Kopai River

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia
Kopai River
River Kopai - Ballavpur - Birbhum 2014-06-29 5629-5634 Compress.JPG
River Kopai at Ballavpur, Birbhum
Location
CountryIndia
StateWest Bengal
CitiesSantiniketan, Kirnahar ( Mirati ) , Labhpur
Physical characteristics
Discharge 
 • locationMayurakshi River
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBakreshwar River

The Kopai River (also called Sal River) is a tributary of the Bakreshwar River.[1][2] It flows past such towns as Shantiniketan, Bolpur, Kankalitala, Kirnahar and Labhpur in Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.[3] It is a small river in dry season but overflows its banks during the monsoon.[4][5] There is a name Chhora (ছোড়া) beside this river. Also Nichinta (নিচিন্তা), Rupuspur (রুপুসপুর), Perua, (পেরুয়া) etc are depend on this river.

Literary association[edit]

The area around the river quite often has purple soil, which forms ravines on the river bank with weathering and is popular as the khoai. It has inspired literary figures in the area.[4] It is described by Rabindranath Tagore as follows –

amader chhoto nadi chale banke banke
baisakh mase taar hantu jal thake
[6]
Our small stream moves forward in bends and curves
In the month of Baisakh it only has knee deep waters

The local name of a sickle-shaped, channel like curve in the river inspired the title of the novel Hansuli Banker Upakatha (Story of the Sickle-shaped Curve) by Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, made into a film by Tapan Sinha.[7][8]

Archaeology[edit]

Microliths of crystalline stone and petrified wood from about 1250–1000 BC are found in many places in the Ajay-Kunur-Kopai river system.[9]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. "Rivers". West Bengal Tourism. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  2. "River System". Birbhum district administration. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  3. "Birbhum". bangalinet. Retrieved 14 February 2009. [dead link]
  4. 4.0 4.1 Halder, Ritam (4 July 2008). "Next weekend you can be at ...Santiniketan". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 4 July 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  5. "Kopai River". india9.com. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  6. Sahaj Path by Rabindranath Tagore
  7. Mukhopadhyay Manabendra, Tarashankarer Birbhum, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special issue, pp. 259–268, February 2005, Information and Culture Dept., Govt. of West Bengal.
  8. Hansuli Banker Upakatha on IMDb
  9. "Ancient Bengal in Ancient India". Retrieved 14 February 2009.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 23°51′41″N 88°01′43″E / 23.86135°N 88.028641°E / 23.86135; 88.028641


Template:WestBengal-geo-stub Template:India-river-stub