powerful King Sagara, an ancestor of Lord Rama, ruled the Northern plains. He had 60,001 sons. King Sagara performed a great horse sacrifice ritual called Ashwamedha Yagna that would extend his empire and make him very powerful. Lord Indra, King of Gods, was afraid that King Sagar might take over the heavens. He stole the horse and tied it to a tree at Sage Kapila’s ashram. When the horse could not be found, King Sagara’s 60,000 sons wandered the earth looking for it and found it at Kapila’s ashram. Assuming that the sage had stolen it, they freed it and disturbed the sage’s meditation. Upon coming to Sage Kapila’s ashram, they saw him in a penance and made fun of him. The angry sage cursed them and turned them into ashes. Since their souls could not be released into the heavens, they began to roam the earth and caused a great famine and destruction. Many years later, King Anshuman, the only remaining son of King Sagara, went to Sage Kapila and asked for a solution to release the souls of his brothers. The Sage told him that the souls would be released only if they were washed by the holy waters of Ganga. A few years later, Bhageeratha, the great grandson of King Sagara, took upon the task of bringing Ganga from the heavens to the earth. He performed severe penance for thousands of years to please Lord Brahma. Brahma was pleased and granted him the boon of Ganga descending to Earth. He ordered his daughter Ganga to go down to the earth. She was displeased, but had to obey her father. Ganga was wilful and proud. She decided to flow down in a powerful rage and destroy the earth with her mighty fall from the heavens. When he learned of Ganga’s plan, Bhageeratha did a penance to Lord Shiva and asked for his help. Shiva caught the strong and destructive river in his matted hair locks when she fell in a powerful rush. When Shiva held her captive in his hair, Ganga became ashamed of her actions and asked for his mercy. Shiva released her and she flowed down to the earth gently and came to be known as Bhageerathi. The place where she touched the earth is believed to be the Gangotri Glacier. Bhageeratha led Bhageerathi and showed her the path to flow. On her way to the ashes, she flooded Sage Jahnu’s ashram. The angry sage opened his mouth and sucked her in. Bhageeratha had to perform a penance to please the great sage to release her. She came out from the sage’s ear, and was named Jahnavi. He led her over the Northern plains, over the remains of his ancestors. Their souls were liberated. The Ganga flowed on over the plains. Smaller streams Bhilangana, Mandakini, Rishiganga, Saraswati and Alaknanda merged into Ganga at Devprayag. Near the end of her journey, she merged with the ocean to become Gangasagar. Ganga became a Goddess worshipped by people. People rushed to her waters to take a holy dip to wash off their sins. The ancient rock on which Bhageeratha is believed to have meditated is called Bhageerath Shila near the Ganga temple. The River Goddess was one of the main characters of Mahabharata, and was mother of the great warrior Bheeshma. There were eight smaller Gods named Vasus. They were visiting the ashram of Sage Vasishtha. The wives of Vasus took a fancy for the sage’s cow named Kamadhenu. This cow had the miraculous ability to grant anything anybody wished for. The Vasus stole Kamadhenu for their wives. When Sage Vasishtha knew about the theft, he became angry and cursed the eight Vasus to be born as mortal people on the earth. The Vasus asked the sage for mercy and requested for a solution. Sage Vasishtha said that the seven of the Vasus would return to the heavens within a year of their birth, but the eighth one who actually stole the cow would live very long and be a distinguished renowned warrior. Vasus went to Ganga River for help and asked her to have them as her children. One day, King Shantanu of Hastinapur saw the beautiful Ganga and fell in love with her. He asked for her hand in marriage. She agreed to marry him on a condition that King Shantanu would never question her actions. When she had her first child, she drowned it in the river. The same strange behaviour continued for seven children. Finally, when she was about to throw her eighth son, King Shantanu broke his promise and stopped her. He asked her why she was drowning their children. Ganga smiled and told him about the Vasus and their curse. She, however, decided to leave Shantanu and gave him the baby. The eighth baby grew up to be the illustrious Bheeshma.

