Dokania at 07:30, 28 September 2026

2026-09-28T07:30:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 28 September 2026
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	{{Short description\|River in Tibet, Nepal, and India}}		{{Short description\|River in Tibet, Nepal, and India}}
	~~{{original research\|date=October 2021}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2023}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2023}}
	{{Infobox river		{{Infobox river
	\| name = Koshi		\| name = Koshi
	\| ~~name_other~~ = {{langx\|ne\|कोशी}}, {{transliteration\|ne\|koshī}}, {{langx\|hi\|कोसी}}, {{transliteration\|hi\|kosī}}		\| other_name = {{langx\|ne\|कोशी}}, {{transliteration\|ne\|koshī}}, {{langx\|hi\|कोसी}}, {{transliteration\|hi\|kosī}}
	\| ~~name_etymology~~ =		\| etymology =
	\| image =		\| image =
	\| image_size =		\| image_size =
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	\| pushpin_map =		\| pushpin_map =
	\| pushpin_map_size =		\| pushpin_map_size =
	\| ~~pushpin_map_caption~~ =		\| pushpin_caption =
	\| subdivision_type1 = Country		\| subdivision_type1 = Country
	\| subdivision_name1 = [[China]], [[Nepal]], [[India]]		\| subdivision_name1 = [[China]], [[Nepal]], [[India]]
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	\| subdivision_type5 = Cities		\| subdivision_type5 = Cities
	\| subdivision_name5 = [[Saptari District\|Saptari]], [[Sunsari District\|Sunsari]], [[Supaul]], [[Katihar]], [[Bhagalpur]]		\| subdivision_name5 = [[Saptari District\|Saptari]], [[Sunsari District\|Sunsari]], [[Supaul]], [[Katihar]], [[Bhagalpur]]
	<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->\| length = {{cvt\|729\|km}}		<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
			\| length = {{cvt\|729\|km}}
	\| width_min =		\| width_min =
	\| width_avg =		\| width_avg =
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	\| custom_label =		\| custom_label =
	\| custom_data =		\| custom_data =
	\| extra =		\| extra =
	}}		}}
	The '''Kosi''' or '''Koshi''' is a [[transboundary river]] which flows through [[China]], [[Nepal]] and [[India]]. It drains the northern slopes of the [[Himalayas]] in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence of [[Tributary\|tributaries]] north of the [[Chatra Gorge]] onwards, the Kosi River is also known as the '''Saptakoshi''' ({{langx\|ne\|सप्तकोशी}}, {{transliteration\|ne\|saptakoshī}}) for its seven upper tributaries. These include the [[Tamur River]] originating from the [[Kanchenjunga]] area in the east and [[Arun River, China-Nepal\|Arun River]] and the [[Sun Kosi]] from Tibet. The Sun Koshi's tributaries from east to west are the [[Dudh Koshi]], [[Likhu Khola]], [[Tamakoshi River]], [[Bhote Koshi]] and [[Indravati River, Nepal\|Indravati]]. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern [[Bihar]], India where it branches into [[distributary\|distributaries]] before joining the [[Ganges]] near [[Kursela]] in [[Katihar district]].<ref name=Sharma96>{{cite book \|author=Sharma, U. P. \|date=1996 \|chapter=Ecology of the Koshi river in Nepal-India (north Bihar): a typical river ecosystem \|editor1=Jha, P. K. \|editor2=Ghimire, G. P. S. \|editor3=Karmacharya, S. B. \|editor4=Baral, S. R. \|editor5=Lacoul, P. \|title=Environment and biodiversity in the context of South Asia. Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Environment and Biodiversity, March 7–9, 1994, Kathmandu \|publisher=Ecological Society \|location=Kathmandu \|pages=92–99}}</ref> The Kosi is the third-largest tributary of the Ganges by water discharge after the [[Ghaghara]] and the [[Yamuna]].<ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Jain \|first1=S. K. \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC \|title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India \|last2=Agarwal \|first2=P. K. \|last3=Singh \|first3=Vijay P. \|date=2007 \|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media \|isbn=978-1-4020-5180-7}}</ref>		The '''Kosi''' or '''Koshi''' is a [[transboundary river]] which flows through [[China]], [[Nepal]] and [[India]]. It drains the northern slopes of the [[Himalayas]] in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence of [[Tributary\|tributaries]] north of the [[Chatra Gorge]] onwards, the Kosi River is also known as the '''Saptakoshi''' ({{langx\|ne\|सप्तकोशी}}, {{transliteration\|ne\|saptakoshī}}) for its seven upper tributaries. These include the [[Tamur River]] originating from the [[Kanchenjunga]] area in the east and [[Arun River, China-Nepal\|Arun River]] and the [[Sun Kosi]] from Tibet. The Sun Koshi's tributaries from east to west are the [[Dudh Koshi]], [[Likhu Khola]], [[Tamakoshi River]], [[Bhote Koshi]] and [[Indravati River, Nepal\|Indravati]]. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern [[Bihar]], India where it branches into [[distributary\|distributaries]] before joining the [[Ganges]] near [[Kursela]] in [[Katihar district]].<ref name=Sharma96>{{cite book \|author=Sharma, U. P. \|date=1996 \|chapter=Ecology of the Koshi river in Nepal-India (north Bihar): a typical river ecosystem \|editor1=Jha, P. K. \|editor2=Ghimire, G. P. S. \|editor3=Karmacharya, S. B. \|editor4=Baral, S. R. \|editor5=Lacoul, P. \|title=Environment and biodiversity in the context of South Asia. Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Environment and Biodiversity, March 7–9, 1994, Kathmandu \|publisher=Ecological Society \|location=Kathmandu \|pages=92–99}}</ref> The Kosi is the third-largest tributary of the Ganges by water discharge after the [[Ghaghara]] and the [[Yamuna]].<ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Jain \|first1=S. K. \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC \|title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India \|last2=Agarwal \|first2=P. K. \|last3=Singh \|first3=Vijay P. \|date=2007 \|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media \|isbn=978-1-4020-5180-7}}</ref>
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	The Kosi is {{cvt\|720\|km}} long and drains an area of about {{cvt\|74500\|km2}} in Tibet, Nepal and Bihar.<ref name=wris>{{cite web\|url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kosi_Basin \|title=Kosi Basin\|publisher=Water Resources Information system of India \|access-date=7 April 2016\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601064900/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kosi_Basin\|archive-date=1 June 2016\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Nayak96>Nayak, J. (1996). ''Sediment management of the Kosi River basin in Nepal''. In: Walling, D. E. and B. W. Webb (eds.) ''Erosion and Sediment Yield: Global and Regional Perspectives''. Proceedings of the Exeter Symposium July 1996. IAHS Publishing no. 236. Pp. 583–586.</ref> In the past, several authors proposed that the river has shifted its course by more than {{cvt\|133\|km}} from east to west during the last 200 years. But a review of 28 historical maps dating 1760 to 1960 revealed a slight eastward shift for a long duration, and that the shift was random and oscillating in nature.<ref name=Chakraborty2010>{{cite journal \|author1=Chakraborty, T. \|author2=Kar, R. \|author3=Ghosh, P. \|author4=Basu, S. \|year=2010 \|title=Kosi megafan: historical records, geomorphology and the recent avulsion of the Kosi River \|journal=Quaternary International \|volume=227 \|issue=2 \|pages=143–160 \|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2009.12.002 \|bibcode=2010QuInt.227..143C}}</ref>		The Kosi is {{cvt\|720\|km}} long and drains an area of about {{cvt\|74500\|km2}} in Tibet, Nepal and Bihar.<ref name=wris>{{cite web\|url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kosi_Basin \|title=Kosi Basin\|publisher=Water Resources Information system of India \|access-date=7 April 2016\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601064900/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kosi_Basin\|archive-date=1 June 2016\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Nayak96>Nayak, J. (1996). ''Sediment management of the Kosi River basin in Nepal''. In: Walling, D. E. and B. W. Webb (eds.) ''Erosion and Sediment Yield: Global and Regional Perspectives''. Proceedings of the Exeter Symposium July 1996. IAHS Publishing no. 236. Pp. 583–586.</ref> In the past, several authors proposed that the river has shifted its course by more than {{cvt\|133\|km}} from east to west during the last 200 years. But a review of 28 historical maps dating 1760 to 1960 revealed a slight eastward shift for a long duration, and that the shift was random and oscillating in nature.<ref name=Chakraborty2010>{{cite journal \|author1=Chakraborty, T. \|author2=Kar, R. \|author3=Ghosh, P. \|author4=Basu, S. \|year=2010 \|title=Kosi megafan: historical records, geomorphology and the recent avulsion of the Kosi River \|journal=Quaternary International \|volume=227 \|issue=2 \|pages=143–160 \|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2009.12.002 \|bibcode=2010QuInt.227..143C}}</ref>

