Bagmati River

Bagmati River is considered as a sacred river by the Hindus. The river is seasonal fed with rainfall and springs. Originating from the Shivpuri range of hills in Nepal, the river is the bases of Nepalese way of life. It has mention in its sacred text. After crossing the lower Sivalik Hills, Bagmati River flows into North Bihar, India into Dheng. Dheng is located on the banks of the Bagmati River 2.5 km westwards from Sitamarhi district. It further flows across other Bihar districts Sheohar and Muzaffarpur before being joined by its tributary Lakhandei River close to its convergence point with Koshi. The Bagmati River flows at the length of 589 km from its origination in Nepal. It flows across Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal traversing195 Km and the remaining 394 in Bihar.

The Bagmati River’s free flow has suffered due to excessive disposal of effluents both in Nepal and India, turning this once sacred river into a polluted one. The river is fed mainly through rainfall; however, poor managementhas resulted in floods and destruction.

Course

The Bagmati River originates 15 km north east of Kathmandu, Nepal above the edge of the Shivapuri Hills where three headwaters converge at Baghdwar. From then on the flow is southwest bound nearly 10 km meandering through Kathmandu Valley’s terraced paddy fields. The flow is disturbed around the famous Pashupatinath Temple. Bagmati turns south where it is joined by the westerly Monahara River. Bagmati flows west post the merger. It enters Kathmandu city alongwith more minor tributaries passing south along the Nagarjun Hill and Forest Reserve, Durbar Square and Swayambhu Stupa. As it passes through the urban areas it becomes polluted. Once it reaches the Kathmand Valley edge, it enters into the Chobar Gorge near the Dakshinu Valley around the Kali Temple Complex. Cutting across the Lesser Himalaya range, and flowing through the lower Sivalik Hills, the Bagmati River enters India. It travels through Sitamarhi, Sheohar and Muzaffarpur where it is joined by the Lakhandei River just above its convergence with Koshi.

Tributary

Lakhandei River

The Lakhandei River is the main tributary of the Bagmati River. The river originates in the Sivalik Hills, in the Nepalese district Sarlahi. It flows into Sitamarhi, Bihar and then on to Muzaffarpur district In Katra it joins the Bagmati River. This tributary is known to cause extreme floods in Bihar.

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