The Brahmaputra River The Brahmaputra, which means the ‘Son of Brahma’ in Sanskrit, rises in the Angsi glacier near Mount Kailash in the northern Himalayas. Called the Tsangpo in Tibet, Lohit or Brahmaputra in India and Jamuna (not Yamuna) in Bangladesh, it enters India in Arunachal Pradesh as Siang River. It is joined by the Dibang and Lohit rivers and becomes Brahmaputra, which then flows through Assam into the Bay of Bengal. The River is one of the rare rivers to be considered male. According to Kalika Purana, Brahmaputra was born as the son of Sage Shantanu and his wife Amogha. The sage had done a penance to please Lord Brahma for a son. Brahma appeared before him and blessed him with a son to serve humanity. Shantanu named the son Brahmaputra and placed him in the middle of a valley adjoining the holy mountains of Kailash, Gandhamadana, Jarudhi, and Sambaka. The son took the form of a large lake, the Brahmakunda. The Hindu Gods would take bath in this holy lake. When Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Parashurama, his father ordered him to kill his mother. Because he committed such a great sin, the axe he used to kill got stuck in his hand. He asked sages for a solution. They told him that when he visited the most holy place on earth, the axe would fall off. Parashurama wandered the earth till he came to the Brahmakunda Lake in the Himalayas. He saw that the people needed the water from the lake. So he cut one side of the mountain and released the waters. The Brahmaputra River was born. The axe fell loose from his hands and the blood on the axe washed off, leaving a reddish tinge in the river. The Assamese named the river Luit (blood in Sanskrit). Parashurama then made a path for it to flow onto the Northern plains. When he was tired, he stopped at a place near Sonargaon. The locals named the place Langalbandh – the place where his plough (Langal) stopped (Bandh). The Brahmaputra asked the Ganga River to marry him. She wanted to test his love and took on the form of an old woman. Brahmaputra did not recognize her in this form, and Ganga got angry. She sent him away for ever. During the time of Mahabharata, Lord Krishna’s brother Balarama had committed the sin of killing scores of Brahmins. He visited the Brahmaputra and used his plough to extend the waters to meet the Dhaleshwari River. The place became so holy that Balarama was able to wash off his sins in the Brahmaputra River. The banks of the historic river also witnessed the legendary love story of Krishna’s son Aniruddha and Usha in the kingdom of Sonitpur (now Tezpur in Assam). Usha was the daughter of King Banasura, King Prahalada’s descendant. She was very beautiful. Her father kept her isolated in a palace, with only one friend, his minister’s daughter Chitralekha, who had magical powers. One day, Princess Usha dreamt about a handsome young man and fell in love with him. She asked Chitralekha to draw his image with the description from her dreams. Chitralekha told her it was none other than Lord Krishna’s son Aniruddha. Since Usha was not allowed to go out, Chitralekha sneaked into Aniruddha’s palace and carried him while he was sleeping to Usha’s Palace. When the two saw each other, they immediately fell in love and secretly got married. King Banasura discovered the plot and captured Aniruddha. Lord Krishna rescued him and after a lengthy battle, he cuts off Banasura’s arms. The king goes away into the Himalayas, and Krishna returns to Dwaraka with Usha and Aniruddha. The Brahmaputra River is also very important to Tibetans. They believe that the doorway to paradise on Earth – Shangrila is through one of the waterfalls at the bottom of the world’s deepest gorge near the lake where the river originates.

The Yamuna River The Yamuna River, the largest tributary river of the Ganga River, rises from the Yamunotri Glacier of Banderpooch peaks in Uttarakhand. It is joined by Tons, Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken tributaries, travels through Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and merges with the Ganges at the holy Hindu site Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. Just like Ganga, the Yamuna River is also worshipped by Hindus as a goddess. According to the Rig Veda, Yamuna (Yami) and Yama (God of Death) were twins born to Surya (Sun God) and his wife Sanjna. The twins were fond of each other. Surya was too dazzling and his wife Sanjna could not bear his intense brightness. So, she looked at him with ‘samyama’ (Restraint in Sanskrit). So, her son was named Yama. When Surya asked her to keep her eyes open, they flickered, so their daughter was named Yami or Yamuna. As Sanjna could not bear the Sun’s intense dazzle, she asked her sister Chaaya (Shadow) to take her place by pretending to be her. Soon, Chaaya had her own children and she ill-treated her step-children Yami and Yama. Unable to bear her cruelty, the two came down to the earth to live. The children lived happily until, one day, Yama suddenly died. Yami was upset and wept continuously. Her tears flooded the world. Her sorrow caused destruction of the entire land. She kept saying, “Yama died today.” The Gods realised that Yami’s sorrow was only growing because she was stuck in time. They spoke to her father and the Sun decided to set daily from that day onward. When darkness set in, Yami became calm. As time passed her feelings of sorrow and loss also lessened. She flowed down to the earth as the Yamuna River to free people from the fear of death. Yamuna is shown on a tortoise, a symbol of fertility and creation. During the time of Mahabharata, Yami became the consort of Lord Krishna. He spent most of his childhood by the Yamuna River with his friends. One day, they drank water from the river. Everyone except Krishna fell dead. The River had become toxic because of a big venomous snake that had moved in. Krishna miraculously poured life into his friends. He dived into the darkened river. Kalia, the evil serpent, caught him and swung him around. But, Krishna overcame the snake and landed on its five-headed hood. The serpent lifted its hood out of the water with Krishna dancing on it and playing his flute. The dance wounded the snake which ran away from the river into the deep oceans. The Yamuna River also witnessed the love story of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved Mumtaj Mahal. In 1632, he built the world-famous monument Taj Mahal on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra when Mumtaz, his third wife, died during child-birth.

