Wainganga River
Encyclopedia
The Wainganga is a river of India
, which originates about 12 km from Mundara village of Seoni
district in the southern slopes of the Satpura Range
of Madhya Pradesh
, and flows south through Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra
in a very winding course of approximatedly 360 miles. After joining the Wardha
, the united stream, known as the Pranahita
, ultimately falls into the River Godavari.
The river has developed extensive flood plains with sweeping graceful meanders and low alluvial flats and meander terraces. The river has high banks 10 to 15 m on either side. The Wainganga river receives numerous tributaries on either bank and drains the western, central and eastern regions of the Chandrapur
, Gadchiroli
, Bhandara
, Gondia
and Nagpur
districts of Maharashtra. The chief tributaries of the Wainganga are the Garhavi, Khobragadi, Kathani and Potphondi on the western bank and Andhari on the eastern bank.
used the Wainganga (also spelled Wangunga in older editions) as a major landmark in the Mowgli
stories of The Jungle Book
and The Second Jungle Book
(1894–1895). It is the primary source of water for all the people of the jungle, the location of the Peace Rock, the place where Shere Khan
vows to place Mowgli
's bones once he has killed him, and the final battleground in "Red Dog
". In reality though the area around the Wainganga is not actually a rainforest
. The Disney interpretation of Kipling's novel as an animated film showed Mowgli and the other various other jungle characters moving around in lush tropical rain forests but the area around the Wainganga is dry and dusty. The forests too are of a similar nature. The original novel refers to the area likewise. The forests of the Kanha National Park built around the Wainganga do have tiger, panther and bear populations though.
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...
, which originates about 12 km from Mundara village of Seoni
Seoni (Madhya Pradesh)
Seoni redirects here, for a town in Shimla District see Seoni, Himachal Pradesh.Seoni is a city and a municipality in Seoni district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh....
district in the southern slopes of the Satpura Range
Satpura Range
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast, running east through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these two east-west ranges divide the...
of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, and flows south through Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in a very winding course of approximatedly 360 miles. After joining the Wardha
Wardha River
- Origin :Wardha originates at an altitude of 777 meters Satpura Range near Multai in Betul District of Madhya Pradesh.- Course :From the origin it flows 32 km in Madhya pradesh and then enters into Maharastra. After traversing 528 km, it joins Wainganga together called Pranhita, which ultimately...
, the united stream, known as the Pranahita
Pranahita River
Pranhita is the River which flows on the border of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra and Adilabad district in Andra Pradesh. Pranhita is the name given to the combined flow of the rivers Wardha and Wainganga.The Painganga River joins Vainganga near Aheri...
, ultimately falls into the River Godavari.
The river has developed extensive flood plains with sweeping graceful meanders and low alluvial flats and meander terraces. The river has high banks 10 to 15 m on either side. The Wainganga river receives numerous tributaries on either bank and drains the western, central and eastern regions of the Chandrapur
Chandrapur
Chandrapur is city and a municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is also the headquarters of Chandrapur district....
, Gadchiroli
Gadchiroli
Gadchiroli is a town and a municipal council in Gadchiroli district in the state of Maharashtra, central India. It is the administrative headquarters of the district.It is very lush in Monsoon season but also prone to flooding....
, Bhandara
Bhandara
Bhandara is a city and a municipal council in Bhandara district in the state of Maharashtra, India.- Overview :It is the second major city in Vidharba a region that is Maharashtra. Bhandara is an agricultural centre for the farmers around its region majorly growing rice. The district speaks...
, Gondia
Gondia
Gondia, or Gondiya , is a city in the state of Maharashtra in western India, and is the administrative headquarters of Gondia District. Gondia is also known as Rice City by local people due to abundance of rice mills in the area. Gondia is very close to Madhya Pradesh state, and is considered the...
and Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
districts of Maharashtra. The chief tributaries of the Wainganga are the Garhavi, Khobragadi, Kathani and Potphondi on the western bank and Andhari on the eastern bank.
In fiction
Rudyard KiplingRudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
used the Wainganga (also spelled Wangunga in older editions) as a major landmark in the Mowgli
Mowgli
Mowgli is a fictional character from India who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in his fantasies, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book , which also featured stories about other...
stories of The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
and The Second Jungle Book
The Second Jungle Book
The Second Jungle Book is a sequel to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living in Vermont...
(1894–1895). It is the primary source of water for all the people of the jungle, the location of the Peace Rock, the place where Shere Khan
Shere Khan
Shere Khan is a fictional tiger of the Indian jungle. He is the chief antagonist in two of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories featuring Mowgli. Shere Khan is named after an Afghan Prince Kipling encountered on his trips to Afghanistan...
vows to place Mowgli
Mowgli
Mowgli is a fictional character from India who originally appeared in Rudyard Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" and then went on to become the most prominent and memorable character in his fantasies, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book , which also featured stories about other...
's bones once he has killed him, and the final battleground in "Red Dog
Red Dog (Rudyard Kipling)
"Red Dog" is a Mowgli story by Rudyard Kipling.Written at Kipling's home in Brattleboro, Vermont between February and March 1895, it was first published as "Good Hunting: A Story of the Jungle" in The Pall Mall Gazette for July 29 and 30 1895 and McClure's Magazine for August 1895 before appearing...
". In reality though the area around the Wainganga is not actually a rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. The Disney interpretation of Kipling's novel as an animated film showed Mowgli and the other various other jungle characters moving around in lush tropical rain forests but the area around the Wainganga is dry and dusty. The forests too are of a similar nature. The original novel refers to the area likewise. The forests of the Kanha National Park built around the Wainganga do have tiger, panther and bear populations though.