Myth to reality:
Sarasvati is set to flow again
Revival Of River To
Recharge Ground Water In Haryana
Atul Sethi | TNN
Times of India, Dec. 10, 2008 Almost
13 km from Kurukshetra lies the ancient village of Bhoresaidan
— named after the Kaurava hero Bhurisrava, who was one of Duryodhana’s 11
distinguished senapatis during the Mahabharata war. A dusty road adjacent to
the village leads to a yawning valley, flanked by rocks and covered with a soil
that is a curious mix of various sedimentary deposits. Rajesh Purohit, deputy
director of the Kurukshetra-based Sri
Krishna Museum,
bends to scoop up some of the soil. “This soil has a lot of history,” he says
gravely. “After all, the river Sarasvati used to once flow here.”
Purohit's contention is
that the ‘valley’ is actually the bed of the Sarasvati, a fact which finds
mention in numerous ancient literary texts, but whose existence has often been
questioned by historians. “The discovery of the river bed,” he says, “proves
beyond doubt that Sarasvati is not a myth.”
That myth may now be laid
to rest forever as plans are afoot to revive a part of the course taken by this
ancient river. The Haryana government has acquired almost 20 acres of land and
work is under way on a 50 km-long channel in Kurukshetra, through which the river
will flow again.
“The revival of the
Sarasvati will benefit countless people in the region as it will augment ground
water resources,” says Darshan Lal Jain of the Sarasvati Nadi Shodh Sansthan,
which is working with the government on this project. The plan is not to line
with the river’s course with bricks so that water can permeate the ground. With
ground water levels dipping to as low as 150 feet, the river’s revival may be a
boon for parched Haryana.
A boon that would not have
been possible without the discovery of the river bed. “In 2004, an
extraordinary phenomenon occurred,” recalls Purohit. “Water started oozing out
from a palaeochannel (a dried river bed) at the Kapil Muni temple sarovar
at Kalayat. We carried out studies of this water. Simultaneously, a scientific
team studied its mineral composition.”
Scientists from ISRO also
carried out studies using space imagery and discovered a number of fossil
valleys in upper central Haryana. “Mapping images of the palaeo channels showed
that they corresponded to the archaeological sites of Haryana,” says Purohit.
“This means that these settlements came up near
the river, as was the norm in those times and gives further proof that the
river Sarasvati indeed existed,” he says.
Incidentally, the debate about the existence of
the Sarasvati has been continuing for a long time although lately, most
historians have begun to concede that the river perhaps did exist. However,
they still continue to debate the name by which the river was known, the route
that it took and the reasons for its disappearance. “There is no doubt that the
Sarasvati river existed. However, opinion is divided on whether it was known as
the Sarasvati or the Ghaggar,” says S Kalyanraman
of the Sarasvati Research and Education Trust (SRET).
The idea that the ancient
Sarasvati might be the modern-day seasonal river, Ghaggar, is not a new one. It
was first put forward over 100 years ago by CF Oldham, an English engineer who
observed that the dry bed of the Ghaggar appeared too broad for a seasonal
river. Oldham believed that the Ghaggar was,
in fact, flowing on the bed of a bigger river that existed before.
Archaeological excavations of the Indus
Valley sites have also
revealed numerous settlements along the Ghaggar, lending further credence to
this theory.
But then, how did this
river disappear? “Primarily due to tectonic shifts,” says K S Valdiya of the
Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
“Tectonic uplifts caused
the deflection of the waters of the Yamuna and Sutlej,
which contributed the bulk of the expanse of the river. In a way, it was a case
of ‘river piracy’,” says Valdiya, who recently delivered the keynote address at
a conference on the Sarasvati that was organised by SRET.
Whatever the reason for
its disappearance, this river sutra is far from over. And when this ancient
river does start to flow again, everyone will be watching. After all, it is not
every day that a river is reborn.
 http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2008/12/28/14/Img/Pc0140600.jpg
The river bed that was
discovered near Bhoresaidan in Haryana and (left) the channel that is being
cleared for the Sarasvati
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2008/12/28/14/Img/Pc0141600.jpg
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2008/12/28/14/Img/Pc0141200.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/8z8amu
River Saraswati will again flow on its earlier routes.
