River Saraswati: The lost asset

River Saraswati: The lost asset

Author Name : Sangeeta Katoch

ABSTRACT

An ancient mythological Himalayan River known as the Saraswati may have flown through the northwestern plains of India and into Pakistan during the Vedic period. The river has found her mention in various religious ancient texts. The Saraswati is described as the river par excellence (Naditame) and the most powerful among the rivers in the Rig Veda. The Saraswati's mystery  was Stein who clearly stated in his scholarly paper that the cities of Bronze Age  & Indus Vally Civilization were irrigated by the Saraswati. The "lost river Saraswati" hypothesis was put forth by Oldham after he traced a dry riverbed from Rajasthan to Gujarat. The present-day Ghagghar and Sutlej rivers were joined by a branch of the Saraswati River in northern Rajasthan. Saraswati palaeo drainage research was carried out in India about a century later, with Indian researchers reporting several palaeodrainage courses using remote sensing data. The availability of modern chronological, chemical (including isotope) and high-resolution remote sensing data and processing techniques has given the study of the "Lost River Saraswati" a new lease on life.

keywords:- Saraswati River, Lost River Saraswati, Palaeochannels