Holy Rivers of India - TAPI RIVER

TAPI RIVER

Tapi river is one of the major rivers in India. The total length of the Tapi river is approximately around 724 km. It flows in the central part of India. The river originates from the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh in the Satpura range at an elevation of 752 meter above the sea level. The states through which the Tapi river flows include Maharashtra, Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh. Apart from the Narmada river, Tapi is the only river which flows in the westward direction and merges into the Arabian Sea. The Tapi basin extends to the total area of 65, 145 sq km, which is approximately 2.0% of the total geographical area of India.

In the earlier times Tapi river at Surat was used as an important stopover destination for Muslim pilgrimage called Haj to Mecca. According to the legends, Tapi river also known as Tapti is the daughter of Surya (the Sun God). Some says that Surya created the Tapi river in order to save himself from his own intense heat. The river finds mention in the great Indian epic Mahabharata, according to which Tapti had married Sanvaran, a legendary hero of the moon dynasty. Tapti and Sanvaran also had the son called Kuru. It was on his name only the Kuru dynasty started. Tapi is considered as the Goddess among the Hindus and is worshiped among them.