	The river basin is surrounded by ridges which separate the Kosi from the [[Yarlung Tsangpo River]] in the north, the [[Gandaki ~~Rive~~]] in the west and the [[Mahananda River]] in the east. The river is joined by major tributaries in the [[Mahabharat Range]] approximately {{cvt\|48\|km}} north of the Indo-Nepal border. Below the [[Siwaliks]], the river has built up a [[alluvial fan\|megafan]] some {{cvt\|15000\|km2}} in extent, breaking into more than 12 distinct channels, all with shifting courses due to flooding.<ref>Rao, K. L. (1975). ''India's Water Wealth''. Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, New Delhi.</ref><ref>Verghese, B. G. (1993) "Waters of Hope: Integrated Water Resource Development and Regional Cooperation within the Himalayan-Ganga-Brahmaputra-Barak Basin". Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Oxford. IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.</ref> [[Kamala River\|Kamalā]] and [[Bagmati River]]s are the major tributaries of Kosi River in India, besides minor tributaries such as Bhutahi Balān.<ref>{{Britannica\|322692}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=~~http~~://ponce.sdsu.edu/kosi_river_india.html \|title=Kosi River, Bihar, India \|publisher=San Diego State University \|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>		The river basin is surrounded by ridges which separate the Kosi from the [[Yarlung Tsangpo River]] in the north, the [[Gandaki River]] in the west and the [[Mahananda River]] in the east. The river is joined by major tributaries in the [[Mahabharat Range]] approximately {{cvt\|48\|km}} north of the Indo-Nepal border. Below the [[Siwaliks]], the river has built up a [[alluvial fan\|megafan]] some {{cvt\|15000\|km2}} in extent, breaking into more than 12 distinct channels, all with shifting courses due to flooding.<ref>Rao, K. L. (1975). ''India's Water Wealth''. Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, New Delhi.</ref><ref>Verghese, B. G. (1993) "Waters of Hope: Integrated Water Resource Development and Regional Cooperation within the Himalayan-Ganga-Brahmaputra-Barak Basin". Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Oxford. IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.</ref> [[Kamala River\|Kamalā]] and [[Bagmati River]]s are the major tributaries of Kosi River in India, besides minor tributaries such as Bhutahi Balān.<ref>{{Britannica\|322692}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=https://ponce.sdsu.edu/kosi_river_india.html \|title=Kosi River, Bihar, India \|publisher=San Diego State University \|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>

