Recently, I read the book ‘The Lost River: On the Trail of the Saravati’ by Michel Danino. As the name suggests, it is about the Saraswati river. The book follows archealogical evidences from the Harappan Civilization and geological/other environmental opinions to create for us a picture of the Sarasvati river when she was strong and thriving. And then as she dwindled away.
The Rann of Kutch would have been teeming with water and life when the Sarasvati was at its peak. In fact, the Rann of Kutch was the delta where the Sarasvati met the Sea! Can you imagine? Picture today’s desert famous for white sand dunes and camel rides versus a marshy water-filled area like the Sundarbans – a major river delta! Wow. The flow of time. The quirk of nature. Feels so ephemeral!
Sutlej and Yamuna said Good Bye 🙁
As the harappan civilization thrived,
betwixt the mighty Indus and Sarasvati rivers,
The Earth shook in the Himalayas.
Far off it may have seemed to the Harappan folks,
But maybe their seers read the omen.
Yamuna the dear companion,
heavy with her glacial flows,
could not meet Saraswati anymore!
The need to deliver her water so great,
She cut through rocks and valleys
Towards the Ganga,
Saraswati saddened,
She knew there was no other way.
Sutlej had always been quirky,
but she was still here.
However, deeper than these waters,
was the flow of time!
Sutlej started slithering.
Soon she split into many.
And then she was gone.
O Saraswati, Yamuna and Sutlej said Goodbye
And now you say Goodbye to Us!
Thus, she seeped into the land.
The towns and people left forlorn,
Looking towards greener pastures,
away from their homes!
The Ghaggar river still lives.
Till the Ootu lake.
Hakkar emerges out somewhere.
Flows towards the Rann.
But none reach the might of what Sarasvati had been,
In the peak days, with the inspiring cities of ancient India scattered on her banks.
Rishis and yogis busy in their austerities, gurgled away the pure stream.
Soon, to be forgotten as the river East of the mighty Indus.
And West of the Ganga.
But remembered as the Goddess.
Pure and symbol of virtue.
Oh, great river! My ancestors lived on your banks.
Oh, wells near Jaisalmer that give sweet water,
On the old route of Sarasvati you are,
May I find my way to you.
Thus, is the tale I can tell through this poem.
What we call the Indus Civilization, should rightly be called Indus-Sarasvati Civilization, because two great rivers led to this greatest civilization of all!
And this brings me to the last point that this book imparts very unequivocally that the Harappan civilization is indeed the Indian roots. There did not seem much room for error there. Apparently, it contradicts the Aryan migration theory, but that part needs more study.
Having delved into Michel Danino’s captivating exploration of the Saraswati River in ‘The Lost River,’ I’m inspired by the rich history and ecological narrative woven throughout. Danino’s work paints a vivid picture of the Sarasvati’s glory days during the Harappan Civilization and its gradual decline, offering a mesmerizing journey through time and geography.