Besides holy Ganga River, if any other Indian river has ever really fascinated me more, it is Narmada River. While doing my Masters in Business Administration from the Jabalpur University during 2008-10, I had opportunity to visit this river on many occasions at several places in Madhya Pradesh including its place of origin “Amarkantak” of Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh. Though officially it called Narmada River but it is also recognized with such names as Reva, Narbada, and even anglicized Nerbudda. It serves as the lifeline of the two crucial states of the Central and West India, namely Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat owing to its significant contribution for the irrigation, water supply and other uses.
The river arises at the Amarkantak Plateau, forming the traditional boundary between the North and South India flowing westwards to over 1,312 km before merging in the Gulf of Khambhat into the Arabian Sea near the Bharuch city of Gujarat state. An important characteristic of the River Narmada is that this along with another River Tapti are the only two major rivers in India that flow from east to west while all other rivers take a course from west to east and/or northwest to southeast direction. In route, the Narmada flows about 1,077 km in Madhya Pradesh, 74 km along the Madhya Pradesh – Maharashtra border and about 161 km through Gujarat.
The source of origin of Narmada River is a small reservoir located at the Amarkantak and known as the Narmada Kund. The tiny stream thus originated descends from Sonmuda and falls over a cliff known as Kapildhara waterfall, meandering through the low hills taking a tortuous course upto the ruined palace of Ramnagar. Thereafter, the course is more or less straight and the river flows across the well known Jabalpur city via Mandla. Jabalpur is considered as a famous tourist place mainly on account of the River forming the Dhuandhara waterfall i.e. the fall of mist and famous Marble Rocks, which are largely composed of the magnesium limestone and basalt rocks; the river here flows through a narrow channel attaining maximum width of about ninety meter in a nearly three km stretch. Before evacuating in the Arabian Sea, the river takes a course through the Vindhya and Satpura ranges with Narmada basin extending to an area of nearly 98,800 sq km.
Since ancient times, Hindus have a tradition of acknowledging with grace every single benefit or act of kindness received not only from other people but also the various objects of nature. This is the reason why the Hinduism has a settled tradition of deifying and revering them. Accordingly, many useful rivers, mountains and even plants and animals have been personified as deities and worshipped by the devout Hindus. In that process, like Ganga, the Narmada River too is treated as a goddess and worshipped by many Hindus. The Reva Khand of the Skanda Mahapurana has dealt with at length about the origin, nomenclature, glory, importance, verses in praise and benefits of taking bath in the holy Narmada River. Similarly, all the banks of the Narmada River are cited as sacred places in the Matsya Purana. According to a citation in the Reva Khand, this river was created from Shiva’s perspiration while he was performing penance on Mount Riksha; hence River Narmada is treated as Shiva’s daughter.
In fact, several folklores have been circulating through ages about the origin and present course of River Narmada personifying her in such tales. According to one folklore, Narmada and Sonbhadra had taken birth as Nadi (she river) and Nad (he river respectively thousands of years ago in Amarkantak. Both spent their childhood together in vicinity and started loving each other as grown up young adults. They even took oath to live together as life partners for life; however, one day Narmada’s friend Juhila came in their life and enamoured Sonbhadra through her antics so much so that the latter even forgot Narmada’s love and oath taken together. Narmada was so hurt with Sonbharda and Juhila’s deceitful conduct that she changed her course in sheer frustration and anger and decided to go in opposite direction. On realization of their mistake, Sonbhadra and Juhila tried to persuade her to return but she was badly hurt with their deceitful act and had already decided to remain virgin for life. So instead of traditionally going towards the Bay of Bengal like other rivers, Narmada traversed through hilly terrain and many tribal areas only to merge into the Arabian Sea. Narmada is still revered by people for her sattvic demeanour, virgin beauty and strong moral character.
According to another folklore, Narmada and Sonbhadra were about to get married but just before their nuptial tie up, she came to know that Sonbhadra was more interested in her maid Juhila (a tribal river near Mandla in Madhya Pradesh). Hailing from a royal family, Narmada could not tolerate this deceit and insult and deserted the Mandapa to move in the opposite direction. Realizing his mistake, Sonbhadra ran behind requesting her to come back but Narmada remained firm in her resolve and didn’t return. If the folklore is adjudged with the geological reality, one would find that at a particular point, Narmada is seen separating from Sonbhadra and flows westwards towards the Arabian Sea. The glory of Narmada River is narrated in the Matsya Purana as under:
“Ganga is holy in Kankhal region and Saraswati in Kurushetra; however, whether it is a village or forest area, Narmada is holy everywhere. While Yamuna water sanctifies in a week, Saraswati water in three days, Ganga water on the same day, the water of Narmada sanctifies a person or thing at the very moment.”
In yet another folktale, Narmada is known as Reva (Nadi, female personification for river) and Sonbhadra (Nad as male personified). According to this tale, Princess Reva was King Mekhal’s daughter, who put a condition that whoever will bring Gulbakawali flowers, would marry his daughter. Prince Sonbhadra succeeded in fetching these rare flowers and, accordingly, their matrimony was settled. Since Princess Reva had not seen Prince Sonbhadra so far, one day she dispatched her maid Juhila to meet him with her love message. On her naughty pretension, Sonbhadra mistook maid Juhila as princess and the two spent time together as lovers. Sensing considerable delay in Juhila’s return, Princess Reva herself proceeded to meet Sonbhadra and discovered the truth about the prince’s relationship with Deeply hurt and angered Princess Reva proceeded in opposite direction. Remorseful Sonbhadra tried to apologize but self-respecting and rebellious Princess Reva aka Narmada never returned.
The socio-geographical reality is that the small Juhila River in Jaisinagar in Madhya Pradesh is still considered as depraved river which meets Sonbhadra from left side near Dasarath Ghat and Narmada River is seen independently flowing in the opposite direction. The story goes that Narmada decided to remain unmarried for life after the alleged deceit from Sonbhadra. Different versions of the folklore are popular in various regions and the truth remains that unlike other major rivers of the Indian sub-continent, Narmada River flows from the east to west. Another popular belief and saying is that ever virgin and sattvic Narmada is so sacred and pious that even goddess Ganga comes to take a holy bath in Narmada once every year at a certain specified occasion. In Hinduism. Narmada is also considered sacred because the pebbles found in the river bed are known as banalinga, a personified form of Shiva and the river is worshipped as mother goddess Muktidayani (liberating mother).
Along the Narmada’s course, the important cities and towns are Jabalpur, Barwaha, Narmadapuram, Harda, Narmada Nagar, Omkareshwar, Dewas, Mandla and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh, and Rajpipla and Bharuch in Gujarat. Important falls along the river are Kapiladhara, Dhuandhara, Dugdhdhara, Dhardi falls and Sahastradhara. The river is an important source of irrigation, hydro power, water supply and other allied uses along its course. Out of nearly thity dams planned over the river, the Sardar Sarovar Dam is the largest on Narmada mainly for irrigation and second largest concrete dam in the world in terms of the volume of concrete used. The Indira Sagar Dam is yet another large Multipurpose River Valley Project in the Narmada basin near Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh.
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