Bhagirathi River
Encyclopedia
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand
, India
, that is the source stream of the Ganges
—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism
.
, literally, "caused by Bhagiratha
") refers to a mythological
Sagar Dynasty prince who, to gain the release his 60,000 great-uncles from the curse of saint Kapila, brought the goddess Ganga in the form of the river Ganges, from the heavens to the earth.
and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal
Himalaya. It is then joined by its tributaries; these are, in order from the source:
The Bhilangna itself rises at the foot of the Khatling Glacier (elevation 3717 m (12,194.9 ft)) approximately 50 km (31.1 mi) south of Gaumukh.
The river flows from its source for 205 km (127.4 mi) before meeting the Alaknanda River
at an elevation of 475 m (1,558.4 ft) in the town of Devprayag
. Downstream of this confluence, considered holy by Hindu
s, the river is known as the Ganga Ji, or Ganges River
by westerners. The controversial Tehri dam
lies at the confluence of the Bhāgirathi and the Bhilangna, at 30°22′32"N 78°28′48"E, near Tehri.
Image:Bhagirathi flowing into devprayag.jpg|The turbulent Bhāgīrathī as it enters Devprayag.
Image:Bhagirathi alaknanda ganges devprayag2008.jpg|The Bhagirathi (foreground) on its way to meet the sediment-laden Alaknanda river, shown entering on the left, at Devprayag, and to flow on as the Ganges
Image:Confluence.JPG|Another view of the confluence of the Bhāgirathi (right) and the sediment-rich Alaknanda (left) at Devprayag.
File:Tehri dam india.jpg|Tehri Dam
, the 5th tallest dam in the world
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, that is the source stream of the Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Etymology
The word "Bhagirathi" (SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, literally, "caused by Bhagiratha
Bhagiratha
Bhageeratha was a great king in Hindu mythology who brought the River Ganges to Earth.-Early life:Bhageeratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great king Sagara of the Suryavamsa, or Sun Dynasty...
") refers to a mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
Sagar Dynasty prince who, to gain the release his 60,000 great-uncles from the curse of saint Kapila, brought the goddess Ganga in the form of the river Ganges, from the heavens to the earth.
Course
The headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at Gaumukh (elevation 3892 metres (12,769 ft)), at the foot of the Gangotri glacierGangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. This glacier, source of the Ganges, is one of the largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers. The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide...
and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
Himalaya. It is then joined by its tributaries; these are, in order from the source:
- Kedar Ganga at Gangotri (elevation 3049 m (10,003.3 ft)),
- Jadh GangaJahnavi RiverJahnavi River, also called Jadh Ganga or Jada Ganga, is a tributary of Bhagirathi.-Course:Jahnavi raises in Tibet, north of Mana Pass. Jahnavi confluences with Bhagirathi River at Bhairavi Gahtti, in Uttarkashi district, Uttarkhand....
at Bhaironghati (elevation 2650 m (8,694.2 ft)), - Kakora Gadand Jalandhari Gad near HarsilHarsilHarsil is a village and a cantonment area, on the banks of Bhagirathi River, on the way to Hindu pilgrimage, Gangotri, in Uttarkashi district of Indian state of Uttarakhand )....
(elevation 2745 m (9,005.9 ft)), - Siyan Gad near JhalaJhalaJhala is a term in Hindustani classical music which denotes the fast-paced conclusions of classical compositions. It is often characterized by the overwhelming of the melodic component by the rhythmic component. This is sometimes effected by the rapid striking together of the chikari between notes....
(elevation 2575 m (8,448.2 ft)), - Asi Ganganear UttarkashiUttarkashiUttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
(elevation 1158 m (3,799.2 ft)), - Bhilangna RiverBhilangna RiverBhilangna River is a Himalayan river in Uttarakhand, India, which is the major tributary of the Bhagirathi river, the source stream of the Ganges River of India....
near Old TehriTehriTehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative seat of Tehri Garhwal District.-History:...
