Indus River

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Indus River

Location :  Northwestern Frontiers Of Indian Subcontinent
River :  Indus
Also Known As :  Sindhu
Significance :  India's Name Was Derived From This Rivers Name.

It roared and spread itself, but it never hurt!

If time were called upon to tell a story, it would perhaps choose the banks of river Indus to do so. Here, the history of India could well be marked, both chronologically and historically.

The Legends

It has believed by the early Tibetans that this forceful and full river that guarded the frontiers of united India rises from the lake Mansarovar in Tibet. A few expeditions later, it was discovered that the Indus actually originates a few kilometres north of lake Mansarovar and together with it arise the Brahmaputra and the river Sutlej, through Mansarovar.Metaphorically, the four rivers that separated from this area were described as rising out of certain animals mouths, thereby ascribing the qualities to the river. The Pakshu went westward in the beginning and then came out of a horse's mouth to the east to be called the Brahmaputra. The Sita went southwards in the beginning and then came out of a lion's mouth to the north to be called the river Sindhu. The Ganga came out of an elephant's mouth and the Karnali from a peacock's mouth.
The waters of the river Brahmaputra are cold and it is said that the one who drinks these waters would become sturdy as a horse. The waters of the Indus are warm and it is said that the one who drinks from it would become heroic like a lion. Does that explain why invaders to India always conquered after stopping to quench their thirst at the Indus?
Legend has it that those who drink the waters of the Ganges would become as worthy as the elephant: with good memory, sense of gratitude, strong and auspicious. Similarly those who drink the waters of Karnali would be come as beautiful as the peacock. It is said these four rivers circle seven times around Kailash (also spelt as Kailas), the divine residence of Lord Shiva (also spelt as Siva), before gurgling down.

Derivation Of The Name - Indus

The lion river, the Indus derives its name from the Sanskrit word, Sindhu, which means a large water body, a sea or an ocean. In Greek, it is called "Sinthos" and in Latin, the "Sindus". The name gradually came to represent the people who lived beyond it and the name Hindus was born. It took less time to derive the name - Indus gave people a lot more.In the Rig Veda, there is a reference to "Sapta Sindhus", where Sapta means seven and Sindhus, refers to rivers. The seven rivers are the Indus, her five tributaries and the river Saraswati. The Rig Veda is also said to enumerate and many medicinal plants found on the banks of the river Indus.
The Mahabharata, another ancient Indian epic refers to Sindhu and the king who ruled the region that nestled on the banks of the river. While dating epics and texts are still arbitrary, the great Indus Valley Civilization at Harappa and Mohenjodaro, now in Pakistan, are eloquent testament of the culture and people of the region. A site similar to that and liked to that period has been unearthed at Lothal Gujarat, India.