The Kosi River An important tributary of the Ganga River, the Kosi River rises in the Himalayas and flows through the Indian Northern Plains through Bihar into the Bay of Bengal. It is also known as the “Sorrow of Bihar” because of the unpredictable, severe flooding that it causes. According to the Mahabharata and Ramayana, King Kusika had a great grand-daughter Satyavathi (or Kaushiki) who took the form of the Kaushiki River after her death. She was the sister of Vishwamitra (Kaushika), and descendants of the Kushak dynasty. The river was also known as Saptakosi. Seven streams – Indravati, Sun Kosi , Tama Kosi, Likhu Kosi, Dudh Kosi, Arun Kosi and Tamar Kosi formed the Saptakosi. Later on, it was called Kaushiki, or Kosika, and then simply Kosi. According to the legend, Sage Richika asked Satyavathi to marry him. Her father Gadhi did not like the idea of his young daughter marrying an old man. But, he could not risk to say ‘no’ lest he anger the sage. He agreed with one condition – he asked for a dowry of a 1000 white horses with one black ear. He thought this would be an impossible feat for an old sage. Sage Richika, however, sought Lord Varuna’s help, presented the dowry and got married to Satyavathi. His wife wanted a son. At the same time, even Satyavati’s queen mother wanted her own son. Satyavathi wanted a wise son, but her mother wanted her own son to be born with warrior traits. They approached the sage for help. The sage handed two bowls of magical porridge to Satyavathi and her mother. The queen mother thought that the sage might be partial to his own wife and given her a more powerful bowl. So, she switched the bowls. When Sage Richika came to know, he was angry. His son from Satyavathi would be a warrior and not a wise priest as he had wished. He told Satyavathi that their grandson would have the warrior traits, but not their son. Satyavathi gave birth to Jamadagni, a scholar, whose son was the warrior sage Parashurama. Her queen mother gave birth to Vishwamitra, a powerful warrior who went on to become a powerful sage. Vishwamitra or Kaushika attained the status of Vedic Rishi at his hermitage on the banks of the Kosi River, which was the form taken by his sister Satyavathi (Kaushiki) after her death. He wrote several Vedic Hymns, and is credited with writing the Mandala 3, the Rigveda, and the Gayatri Mantra. In the Markendeya Purana, Kosi River is described as a primeval violent force. The river swells up during monsoon season and carries enormous silt, cutting new channels to flow each time. Because of the violent destruction she causes, the river is also considered a form of warrior goddess Durga, who defeated the demon Durg, and depicted as a Goddess with ten hands. According to folklore in the Mithila region of Bihar, Kosi River is worshipped in several forms including as a young girl, as the wife of an old sage Richeek, and also as a mother. According to one folk tale, a demon was walking by the beautiful Kosi River and fell in love with her. He asked her to marry him. She was scared and agreed, but on one condition. He had to stop her from flowing outside the Himalayas by the next morning. She thought it would be an impossible task. The demon struggled hard throughout the night. He was almost winning. The Kosi River saw that the demon was about to win. She went to her father Lord Shiva and asked for his help. Shiva took the form of a rooster and started to crow even before it became dawn. The demon on hearing the cock thought he had lost the bet as he could not finish the task by morning. He left the River. Kosi River was free to flow wherever she wanted again. So, when Kosi River floods the villages in Bihar in monsoons, the villagers offer turmeric, which represents marriage, and the river goddess who wants to remain single and unmarried, starts to leave in a hurry.

