Nethravathi River
Encyclopedia
: ನೇತ್ರಾವತಿ ತುದೆ )(Kannada: ನೇತ್ರಾವತಿ) (or Nethravathi River) has its origins at Gangamoola in Kudremukh
Kudremukh
Kudremukh also spelled Kuduremukha is a mountain range in Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small hill station town situated near the mountain, about 48 kilometers from Karkala and about 20 kilometers from Kalasa...
in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India. This river flows through the famous pilgrimage place Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala is a temple village on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangadi taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka....
and considered as one of the Holy rivers of India. It merges with the Kumaradhara River
Kumaradhara River
The Kumaradhara River is an Indian river, in the southwestern India state of Karnataka. One of the two major rivers of Sullia, it merges with the Netravati River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea...
at Uppinangadi
Uppinangadi
Uppinangadi or Uppinangady is a town in the Dakshina Kannada district in the state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by the Kumaradhara River on one side and Nethravathi on the other. When the town's two surrounding rivers rise during the rainy season and meet, this is called the "Sangam", which is...
before flowing to the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
,south of Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
city. This river is the main source of water to Bantwal and Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
. The Netravathi railway bridge is one of the known bridges which serves as the gateway to Mangalore.
Earlier in the last century it was called as Buntwal River due to the important town of Bantwal
Bantwal
Bantwal is a taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. It is also a town by the same name. The adjacent township of B.C.Road serves as the commercial center.- History :...
on its banks. A reference to the River Nettrawutti, as it is mentioned in the book can be seen in the "Gazetteer of Southern India", published in 1855, as unfordable during South-West Monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. It has apparent breadth of about 200 yards with a bed encumbered by large rocky masses chiefly of hornblende rock, containing spangles of mica and small garnets. Sienites also occurs, fragments of a beautiful pegmatite with flesh coloured feldspar are seen in the beds of rivulets. The Netravati River is navigable by small country craft for many miles.
Many a times in the past Bantwal was submerged during the monsoon by overflowing river Netravati. Many had left the town and settled elsewhere and prospered. The major floods was as remembered by the elders of the town in 1928 and 1974.
Course
Netravati river originates in the Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
near Ballalrayana Durga in Karnataka State. The river drains an area of about 1,353 square miles. Kumaradhara River
Kumaradhara River
The Kumaradhara River is an Indian river, in the southwestern India state of Karnataka. One of the two major rivers of Sullia, it merges with the Netravati River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea...
which originates in the Subramanya range of western ghats meets Netravati river near Uppinangadi village.