Beas River
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The Beas River (Hindi: ब्यास, Punjabi: ਬਿਆਸ, Sanskrit: विपाशा) is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab. Its total length is 460 kilometres (290 mi) and its drainage basin is 20,303 square kilometres (7,839 sq mi) large.[1]
Etymology
The river was also known as Arjikuja of the Vedas or Vipasa to the ancient Indians and the Hyphasis to the Ancient Greeks.[2]
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. 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 said 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) and 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.[3]
History
The Beas River marks the eastern-most border of Alexander's conquests in 326 BC.[1]
According to Kavyamimansa [4] of Rajasekhara, the kingdom-territories of Gurjara-Pratihara monarch Mahipala I was extended till the upper course of the river Bias in the north-west.[5]
Course
The Beas River originates at an elevation of 3,960 metres (12,990 ft) in Rohtang Pass in the Punjab Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh. It flows south past Manali and through the Kullu Valley before entering the Punjab plains. It meets the Sutlej River near the Harike Wetland south of Amritsar.[1] The Sutlej continues into Pakistani Punjab and joins the Chenab River at Uch near Bahawalpur 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.
Dangers
The Beas river is one of India's rougher rivers. Villagers in local towns accidentally slip into the river quite often, never making it back up due to the rough waters, rocks, and undertows. It is also extremely polluted, and in some areas it gives off an unpleasant odour.
References
- ^ a b c Jain, Sharad K.; Agarwal, Pushpendra K.; Singh, Vijay P. (5 March 2007). Hydrology and water resources of India. Springer. p. 481. ISBN 9781402051791. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ Beas The Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 7, p. 138..
- ^ Wasini Pandey, Bindhy. Geoenvironmental hazards in Himalaya. Google Books. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Kavyamimansa of Rajasekhara, ch. XVII, P. 94
- ^ Rama Shankar Tripathi (1989). History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 262–264. ISBN 812080404X, ISBN 9788120804043.
External links
- Himachal Pradesh
- The Geography of the Rigveda
- Migratory birds find new lake in Himachal
- Photos of Beaskund - where the Beas originates
