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Ghaggar River

The Ghaggar is a seasonal river in India, flowing when water is available from monsoon rains. It originates in the Shivalik mountain range of Himachal Pradesh and flows through Haryana and Punjab to Rajasthan, where it disappears into the Thar Desert. The Saraswati flows into the Ghaggar, in Haryana.

Until about 2000 BC - 1500 BC, the river was much larger, taking water from other nearby rivers that now flow into the Indus River. The dried-out channel of the river continues into Pakistan where it is known as the Hakra River.

Many settlements of the Indus Valley Civilisation have been found along the Ghaggar and Hakra rivers. The rivers are often identified by Hindu Nationalists as the Vedic Saraswati River. However, most secular archeologists - and most archeologists of non-Indian origin - reject the identification of the Ghaggar with the Saraswati. The location, and even the historicity and existence of the Saraswati is disputed.

Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13