Posted by shreya 21 days ago(http://www.cloud9ventures.co.in)
(NewDesignWorld Press ReleaseCenter)
November 6,2008,Delhi,India
Saraswati, a majestic river, after originating in
Himalaya flowed through present day Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat
prior to joining the Arabian Sea. Ancient
Vedic culture flourished on its banks. Important towns like Kurukshetra,
Pehowa, Shatrana, Sirsa, Kalibangan, Pilibangan, Suratgarh, Beriwal etc
flourished on its banks. Our former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was very
excited on seeing a photograph of the River with water and he endorsed his
reaction in our visitors' book as – 'Delighted to see the hard work in
realizing reality from epic information'- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Recently, subsurface water started oozing out within
a pond of the famous Kapil Muni Ashram in Kalayat (Haryana). A
multi-disciplinary scientific team studied the oozing water and the sand that
accompanied it. Dr. A R Chaudhri of Kurukshetra University found a suite of angular
heavy minerals having their source in higher Himalayan rocks. Dr. A K Gupta
& Dr B K Bhadra of ISRO identified fossil valleys of Vedic Saraswati in the
area from the study of space imageries and concluded that this water was of
aforesaid river. Sh Rajesh Purohit conducted geomorphologic studies and
concluded that this water belonged to Vedic Saraswati that has been described
in Rigveda and other scriptures. Later on, he along with his team discovered
the actual river bed near Jyotisar (Kurukshetra).
During the course of scientific studies carried out
from space imageries, scientists from ISRO discovered a number of fossil
valleys restricted to areas around Kurukshetra, Pehowa etc. in upper central
Haryana. They interpreted it as remnants of the meandering Vedic Saraswati.
Based on satellite imagery, they have drawn out a map of
Saraswati River from Glacier to Rann of Kachch.
Dr M R Rao, GGM, ONGC alongwith his team, undertook
drilling near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and got a discharge of 76000 litres/hr of
water from one of the wells. Out of 24 wells, drinking water was obtained from
23 wells. Scientific tests on this subterranean water revealed that this water
belonged to an old river that once existed here. This old river was none other
than Vedic Saraswati. ONGC has now been approached by Haryana Government to
undertake drilling at Kalayat and Kapal Mochan in Haryana under their Phase-II
programme.
Besides the above scientific evidences, village wise
revenue record has been collected and compiled proving the flow of Saraswati
Nadi in continuity. Survey of India topo-sheets
tally with these revenue records. Based on these revenue records, about 50km of
Saraswati channel has already been cleared by digging by Haryana Irrigation
Department.Any visitor to the archaeological sites at Kunal (District
Fatehabad, Haryana) will find shells in the river bed. A friend of archaeology
would show a conch recovered from Rakhigarhi (Distrist Jind, Haryana)
excavation.
A 3 day conference was recently conducted in Delhi
to bring together scholars of different scientific disciplines and of ancient
history of the Indian subcontinent, and provide a multi-disciplinary forum for
the scholars to present and collectively review the results of their studies
relating to the ancient Vedic river Sarasvati. The Conference explored the
validation of a consensus that the ancient civilization that emerged and
prospered on the banks of the river Sarasvati is the precursor to the
civilization that is known and exists today as Hindu civilization, establishing
a very long continuum of human society and achievement.
During the Conference, the ongoing work to
facilitate the flowing again of the river Sarasvati above the surface was
highlighted. This rebirth of River Sarasvati would benefit around 200 million
people of India in various States—Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and
Gujarat. Presentations on the efforts underway in the State of Haryana to bring
the Manasarovar glacier waters through Rajasthan were highlighted in the
Conference.
