https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Saraswati_River_%28Bengal%29Saraswati River (Bengal) - Revision history2026-08-24T11:09:03ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saraswati_River_(Bengal)&diff=144724&oldid=previmported>Billjones94 at 17:14, 10 March 20212021-03-10T17:14:18Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{about||the Vedic river|Sarasvati River|disambiguation|Saraswati River (disambiguation){{!}}Saraswati River}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}<br />
[[File:Van de Brook's map.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Van den Brouck’s map of 1660, showing the Saraswati River]]<br />
'''Saraswati River''' ({{lang-bn| সরস্বতী নদী}} ''Shôrôshôti Nôdi'') refers to a [[river]], that was a [[distributary]] of the [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi]] and is now no more there but was active till around the 16th century AD.<ref name = "RCMajumdar">Majumdar, Dr. R.C., ''History of Ancient Bengal'', First published 1971, Reprint 2005, pp. 2-3, Tulshi Prakashani, Kolkata, {{ISBN|81-89118-01-3}}.</ref> The course and condition of the Saraswati has played an important role in the development and decline of river port towns in [[Bengal]]. Initially, the major port town was [[Tamralipta]], after the decline of which [[Saptagram]] rose and declined, and finally [[Kolkata]] came up.<br />
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==Earlier course==<br />
[[File:Confluence - River Hooghly and River Saraswati - Tribeni - Hooghly - 2013-05-19 7723 to 7728 Combined.JPG|300px|left|thumb|The starting point of the river Saraswati from the river Hooghly at Tribeni]]<br />
At [[Tribeni, Hooghly|Tribeni]] near [[Bandel]] in [[Hooghly District]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]] the Bhagirathi branched off into three streams. The Saraswati flowed south-west beyond [[Saptagram]], the [[Jamuna (West Bengal)|Jamuna]] (this is distinct from the river of same name in northern India and several streams of the same name in eastern Bengal) flowed south-east, past the northern boundary of present-day town of [[Kalyani, West Bengal|Kalyani]] and the Bhagirathi proper flowing through the present Hooghly channel to Kolkata and then through [[Adi Ganga]], past [[Kalighat]], to the sea. It is believed that the Saraswati flowed into an estuary near present-day [[Tamluk]] and received the waters of not only the [[Rupnarayan River|Rupnarayan]] and [[Damodar River|Damodar]] but several other smaller streams. Some time after the 8th century AD, [[Tamralipta]] lost its importance primarily on account of silting up of the mouth of Saraswati and the consequent shifting of its course.<ref name = "RCMajumdar"/><br />
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[[File:River Saraswati - Andul - Howrah 2012-03-25 2896.JPG|150px|right|thumb|River Saraswati passes through [[Andul]], in 2012. Prabhu Jagatbandhu college is seen at left.]]<br />
It is believed that the Saraswati had an independent course to the sea.<br />
[[File:Saraswati River West Bengal.jpg|thumb|The meeting point of River Saraswati with River Bhagirathi near Tribeni in Hooghly.]]<br />
<ref name= "Banglapedia">{{cite book |last=Ray |first=Aniruddha |year=2012 |chapter=Satgaon |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Satgaon |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref><ref>Roy, Niharranjan, ''Bangalir Itihas, Adi Parba'', {{in lang|bn}}, first published 1972, reprint 2005, p. 126, Dey’s Publishing, 13 Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata, {{ISBN|81-7079-270-3}}</ref><br />
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==Change in course==<br />
[[File:Confluence - River Saraswati and River Hooghly - Sankrail - Howrah - 2013-08-11 1372-1377.JPG|300px|left|thumb|River Saraswati ends to river Hooghly at Sankrail, Howrah.]]<br />
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In the 16th century, the main waters of the Bhagirathi, which earlier used to flow through the Saraswati, started flowing through the Hooghly channel. In the course of time, the upper Saraswati dried up, but the Bhagirathi or Hooghly has abandoned the old Adi Ganga channel and flows through the lower course of the Saraswati below [[Sankrail]].<ref name = "RCMajumdar"/><ref>Ghosh, S.(2011), ‘Protecting Natural Resources: Course of a River Movement’, '''Community Development Journal''', Vol. 46 (4),pp. 542-557. DOI: 10.1093/cdj/bsq007</ref><br />
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==History==<br />
There is a clear indication of the river in Van den Brouck’s map of 1660. A hundred and fifty years prior to Van den Brouck’s map, the Bengali poet [[Bipradas Pipilai]] gave an account of the river and the surrounding area in his ''Manasamangal''. As the merchant ship of the trader [[Chand Sadagar]] proceeded to the sea, he passed through Triveni and Saptagram and the tri junction of the Ganges, Saraswati and Yamuna.<ref>Roy, Niharranjan, p. 75</ref> He wrote:<br />
: ''Gongo ar Soroshati, Jomuna bishal oti'' <ref>Patree, Purnendu, Purano Kolkatar Kathachitra, {{in lang|bn}}, p.69, Dey’s Publishing, Kolkata, {{ISBN|81-7079-751-9}}</ref> <br />
:(The Ganges and Saraswati, the Jamuna so large)<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{Rivers in and around Bengal}}<br />
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{{coord missing|West Bengal}}<br />
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[[Category:Rivers of West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:History of Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Rivers of India]]</div>imported>Billjones94