The Narmada River The fifth largest river on the Indian subcontinent, the Narmada River is also one of the five most sacred rivers along with Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Kaveri. Narmada, which was called Namade by Greek geographer Ptolemy, originates in the Amarkantak Hills of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the rare Indian rivers to flow from the East to the West through Maharashtra and Gujarat, into the Arabian Sea. Narmada has an exalted status in Hinduism. The ancient river, considered by Hindus as the Goddess of Peace, is also known as Reva and Purvaganga. It is said that just by seeing this river humans are freed from their sins. Even the most holy river Ganga comes in the form of a black cow for a purifying bath in the Narmada when overwhelmed by the pollution caused by her worshippers taking a dip in her waters to wash off their sins. According to old Hindu mythology, Narmada was born out of a beautiful peaceful trance-like state of mind of Lord Shiva. He was meditating on the Amarkantak Hills and felt so peaceful and tenderness of heart, that it brought tears in his eyes. These tears rolled down and became a river. He named her Narmada as she had inspired tenderness (Narma in Sanskrit) in his heart. She is also known as Shankari (Shankar’s daughter). Shiva blessed Narmada with lifelong freedom. Most of the stones and pebbles on the banks of the river are believed to be in the sculptural shape of Shivalinga, the form in which Shiva is worshipped. Interestingly, the river is lined by high quality marble rocks in Maharashtra. According to the Vedic texts Puranas, even though she was blessed with freedom by Shiva, Narmada was once captured by the Gods. But, she slipped through their fingers and flowed back on the earth. Being Shiva’s daughter, she was the sister of Serpent King Naga, who ruled the netherworlds. Once, 60 million Gandharvas (smaller gods) waged a war on the Nagas and occupied their kingdom. On Lord Vishnu’s advice, the Nagas asked their sister Narmada to talk to Purukutsa and get his help. When he agreed to help, Narmada led him into the Naga kingdom and helped them get their kingdom back. The river goddess got married to Purukutsa. The Nagas announced that those who remember the story of Narmada and Purukutsa, would never be affected by snake venom. There is an old folk tale about Narmada and the Son River. The Son, a tributary of Ganga, had fallen in love with the serene Narmada and went to her father to seek her hand in marriage. Narmada agreed to marry Son. The Son River went in a procession to his bride’s place for a wedding. Narmada was curious to know what Son looked like and sent her hairdresser Johilla to meet the groom. When the two met, Son was enchanted by Johilla and liked her company instead. Narmada got angry and rejected Son. He flowed off the Amarkantak hills towards the East and was joined by the Johilla stream. The Narmada was a witness to the famous battle between Lanka king Ravana and King Sahasrarjun, who ruled Maheshwar, which was on the banks of the river. Sahasrarjun was a mighty king and had a thousand arms. He had 500 wives. One day he and his wives went on a picnic to the banks of the Narmada. The queens asked the king for a large levelled place on which they could play games. The king stopped the mighty river with his arms and held its waters so that they could play on the riverbed. Meanwhile, Lanka King Ravana was flying by the area in his Pushpak Vimana. He looked down and saw the dry river bed. He flew down and made a Shivalinga from the sand and prayed to Lord Shiva. King Sahasrarjuna let the river water flow once his wives had finished playing. The river suddenly rushed and flooded down its path and ran over Ravana’s temple and disturbed him in his prayer. Ravana attacked Sahasrarjuna. But, the mighty king with his 1000 arms easily wrestled Ravana to the ground and tied him up. He placed 10 lamps on Ravana’s ten heads and one lamp on his tied up hand. Sahasrarjuna dragged him Ravana to his son’s cradle and tied him to the cradle-post. Ravana was humiliated and asked for mercy, after which he was freed.

