Rivers of India

Come Margazhi, Chennai transforms into a fertile land with music flowing everywhere, akin to the graceful flow of the rivers.

Here are interesting musical trivia on the major rivers of India!

· The rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri are referred to as the ‘Sapta nadis’ in Hindu mythology.

· The Ganga is said to originate as the Bhagirathi, from Lord Siva’s matted locks and is considered very holy. Muthuswami Dikshitar refers to the Ganga as “Asi- Varuna madhye”, alluding to her two tributaries Asi and Varuna which lend the city of Varanasi its name.

· The Nauka Charitram, Saint Thyagaraja’s mammoth operatic work, talks about Lord Krishna protecting his devotees from doomsday by carrying them away in a divine boat across the River Yamuna. So, if you want to escape the apocalypse on 21.12.12, you should plan on getting this ride for sure!

· One of Subramanya Bharati’s famous songs, ‘Sindhu nadiyin isai’ starts with a mention of the Indus and goes on to mention the Ganga.

· Though the river Saraswathi does not exist today, it flows through musical vistas as a raga!

· Saint Thyagaraja was inspired by the Kaveri and described her majesty and gait, especially near Srirangam where the river forms an island. He attained salvation at Thiruvaiyaru, the town witnessing the confluence of five of the river’s tributaries.

For more musical and mythological details on the River Kaveri, visit http://www.thedarbaronline.com/sthalams.php.

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