Shreya
Cloud9 Ventures
Vasant Kunj C-9
Delhi
Ph no. 011 41768224
cloud9pr@gmail.com
http://www.newdesignworld.com/press/story/5258
E-books (released on the inaugural day of the Conference, 24 October 2008)
The Saraswati: The
mother of Indian civilization. Inaugural address delivered on 24 October
2008 by BB Lal in the Conference on Vedic River Sarasvati and Hindu
Civilization held at India International Centre, New Delhi
Sarasvati – Vedic River
and Hindu Civilization by S. Kalyanaraman (2008) (including guide to decoding Sarasvati hieroglyphs) Sarasvati Research & Education Trust, Chennai ISBN 978-81-901126-1-1
Vedic River
Sarasvati and Hindu Civilization (ed.) S. Kalyanaraman (2008) – Compendium
of Papers presented at the Conference on the same subject held at at India
International Centre, New Delhi
between Oct. 24 to 26, 2008 (including inaugural address of BB Lal and Keynote address of KS Valdiya)
Aryan Books International, New Delhi ISBN 978-81-7305-365-8
Conf. held at India International Centre, New Delhi (24-26 Oct. 2008), participated in by over 55 scholars/scientists.
The lost river Saraswati: Geological evidence (July 2008) Abstract -- KS Valdiya
The Sarasvati: the mother of Indian Civilization -- BB Lal (24 Oct. 2008); inaugural address (full speech included in the book released: Vedic River Sarasvati and Hindu Civilization, ed. S. Kalyanaraman, Delhi, Aryan Books International, pp. 95-117).
The Sarasvati: the mother of Indian civilization -- BB Lal (24 Oct. 2008) inaugural address ppt
Bhirrana excavation -- its contribution to thestudies of Harappan civilization in Sarasvati valley -- LS Rao (October 2008)
Dholavira excavation, Part I -- RS Bisht (25 Oct. 2008)
Dholavira excavation, Part 2 -- RS Bisht (25 Oct. 2008)
Exploring the existence of Saraswati -- DK Chaddha (Sept. 2008)
Rebirth of River Sarasvati
List of delegates who were present/who presented papers included in
the Conf. Papers compilation:
1. Prof. K.S Valdiya, Professor of Geodynamics, Jawaharlal Nehru
Centre for Advanced Research, Jakkur, Bangalore
2. Prof. BB Lal, Former Director General, Archaeological Survey of India
3. Prof. KN Dikshit, Former Jt. Director General, Archaeological
Survey of India; President, Indian Archaeological Society
4. Dr. RS Bisht, Former Director, Archaeological Survey of India;
excavator of Banawali, Dholavira sites on Sarasvati River Basin
5. Prof. Shivaji Singh, Former Head of the Department, Archaeology and
Ancient History, Gorakhpur University
6. Dr. N. Mahalingam, Chairman, Sakti Group of Companies; Patron of
Indian Culture and Civilization studies
7. Shri Rajiv Malhotra, Founder, Infinity Foundation, Princeton, USA
8. Dr. LS Rao, Senior Superintending Archaeology, Archaeological
Survey of India, Nagpur; excavator of Bhirdana site on Sarasvati River
Basin.
9. Mr.D.C. Nath, Indian Police Service
10. Dr. Muralidhar Pahoja, Scholar, Ancient Civilization studies
11. Sri Haribhau Vaze, National Organizing Secretary, Akhila Bharatiya
Itihasa Sankalana Yojana
12. Dr. Sharad Hebalkar, Secretary, Akhila Bharatiya Itihasa
Sankalana Yojana
13. Sri Bal Mukund, Jt. Secretary, Akhila Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Yojana
14. Sri Ratnesh Tripathi, Ph.D. Student, Working on thesis,
'Tirthasthanas on Sarasvati river basin' in Jivaji University, Gwalior
15. Kumari Sampada Sarvedakar, Ph.D. Student, Sanskrit, University of
Pondicherry
16. Dr. M.R.Rao, Director, Sarasvati Project, ONGC
17. Sri Chander mohan, Social activist working for revival of Vedic
River Sarasvati in Haryana; associated with Sarasvati Nadi Sansthan,
Jagadhri, Haryana
18. Dr. A. R. Chaudhari, Prof. of Geology, Kurukshetra University
19. Sri Rajesh Purohit, Deputy Director, Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra
and Archaeologist, Haryana
20. Dr. B.M. Tripathi
21. Dr. R. Nagaswami, Tamil Arts Academy; Former Director, Archaeology
Department, Tamil Nadu
22. Dr. B.M.Pandey, Senior Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India
23. Samanya Nanda
24. Sri R.C. Sarma, Art Historian of Indian Civilization
25. Sri J.R.Sarma, Director, Indian Space Research Organization;
Regional Remote Sensing Services Centre, Jodhpur.