(elevation 755 m (2,477 ft)).
The Bhilangna itself rises at the foot of the Khatling Glacier (elevation 3717 m (12,194.9 ft)) approximately 50 km (31.1 mi) south of Gaumukh.
The river flows from its source for 205 km (127.4 mi) before meeting the Alaknanda River
Alaknanda River
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India that is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism...
at an elevation of 475 m (1,558.4 ft) in the town of Devprayag
Devprayag
Devprayag is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tehri Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, India, and is one of the Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River and where the Ganges River is formed.-Overview:Traditionally, it is considered to be the place where sage Devasharma led his ascetic life,...
. Downstream of this confluence, considered holy by Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s, the river is known as the Ganga Ji, or Ganges River
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
by westerners. The controversial Tehri dam
Tehri dam
The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex...
lies at the confluence of the Bhāgirathi and the Bhilangna, at 30°22′32"N 78°28′48"E, near Tehri.
Image:Bhagirathi flowing into devprayag.jpg|The turbulent Bhāgīrathī as it enters Devprayag.
Image:Bhagirathi alaknanda ganges devprayag2008.jpg|The Bhagirathi (foreground) on its way to meet the sediment-laden Alaknanda river, shown entering on the left, at Devprayag, and to flow on as the Ganges
File:Tehri dam india.jpg|Tehri Dam
Tehri dam
The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex...
, the 5th tallest dam in the world
Dams
There are 18 dams along the Bhāgirathi River, either in operation, under construction or planned. These are, in order from the source:| # | Name | Ht | MW | Status | FRL | MWL | HRT | TRT | TWL | RBL | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karmoli Dam | 140 | planned | 8.6 | |||||||
| 2 | Gangotri Dam | 55 | planned | 5.2 | |||||||
| 3 | Jadhganga Dam | 50 | planned | 1.1 | |||||||
| 4 | Bhaironghati I Dam | 380 | planned | ||||||||
| 5 | Bhaironghati II Dam | 65 | planned | ||||||||
| 6 | Harsil Dam | 210 | planned | 5.06 | |||||||
| 7 | Loharinag Pala Dam Loharinag Pala Hydro Power Project Loharinag Pala Hydro Power Project is a run-of-the-river hydroelectricity generating project planned by the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd to have an output capacity of 600 MW... |
600 | construction | 2,147 | 1,667 | 13.85 | .51 | 1.665 | 30°49′6"N 78°37′5"E | ||
| 8 | Pala Maneri I Dam | 78 | 480 | construction | 1,665 | 1,667 | 12.563 | 1.378 | |||
| 9 | Maneri Dam Maneri Dam The Maneri Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Bhagirathi River located at Maneri, east of Uttarkashi in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India... |
38 | 90 | operation | 8.631 | ||||||
| 10 | Joshiyara (Bhali) Dam | 304 | operation | 16.0 | |||||||
| 11 | Bhilangana II Dam | 11 | planned | ||||||||
| 12 | Bhilangana I Dam | 22.5 | planned | 2.0 | |||||||
| 13 | Tehri Dam Tehri dam The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex... |
260.5 | 2,400 | operation | 830 | 835 | 1.634 | .8625 | 30°22′40"N 78°28′50"E | ||
| 14 | Koteshwar Dam Koteshwar Dam The Koteshwar Dam is a gravity dam on the Bhagirathi River, located downstream of the Tehri Dam in Tehri District, Uttarakhand, India. The dam is part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex and serves to regulate the Tehri Dam's tailrace for irrigation and create the lower reservoir of the Tehri Pumped... |
97.5 | 400 | construction | 612.50 | 615 | |||||
| 15 | Kotli Bel 1A Dam | 82.5 | 195 | construction | |||||||
| 16 | Kotli Bel 1B Dam | 90 | 320 | construction | |||||||
| 17 | Kotli Bel II Dam | 82 | 530 | construction | |||||||