Jhelum River

The Jhelum is a big river.

It starts at a spring in India. Then it flows through Pakistan.

Many smaller rivers join it. This makes the water move along. It flows into the Chenab River.

Long ago, people gave it many names. Some called it Vitasta. Greeks called it Hydaspes.

People use the water for power. They build dams to make energy.

The river is very important. It travels through many lands.

The Jhelum is a major river in South Asia. It flows through India and Pakistan. The river starts at Verinag spring in India.

From there, it moves through the Kashmir Valley. It flows into Pakistan through a narrow gorge. Many smaller rivers join the Jhelum along its path. These include the Neelum and the Kunhar rivers.

Eventually, the Jhelum flows into the Chenab River.

This river has many old names. In the past, people called it Vitasta. Ancient Greeks called it the Hydaspes. They even thought the river was a god.

Some Hindu stories say a goddess became the river.

People use the river to make power. They build large dams to catch the water. The Mangla Dam is one of the largest in the world. These dams help make electricity for people to use. The river is very important for the lands it touches. It helps many cities and villages stay busy.

The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia. It flows through India and Pakistan. It is the westernmost of the five big rivers in the Punjab region. The river starts at the Verinag spring in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

From there, it flows into Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. Finally, it moves through the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Jhelum is a tributary, which means it flows into a larger river. It eventually joins the Chenab River. Many important cities and villages in the Kashmir Valley sit on its banks.

This river has many different names from long ago. In Sanskrit, it was called Vitasta. Some people in Kashmir call it Vyath. In Punjabi and Saraiki, it is known as Vehat. The ancient Greeks called it the Hydaspes.

Some Greek stories even said the river was a god. They thought it was a son of a sea-god and a cloud-goddess. Hindu legends also tell a story about the river. They say the goddess Parvati took the form of a river to purify the land.

History shows that famous leaders once met at this river. In 326 BCE, Alexander the Great and his army crossed the Jhelum. They fought a battle against the Indian King Porus.

After the battle, Alexander built two cities. One was named Nikaia. The other was named Bucephala to honor his horse, Bucephalus. Some people believe the horse is buried near the town of Jalalpur Sharif. Others think the town of Phalia might be named after the horse too.

Many smaller rivers join the Jhelum as it travels. The Kishanganga River is its largest tributary. It joins the Jhelum at Domel. The Kunhar River and the Poonch River also flow into it. The river moves through many different landscapes. It flows through the Srinagar area and Wular Lake. It even passes through a deep, narrow gorge to enter Pakistan. This path helps carry water across many different lands.

People use the water from the Jhelum to make electricity. This is called hydropower. There are many dams and power projects along the river. The Mangla Dam in Pakistan was completed in 1967. It is one of the largest earth-fill dams in the whole world. In India, there are projects like the Uri-I power project. The water is also shared between India and Pakistan. This happens because of a special agreement called the Indus Waters Treaty. The river is a vital part of life for everyone nearby.

The Jhelum River is a major waterway in South Asia. It is the westernmost of the five large rivers in the Punjab region. The river flows through two different countries: India and Pakistan. It begins in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir. From there, it moves into Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. Finally, it travels through the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Jhelum is a tributary, which means it flows into a larger river. It eventually reaches a confluence, or meeting point, with the Chenab River at Trimmu in the Jhang District.

The river has several different names depending on the language and history. In Sanskrit, the river is called Vitasta. This name comes from an ancient legend. In the Kashmiri language, the river is known as Vyath. In Punjabi and Saraiki, it is called Vehat. The ancient Greeks called the river the Hydaspes. This was the name used by the armies of Alexander the Great. These different names show how many different cultures have lived near the river over thousands of years.

Many legends explain how the Jhelum began. Hindu theology tells a story involving the goddess Parvati. The sage Kashyapa asked her to come to Kashmir to purify the land. Parvati took the form of a river in the netherworld. Her husband, Shiva, struck the ground near the Verinag spring with his spear. This strike created a ditch called a vitasti. A vitasti is a measure of length about 9 inches long. The river emerged through this ditch, which is why it was named Vitasta.

The river also has a famous military history. In 326 BCE, Alexander III of Macedon led his army across the Jhelum. This was the site of the Battle of the Hydaspes. Alexander fought against the Indian King Porus during this conflict. After the battle, Alexander founded two cities. He built Nikaia on the site of the battle. He also built Bucephala where his army first crossed the river. He named this city after his horse, Bucephalus. Some people believe the horse is buried near Jalalpur Sharif. Others think the town of Phalia is a distorted name for Bucephala.

The Jhelum follows a specific path through many landscapes. It rises from the Verinag spring at the foot of the Pir Panjal mountains. As it flows, many tributaries, or smaller rivers, join it. The Lidder River joins near Mirgund. The Kishanganga River is the largest tributary and joins at Domel. The Kunhar and Poonch rivers also flow into the Jhelum. The river passes through Srinagar and Wular Lake. It then travels through a deep, narrow gorge. Eventually, it enters the Mangla Dam reservoir in the Mirpur District.

Humans use the Jhelum for hydropower, which is electricity made from moving water. There are many large structures built to control the water. In Pakistan, the Mangla Dam was completed in 1967. It is one of the largest earth-fill dams in the world. It can hold 7,788 million cubic meters of water. The Trimmu Barrage, completed in 1939, is another major structure. In India, there are several projects like the Uri-I Stage-I project. This project was completed in 1997 and produces 480 MW of power. The Kishanganga Hydroelectric Power Project was also completed in 2018.

The management of the river is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty. This is a legal agreement between India and Pakistan. It decides how much water each country can use. India is working on hydropower projects on a tributary of the Jhelum. This is part of a plan to establish first-use rights under the treaty. The river remains a vital system for the entire region. It supports many villages and important cities throughout the Kashmir Valley.