The Godavari River Godavari, often called the Vriddh (Old) or Dakshin (South) Ganga, is the second largest river in India and the most holy river next only to its Northern counterpart. Originating in Triambak Mountains in Nasik district of Maharashtra, the Godavari River flows through Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. It splits into two rivers, Gautami and Vasishta, at Dhawaleswaram and flows into the Bay of Bengal. Kusavarta Lake is considered the symbolic origin of the Godavari, and revered by Hindus as a sacred bathing place. The river is believed to bless people with new beginnings in their lives and wash off sins. It is used for baptisms and releasing the ashes of the dead, just like the Ganga. The Sapta Godavari Kund is also a sacred spot for Hindus. According to ancient stories, the Sapta-Maharishis (Seven Sages) divided the Akhanda (unbranched) Godavari River into seven different streams. Of these, four major streams, Draksharamam. Bharadhwaja, Vishwamitra and Jamadagni became Antarvahinis (went underground) and merged at this pond. According to Puranas, Sage Gautama brought the Godavari River, a form of the Ganga River, to the earth so that he could wash off his sin of killing a cow. Lord Shiva had caught and imprisoned Ganga in his matted locks when she had rushed down to the earth on Lord Brahma’s orders. Ganga, who was proud and conceited, had angrily come down in a destructive force from the heavens. Lord Shiva was the only one powerful enough to control her fall to the earth. So, he held Ganga in his matted hair. Lord Shiva’s wife Goddess Parvati saw that Ganga was being playful and attracting the attention of Lord Shiva. Angry, Parvati planned to drive Ganga away from her husband. Along with her son Lord Ganesha and friend Jaya, Parvati came to live at Sage Gautama’s ashram in Trimbakeshwar. Meanwhile, the earth was being ravaged by a long drought. But, Sage Gautama’s hermitage received rains daily by the grace of Lord Varuna, the Rain God. The sage’s farmland yielded plenty of food crops and Gautama was able to feed all the people taking shelter in his ashram because of the famine. Even after the famine was over and Varuna rained all over the earth, the people continued to stay at Gautama’s ashram. One day, Gautama saw a cow grazing on the paddy in his farm. To drive her away, the sage threw sharp, pointed grass, which instantly killed the cow, who was none other than Jaya. The people and sages at the ashram were angry with Gautama killing the cow and refused to dine at his ashram. The sage was repentant and asked for their forgiveness. They advised him to wash off his sin by praying to Lord Shiva and requesting him to release Ganga River from his matted hair so that he could take a dip in the river. Gautama performed a harsh penance on Brahmagiri Mountains, and Shiva was pleased. He ordered Ganga to flow on the Brahmagiri. But, Ganga did not want to flow there, so she appeared in Trimbakeshwar. Whenever Gautama tried taking a dip in the river, she vanished and appeared elsewhere. She appeared in Gangadwar, Varaha, Rama-Laxman, and Ganga Sagar teerthas. The Sage performed a prayer and captured the river with tall grass at Kushavarta. The river then became Godavari and started to flow towards the sea. Gautama washed off his sins by taking a dip in the Godavari-Ganga at Kushavarta. He continued to service humanity from his ashram where he lived with his wife Ahalya. The sage’s wife was so beautiful that, one day, Lord Indra who was passing by, fell in love with her. He disguised himself as Sage Gautama and embraced Ahalya, who did not know that he was not her husband. The sage came to know about the incident and cursed his wife to turn into a rock. Later on, when Lord Rama was passing through the hermitage, he touched the rock and Ahalya was transformed back into a woman. The sage also cursed Indra with diseases. Indra begged the sage to forgive him. Gautama told Indra that he would be released from the curse only if he took a dip in the holy Godavari. According to Puranas, the Godavari River was also witness to the Tretha Yug occurrence of Ksheera Sagara Mathan (the event during which Gods and demons churned the Milky Ocean to retrieve Amrut to give them immortality). It is said to have happened in Sapta-Sagara-Sangam, a place where the Vasishtha River, a tributary of Godavari River, merges with the Bay of Bengal Sea. The Vasishtha River is said to have been brought to earth by Maharishi Vasishtha, one of the Saptha-Rishis (seven great sages mentioned in Hindu texts). On the banks of this river lies Antarvedi, a small village also known as Dakshina Kashi (Kashi of South India). Here Lord Brahma is said to have performed Rudrayagna and built a temple for Lord Neela Kantheswara (Lord Shiva). The other tributary of Godavari is River Gautami. On the banks of this rivulet, is the village of Murumulla where the temple of Veerabhadra Swamy (Lord Shiva) was built. According to the legends, Shiva’s wife Sati