the Kharkai. The Kharkai dam is located at
ruler, the name in Sanskrit signifies ocean.
Ichha, Odisha.
After years of being childless he went to
Deo River
mount Kailash with his two wives Keshini
It flows through W.Singhbhum district of
and Sumati. He lived there and practising
Jharkhand. It rises on the western side of the
austerity and praying for a son. The great
Gamharia Plateau & flows into the south
sage Bhrigu living in the mountain granted
Karo River after a course of about 56 km. It
his wish. But his pronouncement was like
receives the Puilgara, a fair-sized mountain
Greek
stream from Santara forest block. Deo
misfortune with boon; “ you will beget
irrigation project is a medium irrigation
many sons” he pronounced “and you will
project
have immeasurable fame, one of your wife
benefitting
Mayurbhanj
and
Keonjhor district.
mythology
which
also
brought
will have one son while other will have
60,000 sons.”
Ganga the Eternal River
Sagara returned to his kingdom and in time
Part-42
Keshini given birth to a son and Sumati in
Mythology of River of Ganga
turn brought forth a gourd containing sixty
Water is the most sacred symbol of
thousand male seeds which the nurses
spirituality as at once it is the purifier and
hurriedly placed in a jar filled with ghee.
origin of the real and imagined source of
After a while they attained to maturity and
life. The sanctity of water remained part of
evolved to manhood.
the Indian tradition from its beginning in the
Sagara was jubilant and enjoyed the
Indus valley over four thousand years ago
blessings during the long years of peace. He
and has remained so over time. Water in
aspired
general and Ganga water in particular is
conqueror of the world, a term referring to
used today in every rituals of Indian life.
both the temporal and spiritual ascendance.
Water from Ganga is an integral part of
To achieve this he undertook the yagna
worship of any Hindu God. The primacy of
Ashvamedha (Horse Sacrifice). A horse was
the Ganga as a living tradition is continuing
turned loose for a year, and the country
over two thousand years.
where in wandered would become the land
The story of Ganga has evolved through
of the king. This could be countered but
centuries in the form of elaborate myth. It
only through war. At the end of the year the
begins with king Sagara, a just and mighty
king will be proclaimed as the king of the
the
title
of
Chakravartin
the
6
Integrated River Basin Management Society