The 5 Tributaries of Indus: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej
The Indus River, one of South Asia's principal rivers, receives its water from a network of tributaries. The major contributors to its flow are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers.
Interesting Facts About Indus Tributaries
The five rivers, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, are the origin of the name Punjab for the region through which they flow. Punjab means "the land of five waters". This region was also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata as Panchanada, meaning ‘five rivers’.
The Satluj River is the longest of the five rivers.
The Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL Canal) is a proposed 214 km waterway that would link the Yamuna Canal in Haryana with the Sutlej River in Punjab.
The Beas River was approximately the limit till where Alexander the Great was able to enter India during his invasion in 326 BCE.
The River Jhelum is called ‘Vyath’ in Kashmir, which is derived from the original Sanskrit name ‘Vitasta’.
Course of 5 Rivers: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej
The Sutlej River originates in Tibet, near Rakshastal, a lake in the Kailash-Mansarovar region. It flows through Tibet, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab (India).
The Jhelum River, originating from the Himalayan glaciers at Verinag spring in Jammu and Kashmir, meanders through the Kashmir Valley, passing through Wular Lake at Srinagar, before entering Pakistan.
The Chenab begins its journey in the upper Himalayas, formed by the union of the source rivers Chandra and Bhaga. The Chandra and Bhaga themselves originate from Chandra Taal and Surya Taal lakes, respectively, in Himachal Pradesh. The Chandra Taal is so named due to its crescent shape and the Surya Taal is the third-highest lake in India. The Chenab flows through the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu before making its way to Pakistan. Emerging from the Beas Kund in the Himalayas, the
Beas River flows through the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, while the
Ravi River originates in Himachal Pradesh and traverses Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. Finally, at the end of their courses, the rivers Jhelum and Ravi rivers join the Chenab, while the Beas River joins the Sutlej. Subsequently, the Sutlej and Chenab rivers join to form the Panchnad River that flows into the River Indus.
Important Dams and Hydroelectric Projects on the 5 Rivers:
Sutlej River: Bhakra Dam, the second highest dam in Asia and the highest straight gravity dam in the world.
Chenab River: Salal Dam
Ravi River: Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam)
Beas River: Pandoh Dam, Beas Dam (Pong Dam)
Jhelum River: Uri Dam
Key Tourist and Spiritual Places Located Around the Rivers
The Golden Temple: Situated near the River Beas, this temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a famous Gurudwara and a holy place of Sikhism.
Rohtas Fort: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is a historic and imposing fortress, built by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century, situated near the Jhelum River, in the city of Dina, Pakistan.
Shahdara Bagh: This is a historic town on the banks of the River Ravi, that is home to the tombs of Mughal emperor Jahangir and his wife Noor Jahan.
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib: It is an important site of pilgrimage, being one of the Five Takhts in Sikhism. It is located along the course of the Sutlej River.
Akhnoor: This town situated on the banks of the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir has a large fort, and archaeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation as well as 2000 years old Buddhist temples.
Origin Story of 5 Rivers
Sutlej River
It is said that once Sage Vasiṣṭha, devastated over his son’s death, tied himself up and jumped into the Sutlej River. The river realised that the great sage was as powerful as fire, and trying to protect itself, it divided itself into many branches and started flowing in various directions. Thus, the river came to be called Shatadru (‘hundred rivers’). Shatadru is one of the ten rivers of the Indian subcontinent which are referred to in the Rigveda.
Chenab River
The Chenab River was called Asikni in the Rigveda, which refers to its dark waters, while in Mahabharata it has been referred to as Chandrabhaga. In later eras, the same name became simplified to Chenab.
Jhelum River
It is said that on the request of Sage Kashyap, Lord Shiva asked Devi Parvati to manifest in Kashmir in order to purify the people. Devi Parvati assumed the form of a river in the patal lok (nether world) and asked Lord Shiva to make an opening in the ground. He struck the ground with his trident to create the path from which the Jhelum River flowed to the land. The river was named Vitasta, after the measure of the ditch, which was one Vitasti (one hand span).
Beas River
The River Beas was called Vipas in the Rig Veda, while later texts mention the name Vipasha. It is said that Veda Vyasa, the composer of the epic Mahabharata, created the River Beas from the source lake, the Beas Kund, leading the river to be named after him.
Ravi River
In ancient times, the Ravi River was known as Iravati and Parushni. The river finds an important mention in the Rig Veda, where it is mentioned that an important battle, Dasharajnya Yuddha (the battle of ten kings), was fought on this river.
Key Cities Located on the Banks of the 5 Rivers
Srinagar: The largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is located on the banks of the River Jhelum.
Ludhiana: Standing on the banks of the Sutlej River, this is the most populous and the largest city in Punjab, and one of the top industrial cities in India.
Multan, a historic city in Pakistan, and home to the shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya, a revered Sufi saint, thrives along the banks of the Chenab.
Lahore, a major city of Pakistan and the heart of its Punjab province, is situated on the banks of the Ravi.
Amritsar, famous for the Golden Temple in India, is near the Beas River.
Ferozepur, a border town in India, is located on the banks of the River Sutlej, as it enters Pakistan.
Mithankot, also called ‘Kotmithan’ or The Land of Five Rivers, is where the Panchnad River merges with the Indus River.
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