immolated herself when her father, Daksha Prajapathi, humiliated her for marrying Lord Shiva. Upon hearing the news of Sati’s death, Shiva was so angry that he performed the dance of destruction. He plucked a hair from his matted locks and threw it to the ground, from which a huge volcano burst. After a while, at the same spot, Veerabhadra Swamy (Shiva’s angry avatar) appeared. Soon, an army of angry soldiers emerged from the spot and destroyed whatever they saw in their way to Daksha’s place. Veerabhadra killed Sati’s father, but on her mother’s prayer, revived him and place a goat’s head on his body. However, Veerabhadra, was still in anger. So the Gods sought Goddess Adi Parashakthi’s help. She sent her avatar Bhadrakali as a young woman. Veerabhadra fell in love with Bhadrakali and they got married. When Sage Agastya heard that Shiva was getting married to Parvati, he wanted to attend the wedding in person. All the gods, celestial beings, sages, and human beings gathered to witness the divine wedding. The weight in the northern part of the continent multiplied alarmingly. The earth seemed to lose balance and was wobbling and tilted. Shiva could not ask his guests to leave before the wedding. He asked the Sage Agastya for help. He asked him to cross over to the Sahayadri Mountains in the Southern part of the continent, so that with his power the balance could be restored. The sage asked for a special vision to watch the wedding from a distance. He asked Shiva and Parvati for a boon – to reside in his ashram (Murumulla) as Lord Uma Agasteswara Swamy. They appeared as a couple on a single throne. Another town, Bhadrachalam, on the banks of Godavari, is most famous for Lord Rama’s temple. The town, which leads to the Dhandakaranya forests, gets its name from "Bhadragiri" (Mountain of Bhadra – a boon child of Meru and Menaka). The river is lined by Paapi Kondalu hills and Dandakaranya forests, where Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana spent 12 years in exile from Ayodhya. Parnashaala, the place where Sita was lured by the famous Golden Deer and abducted by Ravana, is near the temple site. Long after the time of Ramayana, Sage Bhadra (the mountain king) continued to perform a severe penance. Lord Rama was pleased and granted him a boon. Bhadra asked Rama to stay permanently at his mountains, and Rama agreed. Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, took the form of idols. In Bhadrireddypalem, on the Bhadragiri hills, a woman named Pokala Dammakka, who was Shabari in her previous life during Rama’s time, had a dream in which she saw Lord Rama. The Lord told her about the idols on Bhadragiri hills. Next day, she went to the hills and found an anthill. She poured hundreds of pots of Godavari water on the anthill, cleared the anthill and brought out the idols. She built a make-shift temple and offered prayers to the deities. A few years later, in the 17th Century, local Tahsildar, Kancharla Gopanna (popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas), a devotee of Lord Rama, constructed the Bhadrachalarama temple. The son of Linganna Murthy and Kamamba, Gopanna was a tax collector working for the Nawabs who ruled the Qutub Shahi kingdom in Golconda. When he heard about the old Pokalamma and the temple on Bhadragiri, he visited Bhadrachalam and was awestruck by the idols and the deities. He then raised funds from the villagers for the construction of the temple. He found the Shanku-Chakram for the idols in the Godavari River. Soon after the construction, Gopanna’s troubles began. He was dismissed from service and jailed in the Golconda Fort for 12 years, where he was tortured immensely. Golconda King Tani Shah accused him of misusing the state revenue for constructing the temple. Gopanna prayed to Rama to relieve him from the suffering and composed devotional songs. Gopanna began to be known as Bhakta Ramadas because of his devotion to Lord Rama. Rama, pleased by his devotion, visited King Tani Shah in his dreams along with his brother Lakshmana, as Ramoji and Lakshmoji. Lord Rama told Tani Shah in his dream that they were servants of Bhakta Ramadas and paid 6 Lakh Mohurs and demanded his release from the prison. Tani Shah gave the brothers a receipt for the payment, which Ramadas found under his pillow in the prison the next day. The king woke up the next morning and saw the gold coins. He realized that the two persons were none other than Lord Rama and Lakshmana themselves. He immediately got Ramadas released from the jail and asked for his forgiveness. He also offered all the gold Mohurs he had received from Rama to Ramadas. But, Ramadas took only two coins as a mark of respect and devotion for his Lord. He kept them on display in the Bhadrachalam Temple. King Tani Shah ordered that the taxes collected from the locality should be used for the temple’s development. He also specially offered pearls every year to the temple on Ramanavami festival. This practice is followed by the government to this day.

