Bagmati River

28 Oct 2024 13:06:10 pm

Tags : Bagmati River

Topic: Rivers

Why in the news?

Devotees take a bath in the Bagmati river during Rishi Panchami in Kathmandu on Sunday at the end of the three-day Teej festival, in which women fast during the day and pray for the long lives of their husbands.

Source: The Hindu

About Bagmati River:

It is a river in south-central Nepal and northern Bihar state, India.
It is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Course:
- It originates from the Bagdwar area in the Shivapuri Hills, located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu Valley, central Nepal.
- It is fed by springs and monsoon rainfall and a number of tributaries as it flows down from the Kathmandu valley floor and passes through the valley at Chovar.
- It flows southward through the Shivalik Range, the southernmost range of the Himalayas.
- It continues across the plains of Tarai into Bihar and then flows southeastward to enter the Burhi (“Old”) Gandak River after a course of 360 km.
- The basin transacts three distinct latitudinal physiographic zones (Mountain, Siwalik, and Terai) of the Nepal Himalayas.
The Pashupatinath temple (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is nestled on an outcrop above the river north of Kathmandu. It is regarded as one of the holy places of Hinduism.
Gokarneswor temple, located in the north of the Kathmandu Valley, is also an important holy shrine located on its banks.

Hartalika Teej:

It is celebrated on the Tritiya of Shukla Paksha in the Bhadrapada month.
The word "Hartalika" is derived from two Sanskrit words: "Harat" (abduction) and "Aalika" (female friend).
Background:
- Goddess Parvati, devoted to Lord Shiva, was abducted by her friends to avoid her marriage to Lord Vishnu, as per her father's wish.
- Parvati worshiped a clay idol of Lord Shiva, pleasing him, and they eventually married.
- Women observe Swarna Gowri Vratha to seek blessings from Goddess Gowri for a happy married life.
It is celebrated in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
It is known as Gowri Habba in South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.