River Saraswati – The Celestial River of India

The Indian population have always worshipped the river systems that run across the entire subcontinent. These riversides have been hosting to the earliest civilisations in the world. Having found its mention in the important Hindu text of Rig Veda the river Saraswati plays an important role in the life of Hindus. The personification of the river is worshipped in India in the form of goddess Saraswati who is also believed to be the goddess of knowledge. According to Hindu mythological and religious beliefs, the 6th incarnation of God Vishnu - Parashuram purified himself in the Saraswati river that ended the Kshatriyas race. Another belief holds that this is a sacred place where Lord Kartikeya was appointed commander of the army of God on the banks of this sacred river.

The banks of Saraswati river were once utilized by the people of the Harappan civilisation for farming and settlement. This is clear with the archaeological remains that are found here. This has been dated back to around 4,000 years ago. The history of this river is very tumultuous and its location is reported to have changed over a period of time. According to Rig Veda, the river flowed in between Yamuna in the east and Sutlej in the west while in later Vedic texts it is mentioned that the river had dried up into a desert. Now a dried up river which can only be seen in a very selective places, the Saraswati river was once much grander and bigger than the Indus and Sindhu rivers with length going to as long as 1500 km and the width of around 3 to 15 km.

The Saraswati river is one of the tributaries of the Alaknanda river which flows through Badrinath as well and whose source dates back to the great Satopanth Glacier and the Bhagirathi Kharak Glacier. Flowing through the narrow spaces between the mountains, this river meets Alaknanda at Keshavprayag, located near the last Indian village on the Chinese border.

The place where one can see the whole union of Saraswati and Alaknanda has become a tourist hotspot, and visitors come here just to witness this magical amalgamation. Bhim Pul is a natural stone bridge built over the river in the village of Mana which is on the way to Swargarohini or Satopanth Tal. It is named after Bheem - a mythical character in the great Indian epic - The Mahabharata. According to Hindu mythology, Bheem was the one who built this strong and mighty bridge over the river. He did so to join the two huge mountains so that Draupadi, who was also on her way to Swargaloka, could cross the river.

Another story holds that that Saint Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha inside a natural cave in this very place. Since then, Bhim Pul is not only a place to admire the breath-taking natural beauty, but it is also a place of great reverence and devotion, frequently visited by devotees and pilgrims.

To reach Saraswati River and Bhim Pul, one must first reach Mana Village for which local transportation services are available. After arriving at Mana, Saraswati is a short hike that can be easily reached on foot.Many local, state-run or private traveller buses ply from New Delhi and few other North Indian cities such as Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital etc. which will drop you till Rishikesh. From Rishikesh one can ride through a bus or cab and reach till Badrinath. From Badrinath, Mana is only about 3 km. The roads are well connected and in very good condition but it does get jam-packed during the peak pilgrimage season.

The Rishikesh Railway Station is the nearest railway station to the village of Mana and located at a distance of about 300 kms from Saraswati River. It is connected to the major cities of India. From the station, one can easily hire a state bus or a private cab to reach Mana or Badrinath. In addition, one can easily avail the shared jeep services here.

Since Badrinath doesn’t have an airport, one would have to get down at Jolly Grant Airport located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, which is about 281 km from Badrinath and which caters to a number of flights from all over India like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. Moreover, Helicopter services to Badrinath are also available which can make your trip more comfortable.

To sum it up, the ethereal Saraswati river flows with a gushing sound as the wind sways to its tune. The enthralling bridge rests silently welcoming crowds of people every day. The valley is all around you as it engulfs your senses and makes you feel at ease – Ah! you are in heaven!