Saraswati: 5 places across India where you can still trace the lost Vedic river

While the Ganga and Yamuna are two of the most famous rivers in India, there are several others with fascinating history and cultural origins that cannot be ignored. One among them is the Saraswati. Noted in the Rig Veda, historians trace its existence even during the and through what is present day Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat across western and northern India. While the river may be lost, there are still places across its banks which can be visited completing the Saraswati river trail.

In the Shivalik foothills in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district lies Adi Badri. It is thought that after originating in the Himalayan region near the Yamunotri, the river merged with Sutlej and Yamuna before reclaiming its existence around the Haryana region again. The entire area is surrounded with several temples, including Adi Badri, Adi Kedar, and Mantra Devi which are worth a visit. Located right at the Haryana border, it can be reached via Delhi as well and takes almost 5 hours to do so.

Here, the river becomes a source of pleasing ones forefathers for a peaceful journey to the afterworld. This town is home to an ancient Saraswati temple and excavated sites of river ghats. One of the most sought after reasons why one visits this place includes the pind daan or the pleasing of the ancestor’s rituals right after a death in the family. Located down South from Adi Badri, one can reach Pehowa via road in about 2 hours 30 minutes.

According to discovery of paleochannels this site seems to be part of alarger drainage basin. Today, one can see the Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar, Jyotisar and Thanesar along with the Sarsuti. If you are visiting Pehowa, then go further east for an hour and your will reach Kurukshetra.

One of the most important stoppages in the Saraswati river trail is when archaeological findings point out to the meeting of the Harappan civilisation and the River. Kalibangan on the banks of Ghaggar is one of the most crucial excavation sites of the erstwhile civilisation revealing forts, ritual platforms, planned settlements and plough fields. In fact, ISRO research has pointed how this area could have been part of the larger river drainage basin.  Kalibangan is located at a distance of almost 8 hours from Delhi and a slightly lesser from Gurugram. From Kurukshetra it takes about 6 hours to reach going west.

While there are no concrete evidences of a direct link to the river, even then this UNESCO site is largely considered as part of the broader Harappan civilisation landscape. With its channels of river basin, water storage, reservoirs, this place near the Rann of Kutch may be considered as the southernmost edge of the river. Today, one can see the sites of the erstwhile civilisation and loose themselves in the beauty of the landscape and stories of an era gone by. Dholavira can be reached in 7 hours by road via Ahmedabad.

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