4. Disappearance of 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨

Rivers in Ancient India (study)

by Archana Sarma | 2019 | 49,356 words

This page relates 鈥楧isappearance of Sarasvati鈥� of the study on the rivers in ancient India as reflected in the Vedic and Puranic texts. These pages dicsusses the elements of nature and the importance of rivers (Nadi) in Vedic and Puranic society. Distinctive traits of rivers are investigated from descriptions found in the Vedas (Samhitas), Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads and Puranas. The research is concluded by showing changing trends of rivers from ancient to modern times.

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4. Disappearance of 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨

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The 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 had flowed down from the mountains and run into the ocean, but dried up owing to geological changes. The place where it lost its existence, aptly called 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 or the 鈥楧isappearance鈥� of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, is held to be in Punjab territory in Patiala district.^[1] Its disappearance has also been connected with the 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺. The 罢腻峁囜笉补测补尘补丑腻产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 specifies the distance between 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 and the 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺. According to it, the 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺 is at distance of forty four 腻艣惫墨苍补蝉 from 痴颈苍补艣补苍补, one 腻艣惫墨苍补 being the distance traversed by a constantly moving horse in one complete day and night.^[2] It is held that 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺 was actually the source of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 rather than the place of its re-appearance.^[3] 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is placed on the borders of the 艢耻诲谤补蝉 and the 膧bhiras. The land of the 膧bhiras is located above the Indus delta. 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is beyond the border of the two places. 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 covers a large area possibly forming the western frontier of 惭补诲丑测补-顿别艣补 whereas the latter has its other frontiers鈥攖he confluence of the 骋补峁単腻 and the 驰补尘耻苍腻 in the east, Himalayas in the North and Vindhya mountains in the South.

In the other literature 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is said to exist near modern Sirs膩 in 碍耻谤耻办峁迟谤补 in the eastern Punjab. 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 has also been located beyond the modern Sirs膩, to the West of which the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 lost itself in the desert of Bhatner.

When it is said that locality called 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺 is the source of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, acceptance of the river as out fringing from the foot of the Siwalik range, will point to 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺 as situated somewhere near the Siwalik ranges. This has been approved in a map prepared by Macdonell and Keith.^[4] 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is also assumed to be a locality where the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 ceases to flow and is said to have been situated in Patiala district. 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is towards the South-West of the 笔濒补办峁 笔谤腻蝉谤补惫补峁嘺.^[5]

The appearance and disappearance of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 may give us a hint to the root of the river. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, it rises in the Sirmur State and flows down to the plains at Adh Badri. After flowing ahead for a short distance, it loses itself in the sand, but appears once more at a distance of three miles to the south of Bhavanipur. It again vanishes at Balchhappar and manifests itself while flowing through Karnal district until it loses itself completely in Patiala territory where 痴颈苍补艣补苍补 is claimed to have been situated.

This gives us a clear picture of the root of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨. Modern investigations brush doubt aside and would have us believed that the above mentioned root was once virtually occupied by the old Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨. In this regard, Sir Aurel Stein survey is of immense importance. The river now called Ghaggar or H膩kr膩 has been identified with the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, taken for an old Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 in the popular belief. The Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 has retained its old name in the modern Sars奴t墨, which flows near Pehoa or modern 笔峁泃丑奴诲补办补, miles away from the west of Thanesar. Though at present it has shrunk back and dwindled sufficiently, yet it has been taken to be a very big river once, though at present it has shrunk and dwindled and its bed remains dry for the most part of the year. But in the rainy season, it overflows and inundates a large area on its banks as its bed is raise up considerably. It is held that Hanumangarh, it joins Ghaggar -now Ghaggar Canal-an old remnant of a river which also originates from the same Siwalik range. When Sars奴t墨 joined the Ghaggar, it loses its previous name and is known as Sars奴t墨-Ghaggar or plain Ghaggar. But when the name Ghaggar only is applied, it purports both the Sars奴t墨 and the Ghaggar. The single stream goes ahead under the name of Ghaggar through Patiala state, Hissar district, Bikaner, Bahawlpur and traversing a good distance, it enters the area of Pakistan bearing the name H膩kr膩. This H膩kr膩 is the tail-end of the Ghaggar, which remains empty for the most part of the year, from November to June. This tail-end should not be taken to be to mean an intermediary to engulf the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 (Ghaggar) to Indus. It is, in fact, through the Eastern Nara that the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 reached the Rann of Kutch. At present, the Eastern Nara, which is the tail-end of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 or the Ghaggar, has taken the shape of the Sukkar barrage project.

So far as the confluence of the three rivers, 骋补峁単腻, 驰补尘耻苍腻 and 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, at 笔谤补测腻驳 is concerned, it appears to be simply craving on the part of the religious minded people to revive the popular notion that the Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 is still flowing and meets the other two rivers at 笔谤补测腻驳. On the basis of the aforesaid discussion, it is obvious that the Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 is left behind at Hanumangarh and flows under one name or the other (the Ghaggar, or the Sars奴t墨) through Patiala, Hissar, Bikanur and Bhawalpur to the Rann of Kutch. It is also held that a river of peripheral importance called 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 joined the 骋补峁単腻 and the 驰补尘耻苍腻 at 笔谤补测腻驳, and it is possible that it might have been misunderstood to be Vedic 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 by the people.^{^[6]}

Research conducted by various institutions, including the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO), has suggested the course of the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨. Satellite images have unearthed the hidden course of what could be the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 river below the sand of Thar Desert in Rajasthan. As per an ISRO Report, the mapped course of the river is 4-10 Km wide passing through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, confirming the findings of Oldham.

Geological Studies carried with to ascertain the existence of a palaeochannels remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been either filled or buried by sediment in the North-Western alluvial plains by the department of Geology, 碍耻谤耻办峁迟谤补 University, highlight the presence of a river system in the area demarcated for excavation. Studies have indicated that 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 boosted the development of Vedic Civilization. The Sedimentological characteristics of the alluvium in Kalayat and palaeo-river bed near 碍耻谤耻办峁迟谤补 point to the presence of a trans-Himalayan river system.

It is believed that 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 got lost due to tectonic movement. Darshan Lal Jain, the president of 鈥槼Р拱共醣共钩倌� 狈补诲墨 Shodh Sansthan鈥�, said that satellite images obtained from ISRO prove palaeo-channels still exist below the ground.

Several agencies are involved in the 厂补谤补惫补迟墨 river project and they are trying to dig the river once again. The Haryana government has hired the Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) to prepare a detailed project report for revival of the river. Other agencies to be involved include the United Nations Development Programme, NABARD and Asian Development Bank. The ONGC has committed to carry out drilling of deep bore wells in the 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 river course.^{^[7]}