Bagmati River

Bagmati (बागमती खुसी, बागमती नदी)
River
Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple
Country	Nepal
State	Bagmati Zone
Tributaries
- left	Lalbakaiya, Bishnumati
- right	Manohara, Marin khola, Adhwara, Kamala
Cities	Kathmandu, Patan
Source	Bagdwar
- location	Shivapuri, Kathmandu, Nepal
- elevation	2,690 m (8,825 ft)
- coordinates	27°46′16″N 85°25′38″E / 27.77111°N 85.42722°E / 27.77111; 85.42722
Mouth	Confluence with Koshi River
- location	Khagaria, India
- coordinates	26°07′19″N 85°42′29″E / 26.12194°N 85.70806°E / 26.12194; 85.70806Coordinates: 26°07′19″N 85°42′29″E / 26.12194°N 85.70806°E / 26.12194; 85.70806

The Bagmati River runs through the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and separates Kathmandu from Patan. It is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. A number of Hindu temples are located on its banks.

The importance of Bagmati also lies in the fact that Hindus are cremated on the banks of this holy river, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati River before cremation, so that the reincarnation cycle may be ended. The chief mourner (usually the first son) who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy river-water bath immediately after cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take a bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation. The Bagmati River purifies the people spiritually.

The Bagmati River is considered the source of Nepalese civilization and urbanization. The river has been mentioned as Vaggumuda (वग्गुमुदा) in Vinaya Pitaka and Nandabagga. It has also been mentioned as Bahumati (बाहुमति) in Battha Suttanta of Majjhima Nikaya. An inscription dated AD 477 describes the river as Bagvati parpradeshe (वाग्वति पारप्रदेशे) and subsequently in Gopalraj Vanshavali.

The Chobar gorge cuts through the Mahabharat Range, also called the Lesser Himalaya. This 2,000-to-3,000-meter (6,600 to 9,800 ft) 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 basin of the Bagmati River, including the Kathmandu Valley, lies between the much larger Gandaki basin to the West and the Kosi 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 Kosi extends far into Tibet. The smaller Bagmati rises some distance south of the Himalaya. 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.