Holy Rivers of India - YAMUNA RIVER

YAMUNA RIVER

River Yamuna is considered one of the most sacred rivers in India after Ganges.The holy river Yamuna originates from the Bundar Poonch glaciers located in the state of Uttaranchal in India. It begins its journey from Jamunotri in the north of the Himalayan ranges. The total length of the river Yamuna exceeds up to 1,370 kms.

According to the ancient Indian scriptures Yamuna was the daughter of the Sun God called Surya, sister of Yama (the God of death). River Yamuna is deeply connected with the Lord Krishna's birth. After his birth his father Vashudeva crossed the River Yamuna carrying him in the bucket. When Lord Krishna fell into the water, Yamuna once again became sanctified with the dust of his lotus feet. There are lot more stories connected with the River Yamuna in India
Since Yamuna was considered as the daughter of Surya, the Sun God, and sister to Yama, the God of Death, the, popular belief is that those who take a dip in its holy waters are not tormented by fears of death.

According to the legends, by taking a dip in its water one can be freed from all the past sins of his life, as it is the same place where Lord Krishna used to play during his childhood. The river yamuna is intimately connected to Lord Krishna's pastimes. The Lord Krishna sanctified the River Yamuna from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safe place at Gokul on the other bank of the river from Mathura, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified.

Yamuna also known as Jamuna in India is regarded as Goddess in India. Many people in India call it Jamuna Mata and worship it. There are many festivals celebrated on the Yamuna river. Some sat that the source of the river Yamuna is the glacier lake called the Saptarishi Kund . There is also a sacred shrine of Yamunotri near this source. Every year thousands of pilgrims gather at te temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna. Yamuna river finds mention in the great Indian epic Mahabharata and Ramayana.

River Yamuna flows in the state of Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the northern India. It rises from the Himalayas near Yamunotri and from here the river flows through the Mathura Virandavan. Than she moves towards the southern parts of India and passes through the southeastern parts. At one point she reaches Prayag, where she joins the Holy Ganga. After that both Ganga and Yamuna flows till Ksheer Sagar.