	Its unstable nature has been attributed to the power it can build up as it passes through the steep and narrow [[Chatra Gorge]] in Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Anatomy of a flood: The case of Kosi in 2008 \|work=India Water Portal \|url=https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/anatomy-flood-case-kosi-2008 \|access-date=4 June 2022 \|date=2008}}</ref> During the [[monsoon]] season, it picks up a heavy silt load, which it redeposits at times, causing it to change its channel. This leads to flooding in India with extreme effects.<ref name="Srivastava-2008">{{Cite news\|last=Srivastava \|first=Amitabh \|date=2008-09-08 \|title=Bihar's river of sorrow \|work=India Today \|pages=9–9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|title=The Curse of Kosi \|url=https://specials.indiatoday.com/kosi/river.shtml \|access-date=2026-01-30 \|website=specials.indiatoday.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal \|author1=Bapalu, G. V. \|name-list-style=amp \|author2=Sinha, R. \|year=2005 \|url=http://home.iitk.ac.in/~rsinha/PDF%27s/2006_FloodGISdevelopment.pdf \|title=GIS in Flood Hazard Mapping: a case study of Kosi River Basin, India \|journal=GIS Development Weekly \|volume=1 \|issue=13 \|pages=1–6 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205235311/http://home.iitk.ac.in/~rsinha/PDF%27s/2006_FloodGISdevelopment.pdf \|archive-date=5 December 2013 \|url-status=dead}}</ref> Fishing is an important enterprise on the river but fishing resources are being depleted and youth are leaving for other areas of work.<ref>{{cite report \|author=Ranjit, R. \|year=2002 \|url=~~http~~://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y3994e/y3994e0s.htm \|title=The current status of capture fishery in the upper Sunkoshi River \|publisher=FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department \|series=Technical Paper \|pages=247–256}}</ref>		Its unstable nature has been attributed to the power it can build up as it passes through the steep and narrow [[Chatra Gorge]] in Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Anatomy of a flood: The case of Kosi in 2008 \|work=India Water Portal \|url=https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/anatomy-flood-case-kosi-2008 \|access-date=4 June 2022 \|date=2008}}</ref> During the [[monsoon]] season, it picks up a heavy silt load, which it redeposits at times, causing it to change its channel. This leads to flooding in India with extreme effects.<ref name="Srivastava-2008">{{Cite news\|last=Srivastava \|first=Amitabh \|date=2008-09-08 \|title=Bihar's river of sorrow \|work=India Today \|pages=9–9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|title=The Curse of Kosi \|url=https://specials.indiatoday.com/kosi/river.shtml \|access-date=2026-01-30 \|website=specials.indiatoday.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal \|author1=Bapalu, G. V. \|name-list-style=amp \|author2=Sinha, R. \|year=2005 \|url=http://home.iitk.ac.in/~rsinha/PDF%27s/2006_FloodGISdevelopment.pdf \|title=GIS in Flood Hazard Mapping: a case study of Kosi River Basin, India \|journal=GIS Development Weekly \|volume=1 \|issue=13 \|pages=1–6 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205235311/http://home.iitk.ac.in/~rsinha/PDF%27s/2006_FloodGISdevelopment.pdf \|archive-date=5 December 2013 \|url-status=dead}}</ref> Fishing is an important enterprise on the river but fishing resources are being depleted and youth are leaving for other areas of work.<ref>{{cite report \|author=Ranjit, R. \|year=2002 \|url=https://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y3994e/y3994e0s.htm \|title=The current status of capture fishery in the upper Sunkoshi River \|publisher=FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department \|series=Technical Paper \|pages=247–256}}</ref>

