Trishuli River
Encyclopedia
The Trishuli River is a trans-boundary river
and is one of the major tributaries of the Narayani River basin in central Nepal
. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
where it is called Kyirong (or Kirong) Tsangpo.
or trident of Shiva
, a powerful god in the Hindu
pantheon,There is a legend that says high in the Himalayas
at Gosaikunda
, Shiva
drove his trident into the ground to create three springs – the source of the river and hence its name Trisuli. In the Tibetan name, the suffix Tsangpo
denotes a river flowing from or through Tsang
, i.e. Tibet west of Lhasa
.
province are traditionally known as Lato, the highland region of Tibet. North Lato comprises the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo
and Raga Tsangpo. South Lato comprises the upper reaches of Bum-chu, Matsang Tsangpo
and Kyirong Tsangpo.
The Kyirong gorge and valley form one of Tibet’s most picturesque alpine regions. Dzongka
, the capital of Kyriong County
overlooks the confluence of the Kyirong Tsangpo and its main tributary, the Zarong-chu. The Kyirong gorge opens out at Ragma (3000 m).
Thereafter, it flows through Nepal
and joins at Devighat the Narayani River, which at a lower stage flows into India
and joins the Ganges.
with about 9 per cent being covered by snow and glaciers. 85 per cent of its catchment area of 4640 square kilometres (1,791.5 sq mi) lies above 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) out of which 11 per cent lies above 6000 metres (19,685 ft). It has been regularly gauged at Betrawati at an elevation of 600 metres (1,968.5 ft). The average lowest and the melt season discharges of this river are close to average discharges recorded on the Narayani River.
.
Easy access to the Prithivi Highway
makes “breaking off” the journey easy. Royal Chitwan National Park
is also easily accessible.
See also - pictures of Rafting in the Trishuli.
Trans-boundary river
A trans-boundary river is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a nation or an international boundary. The country of Bangladesh has the greatest number of these rivers, almost all of which cross national boundaries....
and is one of the major tributaries of the Narayani River basin in central Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
where it is called Kyirong (or Kirong) Tsangpo.
Etymology
The Trishuli is named after the trishulaTrishula
A trishula is a type of Indian trident but also found in Southeast Asia. It is commonly used as a Hindu-Buddhist religious symbol. The word means "three spear" in Sanskrit and Pali....
or trident of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, a powerful god in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pantheon,There is a legend that says high in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
at Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda, also spelled Gosainkunda and Gosain Kunda is an alpine freshwateroligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an altitude of above sea level in the Rasuwa District with a surface of...
, Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
drove his trident into the ground to create three springs – the source of the river and hence its name Trisuli. In the Tibetan name, the suffix Tsangpo
Tsangpo
Tsangpo is the suffix attached to names of rivers originating or sometimes flowing through the Tsang province of Tibet. Some of the rivers are:* The Yarlung Tsangpo – in its lower reaches it is known as the Brahmaputra River...
denotes a river flowing from or through Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
, i.e. Tibet west of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
.
Course
The westernmost parts of TsangÜ-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
province are traditionally known as Lato, the highland region of Tibet. North Lato comprises the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
and Raga Tsangpo. South Lato comprises the upper reaches of Bum-chu, Matsang Tsangpo
Sun Kosi
The Sun Kosi or Matsang Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
and Kyirong Tsangpo.
The Kyirong gorge and valley form one of Tibet’s most picturesque alpine regions. Dzongka
Zongga
Zongga is a township and seat of Gyirong County in the Himalayas of the southern Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies at an altitude of 5624 metres .The village is located some 26.1 miles east of Kungtang and 13.1 miles north of Orma....
, the capital of Kyriong County
Gyirong County
sKyid-grong is a former district in the south-west of Tibet and is from 1960 onwards a county of the newly established gZhis-ka rtse prefecture of the newly established Tibet Autonomous Region...
overlooks the confluence of the Kyirong Tsangpo and its main tributary, the Zarong-chu. The Kyirong gorge opens out at Ragma (3000 m).
Thereafter, it flows through Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and joins at Devighat the Narayani River, which at a lower stage flows into India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and joins the Ganges.
Basin data
More than 60 per cent of the total drainage basin of the Trishuli lies in Tibetwith about 9 per cent being covered by snow and glaciers. 85 per cent of its catchment area of 4640 square kilometres (1,791.5 sq mi) lies above 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) out of which 11 per cent lies above 6000 metres (19,685 ft). It has been regularly gauged at Betrawati at an elevation of 600 metres (1,968.5 ft). The average lowest and the melt season discharges of this river are close to average discharges recorded on the Narayani River.
Water sports
Trisuli is Nepal’s most popular rafting river with impressive gorges, exciting rapids, some easier sections and easy accessibility from Kathmandu and PokharaPokhara
Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City is the second largest city of Nepal. Pokhara is city of close to 350,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 28.25°N, 83.99°E, which is the centre of the country from east to west or from north to south, 198 km west of Kathmandu or 90 km west of Mugling, and...
.
Easy access to the Prithivi Highway
Prithivi Highway
The Prithvi Highway is a long highway connecting Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and Pokhara, a tourist city in the western part of Nepal.-History:...
makes “breaking off” the journey easy. Royal Chitwan National Park
Royal Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the first national park in Nepal. Formerly called Royal Chitwan National Park it was established in 1973 and granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of and is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in the...
is also easily accessible.
See also - pictures of Rafting in the Trishuli.