Karmanasa River | |
River | |
Country | India |
---|---|
States | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
Source | |
- location | Sarodag, Kaimur district, Kaimur Range |
- elevation | 350 m (1,148 ft) |
Mouth | Ganges |
- location | Chausa |
- coordinates | 25°30′54″N 83°52′30″E / 25.51500°N 83.87500°ECoordinates: 25°30′54″N 83°52′30″E / 25.51500°N 83.87500°E |
Length | 192 km (119 mi) |
The Karmanasa River (Hindi: कर्मनाशा नदी) is a tributary of the Ganges. It originates in Kaimur district of Bihar and flows through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Along the boundary between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar it has the districts of Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Varanasi and Ghazipur on its left (UP side); and the districts of Kaimur and Buxar on its right (Bihar side).
Karmanasa is also the name of a river in the Garhwal Himalayas.
The name of the river means "destroyer of religious merit". There are several legends about it.
According to one legend, the sage Vishvamitra through tapasya (penance, meditation and correct practices) acquired the power to create a whole new universe. When he set out to create a new universe it aroused consternation in Indra. However, he continued and after creating a copy of our universe, he started creating people, the first being Trishanku whom he decided to send up to rule his new universe. Indra stopped his progress. That is how Trishanku ended up suspended head down in mid-air. The Karmanasa was born out of the saliva dripping from his mouth.
The Karmanasa originates at a height of 350 metres (1,150 ft) on the northern face of Kaimur Range near Sarodag in Kaimur district of Bihar. It flows in a north-westerly direction through the plains of Mirzapur, then forms the boundary between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and finally joins the Ganges near Chausa. The length of the river is 192 kilometres (119 mi), out of which 116 kilometres (72 mi) lies in Uttar Pradesh and the rest 76 kilometres (47 mi) forms the boundary between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Total drainage area of the Karmnasa along with its tributaries is 11,709 square kilometres (4,521 sq mi).