26. Dr. A.K.Gupta, Senior ScientistIndian Space Research Organization;
Regional Remote Sensing Services Centre, Jodhpur.
27. Sri Darshan lal Jain, President, Sarasvati Nadi Shodh Sansthan,
Jagadhri, Haryana
28. Sri T. V. Rangarajan, Secretary, Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana
Samiti, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
29. Dr. Harsh Vardhan
30. Prof. Bharat Gupta, Scholar, Ancient Indian studies with
particular reference to Art History
31. Dr. R. P. Tiwari
32. Sri Devendra Sawroop, Former Director, Deendayal Research
Institute, Delhi
33. Dr. K. K. Bajaj, Centre for Policy Studies, Delhi
34. Sri N. Badrinath, Ph.D. Student in Sarasvati civilization studies;
MTech, Lecturer in Shastra University, Thanjavur
35. Dr. VMK Puri, Glaciologist; Former Director, Geological Survey of India
36. Shri Michel Danino, Independent Scholar and Researcher, Indian
civilization studies
37. Dr. RN Athavale, Emeritus Scientist, National Geophysical Research
Institute, Hyderabad
38. Dr. DK Chadha, Former Chairman, Central Ground Water Board, Govt.
of India, Ministry of Water Resources
39. Dr. Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Department of Evolutionary Biology,
University of Tartu and Estonian Biocentre, Estonia
40. Dr. MA Narasimhan, Research Scholar; Director, Itihasa Bharati
Research Centre, Mysore
41. Prof. Narahari Achar, Professor of Phsics, University of Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
42. Prof. TP Verma, Former Head of Department, Archaeology and Ancient
Indian History, Benares Hindu University, Varanasi
43. Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, Director, Sarasvati Research Centre; National
President, Rameshwaram Rama Setu Protection Movement; Author of 15
volumes on Sarasvati Civilization.
44. Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Head of Department, Sanskrit, Bombay University
45. Dr. AK Sharma, Mahant Ghasi ram Museum, Raipur, Chattisgarh
46. Shri KV Ramakrishna Rao, Independent Researcher, Itihasa Sankalana
Samiti, Tamil Nadu
47. Prof. Bhudev Sharma, Founder World Association of Vedic Studies,
Prof. of Mathematics, Clarks Atlanta University, USA
48. Prof. Shashi Tiwari, Professor of Sanskrit, Maitreyi College,
Delhi University
49. Shri CRB Lalit, IAS (Retd), Advisor, Udyog Bhavan, Himachal Pradesh
50. Dr. Jagmohan, Former Union Minister of Culture and Tourism,
Govt. of India
51. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Former Union Commerce Minister, Govt. of India
52. Dr. Adiga Sundara, Former Head of Department, Archaeology and
Ancient Indian History, Karnataka University
53. Dr. Ravindra Ramadas, Former Research Director, Shri Brihad
Bhartiya Samaj, Mumbai
54. Arun Nigudkar, Senior Journalist; Author of Greeks in India
55. Prof. Bhagwan Singh, Author of 'Vedic Harappans'
56. Shi MK Gupta, Engineer in Chief, Dept. of Irrigation, Govt. of Haryana
The saga of the quest for river Sarasvati -- MA Jayasree, M. Narasimhan & Haribhau Vaze (2008)
Conference schedule: Invitation
Conference schedule: Program
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