Bagmati River

The name "Bagmati" is considered to be a Sanskrit translation of the indigenous Newar name nvakhu. In the Newar language, nva translates to "mouth" and khu to "river", thus nvakhu means "mouth river" or "murmuring river." The name nvakhu was translated as vākmati, from which the modern name Bagmati evolved. The river has been mentioned as Vaggumuda () in Vinaya Pitaka and Nandabagga. It has also been mentioned as Bahumati () in Battha Suttanta of Majjhima Nikaya. An inscription dated 477 CE describes the river as Bagvati parpradeshe () and subsequently also in the 14th century Gopalraj Vamshavali. ==Geography==

, Nepal.|right The basin of the Bagmati River, including the Kathmandu Valley, lies between the much larger Gandaki basin to the west and the Koshi basin to the east. These adjacent basins extend north of the main Himalayan range and cross it in tremendous gorges, in fact, the Arun tributary of the Koshi extends far into Tibet. The smaller Bagmati rises some distance south of the Himalayas. Without glacial sources, its flow is more dependent on rainfall, becoming very low during the hot season (April to early June), then peaking during the monsoon season (mid-June to mid-August). In these respects, the Bagmati system resembles the (West) Rapti system lying between the Gandaki basin and the Karnali basin in the far west of Nepal. The Bagmati originates where three headwater streams converge at Bāghdwār Falls (), where the water flows out through a gargoyle shaped like a tiger's mouth, situated in Shivpuri Nagarjun National Park near Sundarijal in Nepal . This lies above the southern edge of the Shivapuri Hills, about northeast of Kathmandu. Here the Bagmati is wide and swift with a high load of suspended solids, giving it a grey appearance. and sewage-laden Tukucha Khola. Then the river bends south and the Bishnumati enters from the right at Teku Dovan. The Bishnumati also rises in the Shivapuri Hills, some west of the Bagmati's source. It flows south past the Nagarjun Hill, Swayambhu Stupa and Durbar Square in Kathmandu. As it passes the centre of Kathmandu, this tributary becomes heavily polluted and choked with trash. Flowing generally south although with many curves, the Bagmati reaches the edge of the Kathmandu valley and enters Chobhar gorge near the Dakshinkali temple complex. The Chobhar gorge cuts through the Mahabharat range, also called the Lesser Himalaya. This range is the southern limit of the "middle hills" across Nepal, an important cultural boundary between distinctive Nepali and more Indian cultures and languages, as well as a major geological feature. The Bagmati also crosses the lower Sivalik Hills before reaching the Terai, then crosses into India at Bairgania. It flows across the districts Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur and Khagaria in Bihar. It meets River Kamala at Jagmohra Village of Samastipur. However, in past the river had a different course and used to drain directly into the Ganges. In Swasthani Bratakatha of the Skanda Purana, Bagmati's present northern tributary was regarded as main channel called Sāli river which was a tributary of Gandaki and it is obvious since Manohara river, the present day Sali river, is larger than Bagmati at their confluence. ==Pollution==

The Bagmati River contains large amounts of untreated sewage, and large levels of pollution of the river exist due primarily to the region's large population. Many residents in Kathmandu empty their personal garbage and waste into the river. In particular the Hanumante Khola, Dhobī Kholā, Tukucha Khola and Bishnumati are the most polluted. Every Saturday, personnels of the Nepal Army and Nepal Police, along with the general public, gather to clean the waste and sewage from the river. ==Flood==

There is no effect of flood in most of the areas that it touches, but it has caused widespread sufferings to the people in the Terai region and northern districts of Bihar. The worst destruction by the river were seen in 1993. Poor water management, lack of proper weather forecasting and awareness were the main cause of mass destruction. ==Shrines==

• Gokarneshwor – Gokarneshwor Mahadev temple stands the banks of the Bagmati, built in 1582. In late August or early September, people go to this temple to bathe and make offerings in honor of their fathers, living or dead, on a day called Gokarna Aunsi also known as "Kuse Aunsi" (worshipping for the eternal peace of Father). • Guhyeshwari Temple – Guhyeshwari Temple, the temple of Guhyeshwari Devi, lies about 1 km east of Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati. The temple's name originates from the Sanskrit words Guhya (secret) and Ishwari (goddess). In Lalitha Sahasranama, the 707th name of Goddess is mentioned as Guhyarupini (the form of goddess is beyond human perception and is secret. Another argument is that it is the secret 16th syllable of the Shodashi Mantra) (LS 137th verse: Sarasvati shastramayi| Guhaamba guhyaruupini||). It is believed that parts of Sati Devi's corpse fell in different region when Shiva took it and roamed around the world in sorrow. • Pashupatinath Temple – The Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Shiva, stands on an outcrop above the river north of Kathmandu. The temple was made in the memory of her husband, King Rana Bahadur Shah for his eternal bliss and for the goodwill of her nation. It was probably the last major temple in the tiered style. • Pachali Bhairav – Established by Lichhavi king Gunakamadev (AD 924–1008), the god is very much associated with the founding of Kathmandu, because it was King Gunakamadev who is traditionally believed to have founded both the city and the festival of Bhairav which is located in the bank of Bagmati river. • Teku Dovan – One of the 12 sacred Tirthas in the Kathmandu Valley, the ghāts along Gyan Tirtha, at the confluence of Bagmati and Bishnumati, are places for ritual bathing and cremation at or near rivers. • Jal Binayak Temple – Jal Binayak Temple is a temple of Ganesh, located in the Chobhar. The Jal Binayak Temple is one of the most important Ganesh shrine in Kathmandu region, and is one of the four Binayak temples of the Kathmandu valley. ==Notes==

In the Indian state of Bihar, on June 6, 1981, a passenger train carrying more than 800 passengers between Mansi (Dhamara Pul) and Saharsa, derailed while crossing a bridge and plunged into the river Bagmati. After five days, more than 200 bodies were recovered, with hundreds more missing that were feared washed away by the river. Estimates of total deaths range from 500 to 800 or more. By the afternoon of June 12, the government had completed its recovery efforts and had issued an official death toll of 235 passengers, with 88 survivors. The death toll included three people whose bodies were not recovered. The crash is the deadliest-ever rail accident in India. ==External links==