The Tungabhadra River The Tungabhadra River rises in Karnataka and flows towards Andhra Pradesh, and joins the Krishna River. It is formed by the merging of two rivers, the Tunga River and the Bhadra River in Western Ghats in Karnataka. The Tunga and Bhadra streams rise in Varaha Parvatha in the Western Ghats and join Kudali near Shimoga. After flowing towards AP, they join the Krishna River at Gondimalla, near Alampur. Varada, Hagari and Handri are the main tributaries of the Tungabhadra. Many rivulets and streams join these tributaries. In the epic Ramayana, the Tungabhadra River was known by the name of Pampa. Pampa is said to be the Puranic name of the Thungabadra. The town of Pampa, or Hampi, is situated on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra. The name Hampi is derived from Pampa. Hampi is an anglicized version of the Kannada name ‘Hampe’ (derived from Pampa). It is a scared place for Hindus. According to local legends, Pampa, Lord Brahma’s daughter, performed penance to please Lord Shiva. She wanted to marry him. Shiva obliged and took the name Pampapati, meaning husband of Pampa. The place came to be known as Pampakshetra (Land of Pampa). At the Hemakuta Hill in Hampi, Shiva performed his penance before marrying Pampa. When the river goddess fell in love with Shiva, Lord Kama, the God of Love, wanted to help Pampa to make Shiva fall in love with her too. He and his wife Rathi, Goddess of Passion, performed a dance in front of Shiva, who was deep in meditation. Shiva was disturbed by the dance and was furious. He immediately opened his third eye and Kama was burnt to death. When Rathi begged Shiva for mercy, Shiva gave Kama’s life back. Soon, Shiva married Pampa. The Gods in the heavens showered gold on the hill where the wedding took place. This hill, named Hemakuta, means heap of gold. Hampi is also home to the Shabari Cave used by the old priestess Shabari, an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. She waited on the hills to meet him after her Guru Matunga Maharishi told her that Rama would be visiting the place. When Rama came to her cave, Shabari offered her prayers. Then she offered fruits to Rama. In her extreme devotion for Lord Rama, Shabari first tasted the fruits before offering them to Rama, to make sure the fruits were not sour or bitter. But, Shabari was so immersed in her devotion that after tasting the fruits, she didn’t realise she was throwing away the fruit and offering pits (seeds) to Rama. When Lakshmana questioned Rama how he could eat the seeds from fruits that were tasted by the old woman, his brother replied they were the sweetest food he had eaten in a long time, because they were offered with so much love. On the banks of Pampa or Tungabhadra River is the Anegundi village, believed to be the Monkey Kingdom of Kishkinda mentioned in the Ramayana. Also on the banks of river, is the Anjaneri Mountain. It is the birth place of Lord Hanuman. The Matunga Hill, named after Sage Matunga (who cursed Vali with death when he would step on this spot) is the highest place in Hampi. A heap of ash hill at a village is believed to be that of pyre of Vali, the powerful king of Kishkinda. King Vali had exiled his brother Sugreeva. When Vali had gone to fight a powerful demon king in a cave and did not return for a long time, Sugreeva had taken over the kingdom and married his brother’s wife. Furious, Vali came back and banished Sugreeva. He threatened to kill Sugreeva if he ever stepped foot in Kishkinda. Sugreeva took shelter in Mount Rishimuka. In the Chintamani Caves, Rama and Lakshmana met Sugreeva and Hanuman, while roaming the forests in search for Sita who had been abducted by Lanka king Ravana. They take them to the cave where Sita’s jewels have been hidden by them. Sugreeva explained that Sita dropped them at this site when the demon king Ravana had abducted her and taken her on his flying chariot to Lanka. Sugreeva offered to help Rama in his search for his wife, but asked his help in killing Vali. Rama killed Vali and made Sugreeva the undisputed king of the monkey kingdom. Hanuman flew to Lanka and returned with the news that Sita was in the custody of Ravana. He rested at the Pampa Sarovara Lake during his journey. Soon, Rama with the help of Sugreeva’s monkey army led by Hanuman, built a bridge across the sea and attacked Lanka. Rama killed Ravana and rescued Sita. Much later in history from 1336 to 1565, Hampi became the capital of the Vijayanagara empire and was called Virupakshapura (from Virupaksha, the patron God of Vijayanagara rulers). Hampi was a strategic location because it was bound by the torrential Tungabhadra River on one side and hills on the other three sides. It was under King Krishnadeva Raya that Vijayanagara Empire found its golden days. It was more prosperous than Austria at that time. Foreign merchants came there to trade in spices and precious metal and stones. People used to sell diamonds and gems in the open markets like vegetables during Krishnadeva Raya’s rule. Later the Deccan Moghuls attacked and captured Hampi. They destroyed the major temples and monuments in the town. Tungabhadra River goes on meet the River Krishna, which originates at Mahabaleswar in Maharashtra and ends in the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladevi in Andhra Pradesh. It was called Krsnavena in the Puranas and Krsnaveni in the Yoginitantra. It is also known as Kanhapenna in Jatakas and Kanhapena in the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela. River Krishna is considered sacred by Hindus. It is used for religious rituals and for releasing ashes of the dead people. Krishna means ‘dark.’ The dark river is said to be a form of Lord Vishnu himself, who turned into a river due to Savitri’s curse. The tributaries Venna and Koyana streams are said to be form of Shiva and Brahma.

