Main Rivers in Haryana:

Rivers in Haryana:

There are (or were) eight major rivers in Haryana-Yamuna, Ghaggar, Saraswati, Dohan, Tangri, Krishnawati, Sahibi and Markanda.

Yamuna:

Yamuna River forms the eastern boundary of Haryana with Uttar Pradesh. It enters Haryana near the Kalesar forest in Yamunanagar district. It flows due south along the districts of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat and leaves Haryana near Hasanpur in district Faridabad.

At Tajewala barrage in district Yamunanagar, the water of the river Yamuna are diverted to the western Yamuna canal for irrigation. There is a nice tourist spot at Hathni Kund near this barrage. The world famous Taj Mahal is situated on the banks of this river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

It is also called Yamna, Jamna and Jamuna in local dialects. This revered river originates from the Champasar Glacier at an altitude of 4,421 m in the State of Uttarakhand. Some say that the source of the river is the Saptarishi Kund, glacial lake. There is a sacred shrine of Yamunotri or Yamnotri, near this source at an altitude of 3,235 m.

There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, which remains closed from November to May. At ^numanchatti or Hanuman Ganga merges with Yamuna river. Yamunotri finds a special mention in the Hindu mythology. According to a legend, this secluded hilly spot was the home of an ancient sage, Asit Muni.

From Uttarakhand, the river flows into the State of Himachal Pradesh. After passing leaving Paonta Sahib, Yamuna flows along the boundary of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and after leaving Haryana, it continues to flow till it merges with the river Ganga (Ganges) at Sangam or Prayag in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh). The total length of the river is 1,370 km. Its major tributaries are the Chambal and Betwa rivers.

Religious Importance:

The Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, along with the now dried Saraswati, are the most sacred rivers of India. Yamuna, according to the legends, is the daughter of the Sun God, Surya and the sister of Yama, the God of Death.

According to ancient beliefs, it is said that those who take a dip in the holy waters of the river, do not fear death. This river is also closely connected to Mahabharata and Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna's father, Vasudeva, crossed the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safer place. It is said that Lord Krishna played along with his cowherd friends on the banks of river Yamuna during his childhood in Nandgram, Mathura.

Saraswati:

River Saraswati is believed to have drained the north and northwest region of India, including Haryana and Punjab, in ancient times. It is also believed to be supporting a large number of settlements during those times. There are numerous references to the river Saraswati in the ancient Indian literature of the Vedic and post-Vedic period.

Rig Veda, the most ancient of the four Vedas, describes Saraswati as a mighty river with many individually recognized tributaries. The sacred book calls Saraswati as the seventh river of the Sindhu-Saraswati river system, hence the name Saptasindhu for the region bounded by rivers Saraswati in the east and Sindhu (Indus) in the west.

Rig Veda hymns also describe life and times of the people residing in the Saraswati river valley. Rig Veda describes Saraswati as Ambitame, the best of the mothers; and Devitame, the best of the goddesses. An ancient site in Kunal and Banawali, in district Fatehabad, has been found on the banks of the dried river bed of Saraswati.

Saraswati is believed to have originated from the Har-ki-Dun glacier in West Garhwal. It flowed parallel to the river Yamuna for some distance and later joined it, the unified river proceeding toward south as the Vedic Saraswati. The seasonal rivers and rivulets, including Ghaggar, joined Saraswati as it followed the course of the present river through Punjab and Haryana.

River Sutlej, the Vedic Shatadru, joined the river Saraswati as a tributary at Shatrana, at a distance of approximately 25 kilometres south of Patiala. Saraswati then followed the co