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NEW DELHI: The discovery of strong water currents seven feet underground in Yamunanagar district in Haryana has confirmed that the Vedic period Saraswati river is still flowing under the surface.
The mystery river is mentioned in the Rig Veda – one of the oldest books in the world – alongside the Ganga and the Yamuna.
The ancient Saraswati river originated in the Himalayas and flowed through present-day Uttarakhand, Haryana and Rajasthan and Gujarat before emptying into the Arabian Sea through the Rann of Kutch.
Possibly because of a strong earthquake, the Saraswati river disappeared about 4,000 years ago.
Until now, many researches have identified this ancient river with the present-day Ghaggar river in Haryana. But satellite imagery have confirmed the flow of a stream of subterranean waters through Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and it has been linked to the course of the ancient Saraswati river.
The discovery of underground water currents at Rullaheri village in Yamunanagar district has confirmed that it could possibly be the Sarawati river.
The discovery has been made under the Saraswati Revival Project under which digging work was undertaken in about three kilometre area as per satellite imagery.
The water that has been found is potable and fresh in taste, according Yamunanagar deputy commissioner SS Phulia.
The authorities now plan to dig up to 10 feet to unearth the wider course of the river and develop it for pilgrimage tourism.
As per satellite imagery, the underground river covers 55 km in Yamunanagar district alone. After flowing underground through Kurukshetra, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts, it enters Rajasthan.
The Haryana government has earmarked Rs 50 crore for the Saraswati river project.
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