			== Etymology and Mythological Origin ==
			Historically and in [[Hindu mythology]], the Kosi River is prominently known by its ancient name, the '''Kauśikī''' ({{langx\|sa\|कौशिकी}}). The river is deeply associated with the ancient sage [[Vishwamitra]], who was a descendant of the Kusha dynasty.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Dey \|first=Nundo Lal \|title=The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India \|year=1927 \|publisher=Luzac & Co. \|location=London \|pages=97}}</ref> Over centuries, the Sanskrit name ''Kaushiki'' underwent linguistic change in local [[Prakrit]] and regional dialects, eventually evolving into the modern name '''Kosi'''.

			In the ''Bala Kanda'' of the epic ''[[Ramayana\|Valmiki Ramayana]]'' (Sarga 34, Verses 7–9), Sage [[Vishwamitra]] narrates the origin story of the Kaushiki river to the princes [[Rama]] and [[Lakshmana]]. According to the text, Vishwamitra had an elder sister named Satyavati, who was married to the sage Richika. After her husband's passing, the devoted Satyavati ascended to heaven but mercifully got transformed into a great, sacred river to serve and bring prosperity to mankind.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Mani \|first=Vettam \|title=Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature \|year=1975 \|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass \|location=Delhi \|pages=404 \|isbn=978-0842608220}}</ref>

			Because she belonged to the Kusha lineage, the river born from her was named ''Kaushiki''. Vishwamitra recites the following verses to describe her divine transformation:

			{{quote\|''पूर्वजा भगिनी चापि मम राघव सुव्रता ।''<br>''नाम्ना सत्यवती नाम ऋचीके प्रतिपादिता ॥''<br>''सशरीरा गता स्वर्गं भर्तारमनुवर्तिनी ।''<br>''कौशिकी परमोदारा प्रवृत्ता च महानदी ॥''<br>''दिव्या पुण्योदका रम्या हिमवन्तमुपाश्रिता ।''<br>''लोकस्य हितकामार्थं प्रवृत्ता भगिनी मम ॥''<br><br>'''Translation:'''<br>"O [[Rama\|Raghava]], my elder sister of noble vows was named Satyavati, and she was given in marriage to Sage Richika. Following her husband, she ascended to heaven with her physical body. That highly generous one then flowed upon the earth as the great river Kaushiki. Divine, filled with holy waters, delightful, and taking refuge in the [[Himalayas]], my sister flows for the welfare of the world."\|''Valmiki Ramayana'', Bala Kanda 1.34.7–9<ref>{{cite book \|title=The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume I: Balakanda \|editor=Robert P. Goldman \|publisher=Princeton University Press \|year=1984 \|isbn=978-0691014852}}</ref>}}

			Following this narration, Vishwamitra explains that out of deep fraternal affection for his sister, he regularly resides and performs his austerities near the Himalayan foothills by the banks of the beloved Kaushiki (Kosi) river.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Law \|first=Bimala Churn \|title=Historical Geography of Ancient India \|year=1954 \|publisher=Société Asiatique \|location=Paris \|pages=226}}</ref>

	==Geography==		==Geography==
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	* [[Kolasi]]		* [[Kolasi]]
	* [[Katihar]]		* [[Katihar]]
			* [[Dharmamoola]]

	==References==		==References==

MoraThibeault4: minor cleanup

2026-03-12T19:03:16Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 20:20, 30 July 2023
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	[[Category:Rivers of Bihar]]		[[Category:Rivers of Bihar]]
	[[Category:Rivers of India]]		[[Category:Rivers of India]]
	[[Category:Rivers of Nepal]]		[[Category:Rivers in Nepal]]

	{{asia-stub}}		{{asia-stub}}

ImportMaster at 19:11, 25 August 2020

2020-08-25T19:11:28Z

New page

The '''Kosi river''' is a river in [[Asia]]. It is called the "Sorrow of [[Bihar]]" because of the damage caused when it floods.

[[Category:Rivers of Bihar]]
[[Category:Rivers of India]]
[[Category:Rivers of Nepal]]

{{asia-stub}}

Kosi River - Revision history

Dokania at 07:30, 28 September 2026

MoraThibeault4: minor cleanup

Kamal Guha: Category added

ImportMaster at 19:11, 25 August 2020