Mahananda River
Encyclopedia
The Mahananda River is a trans-boundary river
that flows through the India
n states
of West Bengal
and Bihar
, and Bangladesh
. Right bank tributary Mechi
forms part of Nepal
's eastern boundary with West Bengal and the Kankai
crosses out of Nepal.
: Mahaldiram Hill near Chimli, east of Kurseong
in Darjeeling district
at an elevation of 2100 metres (6,889.8 ft). It flows through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
and descends to the plains near Siliguri
. It touches Jalpaiguri district
.
It enters Bangladesh near Tentulia in Panchagarh District
, flows for 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) after Tentulia and returns to India. After flowing through Uttar Dinajpur district in West Bengal and Kishanganj district
in Bihar, it enters Malda district
in West Bengal. The Mahananda divides the district into two regions — the eastern region, consisting mainly of old alluvial and relatively infertile soil is commonly known as Barind (Borendrovomee), and the western region, which is further subdivided by the river Kalindri into two areas, the northern area is known as "Tal." It is low lying and vulnerable to inundation during rainy season; the southern area consists of very fertile land and is thickly populated, being commonly known as "Diara".
It joins the Ganges at Godagiri in Nawabganj district
in Bangladesh.
The total drainage area of the Mahananda is 20600 square kilometres (7,953.7 sq mi) out of which 11530 square kilometres (4,451.8 sq mi) are in India.
, Mechi
, Ratwa
, Kankai
. In the Siliguri area it has three tributaries called the Trinai, Ranochondi and the pair of Chokor and Dauk taken as a single tributary.
and joins the Ganges at a point much higher up than Rajmahal
, originally ran eastward and fell into the Brahmaputra. The channel of the Kosi, therefore, must have been steadily shifting toward the west, right across the whole breadth of North Bengal. There was a time when the Kosi and the Mahananda joined the Karatoya
and formed a sort of ethnic boundary between people living south of it and the Kochs
and Kirata
s living north of the river.
Trans-boundary river
A trans-boundary river is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a nation or an international boundary. The country of Bangladesh has the greatest number of these rivers, almost all of which cross national boundaries....
that flows through the 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...
n states
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Right bank tributary Mechi
Mechi River
The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River.-Course:The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal...
forms part of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
's eastern boundary with West Bengal and the Kankai
Kankai River
The Kankai River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River.-Course:The Kankai originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal...
crosses out of Nepal.
Course
The Mahananda originates in the HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
: Mahaldiram Hill near Chimli, east of Kurseong
Kurseong
Kurseong is a hill station situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.Located at an altitude of 1458 metres , Kurseong is just 30 km from Darjeeling...
in Darjeeling district
Darjeeling district
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters...
at an elevation of 2100 metres (6,889.8 ft). It flows through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the foothills of the Himalayas, between the Teesta and Mahananda rivers.-Location and History:Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. It comes under Darjeeling Wildlife division and can be reached from...
and descends to the plains near Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
. It touches Jalpaiguri district
Jalpaiguri District
Jalpaiguri district is the largest district of North Bengal, covering an area 6,245 km2. It is situated between 26° 16' and 27° 0' North latitudes and 88° 4' and 89° 53' East longitudes...
.
It enters Bangladesh near Tentulia in Panchagarh District
Panchagarh District
Panchagarh is a district of Rangpur division in the extreme northern part of Bangladesh with an area of 1404.63 square km, is bounded on three sides by 288 km long Indian border, having Darjeeling district on the north, Jalpaiguri and Kuchbihar districts on the northeast, west Dinajpur and...
, flows for 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) after Tentulia and returns to India. After flowing through Uttar Dinajpur district in West Bengal and Kishanganj district
Kishanganj District
Kishanganj district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Kishanganj town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Kishanganj district is a part of Purnia division.-History:...
in Bihar, it enters Malda district
Malda district
Malda district is a district of West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km north of Kolkata, the state capital. Mango and silk are notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and...
in West Bengal. The Mahananda divides the district into two regions — the eastern region, consisting mainly of old alluvial and relatively infertile soil is commonly known as Barind (Borendrovomee), and the western region, which is further subdivided by the river Kalindri into two areas, the northern area is known as "Tal." It is low lying and vulnerable to inundation during rainy season; the southern area consists of very fertile land and is thickly populated, being commonly known as "Diara".
It joins the Ganges at Godagiri in Nawabganj district
Nawabganj District
Chapai Nawabganj is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rajshahi Division. Originally it was a subdivision under Malda district. In 1947, this was severed from Malda and was given to East Pakistan as a sub-division of Rajshahi district...
in Bangladesh.
Basin data
The total length of the Mahananda is 360 kilometres (223.7 mi), out of which 324 kilometres (201.3 mi) are in India and 36 kilometres (22.4 mi) are in Bangladesh.The total drainage area of the Mahananda is 20600 square kilometres (7,953.7 sq mi) out of which 11530 square kilometres (4,451.8 sq mi) are in India.
Tributaries
The main tributaries of the Mahananda are BalasonBalason River
Balason is a river flowing in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. It originates in the hills of Senchal and flows south into the plains of North Bengal, where it joins the Mahananda River....
, Mechi
Mechi River
The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River.-Course:The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal...
, Ratwa
Ratua Khola
The Ratua Khola or Ratuwa Khola is a river in eastern part of Nepal. It originates from Chure Pahad of Nepal and merges with the Kankai River in Bihar, India. This river serves as the eastern border of Damak, a city in the eastern part of Nepal....
, Kankai
Kankai River
The Kankai River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River.-Course:The Kankai originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal...
. In the Siliguri area it has three tributaries called the Trinai, Ranochondi and the pair of Chokor and Dauk taken as a single tributary.
History
The Kosi (Kausiki), which flows through the northeastern BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and joins the Ganges at a point much higher up than Rajmahal
Rajmahal
Rajmahal is a city and a notified area in Sahibganj district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Rajmahal is the only sub-divisional town in Sahibganj district. It is one of the most historic place in Jharkhand...
, originally ran eastward and fell into the Brahmaputra. The channel of the Kosi, therefore, must have been steadily shifting toward the west, right across the whole breadth of North Bengal. There was a time when the Kosi and the Mahananda joined the Karatoya
Karatoya River
Karatoya River , a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, was once a large and sacred river. A channel of it presently flows by the ancient ruins of Mahasthangarh in Bogra District. The Karatoya mahatmya bears testimony to its past greatness...
and formed a sort of ethnic boundary between people living south of it and the Kochs
Koch (language)
Koch is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Koch people of both the Republic of India and Bangladesh.-External links:* *...
and Kirata
Kirata
The Kirāta is a generic term in Sanskrit literature for people who lived in the mountains, particularly in the Himalayas and North-East India and who are postulated to have been Mongoloid in origin. It has been theorized that the word Kirata- or Kirati- means people with lion nature. It is derived...
s living north of the river.