The Kaveri or the Cauvery River The Kaveri River is among the five most sacred rivers of India. It originates at Talakaveri in Coorg in the Western Ghats, Karnataka. It flows South across the Deccan plateau into Tamil Nadu and ends in the Bay of Bengal. It is called Kaveri by Indians and the British named it Cauvery. Kaveri is considered to be a form of Lopamudra Devi or Vishnumaya, Lord Brahma's daughter, who was adopted and raised by King Kavera. According to ancient legends, King Kavera ruled over South India. He was childless and prayed to Lord Brahma who blessed him with a divine baby girl, Kaveri. Kaveri grew into a young woman. She wanted her to get married an exceptional man who would be an equal to the Gods in the heavens. To find her man, she left her palace and went to the Sahya (Sahayadris) mountains in Western Ghats and performed a penance to please her Godfather Brahma. In the northern part of the continent, Lord Shiva was getting married to Parvati, daughter of Himavan, King of the Himalayas. The whole world had gathered to watch the divine marriage, and the weight in the northern continent increased to a point where the earth lost its balance and was wobbling and tilting. Shiva could not ask his guests to leave before the ceremony. So, he asked the great sage Agastya for help. He instructed the sage to go south, for he was the only one who, with his superior powers, could match the extra weight in the north, and help the earth maintain her balance. Agastya followed Shiva’s orders and asked for a special vision to watch the ceremony. He also asked for water for his daily needs as the south was dry without any rivers. Shiva promised to send water his way. When the sage came to the Sahayadri Mountains, the earth’s balance was restored. He began to live there. One day, while roaming the forests, he saw the beautiful Kaveri in meditation. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. Kaveri agreed, but she had a condition – she had come down to the earth to do service for the humanity. She wanted to become a river. The sage gave her a boon that she would be a woman as well as a river. He remembered that Shiva had promised him water to serve his needs and realised that Kaveri as a water source was the blessing that God had provided him. He turned Kaveri into water and contained her in his water jug which he always carried around. Kaveri was now both water in his jug and also a woman. Agastya began to live with Kaveri in a hermitage in the forest. When people from the south returned to their lands after Shiva and Parvati’s wedding, they began praying to the Gods for water for their lands. Shiva remembered that Sage Agastya was carrying around Kaveri River in a jug, even though she was meant to nourish the lands in the South. As the form of Brahma’s daughter Vishnumaya, Kaveri she had come down to the earth for the very purpose of serving humankind. Shiva came upon a plan to release her from the tiny jug in the hands of the powerful sage. He asked his son Lord Ganesha to use his wit and wisdom to release Kaveri. Ganesha took the form of a crow, sat on it and toppled it. The sage was disturbed from his meditation and tried to scare the crow away with his hands. Kaveri in the jug thought that the sage was instructing her to flow out of the jug and began to flow. She prayed to Lord Vishnu, asking his blessings to be the holiest among the rivers on the earth. But, Ganga was the most holy as she had originated from Vishnu’s feet. He gave Kaveri the status of his garland – the river would be close to his heart and thus very sacred. The Ganga River, which heard about the sacred status Vishnu had bestowed on Kaveri, came down from an underground path for a cleansing dip. Meanwhile, Ganesha immediately took the form of a small boy and Sage Agastya ran after the boy thinking it was he who had toppled his water jug. After running for a distance for a while, Ganesha allowed himself to be caught by the sage. The sage was angry and punished the boy by hitting him on his head. When Ganesha showed his true self, the sage asked for the Lord’s forgiveness. At Srirangam, the idol of Ganesha at the temple has a slight dent on his head. In another folk tale, however, Ganesha is said to have received the hit on his head from Vibheeshana. There was an idol of Lord Vishnu which was worshipped by the Ikshvaku dynasty in Ayodhya. Lord Rama also prayed to it with great devotion. After the war with Ravana in Lanka, Vibheeshana who had come along with Rama to India for Rama’s coronation ceremony saw the idol and asked for it as a present. Vibheeshana started back with the idol to Lanka in the Pushpak Vimana, his miraculous aircraft. But, Rama had told him that if he put the idol down on any place, he would not be able to pick it up again as it would get rooted in that place. Vibheeshana stopped near Srirangam to complete nature calls. He needed help with the idol. He asked a cowherd to hold the idol till he came back. The cowherd, who was none other than Ganesha in disguise, agreed to help. But, he said, if his hands were tired, he would call out his name three times, and if there was no response he would put it down. Vibheeshana went down to the Kaveri River. The cowherd held the idol for some time. Then, he called Vibheeshana three times and put it down. Vibheeshana returned and saw that the idol had become immovable from the place. The angry king immediately hit the cowherd on his head. When Ganesha showed his true form, Vibheeshana begged for his mercy. He was upset and prayed to Lord Vishnu. The Lord appeared and told him that even though the idol could not be taken to Lanka, it would always face the island. Even today, the main deity in the temple faces towards Lanka and Ganesha’s idol has a bump on the head.