The river FALGU is respected by the Hindus for its sanctity and the portion of its course flowing by Gaya is held sacred by the Hindus. It is the first holy site visited by the pilgrims and here they makes their first offering for the soul of their ancestors.
According to the Gaya Mahatmya , the FALGU is the embodiment of That Lord Vishnu Himself. It is believed that Falgu was formerly flowed with milk while some other believed that Mother Sita offered Pind Daan on its bank of river Falgu to her father in low King Dasarath .
The Mohana , draining the northern slope of Hazaribagh Plateau ( Jharkhand ) , flows through a long and narrow gorge from below it's confluence with Garhi about three miles north - west from Itkhori. It is nearly six miles long with a fall of 100' feet at some distance within gorge. The falls of Mohana are just beyond the border of the district , but can easily be reached from Kahudag .
The first fall at Tamasin is situated at the head of a deep valley, where the river plunges abruptly down a high of steep face of black rock in to a shady pool below , and then dashes down a gloomy gorge of strongly contorted rock .
The lower falls at Hariakhal presents a scene of more placid beauty , as here the river , issuing through a picturesque glen glides down a sloping slide of red rock into a still large spur surrounded by wooden banks .
It is formed by the junction of the Nilajan and the Mohana , some two miles below Bodh - Gaya . They are the two large hill streams which take their rise in to the Hazaribagh Plateau . Both these rivers are very turbulent on their entering the plains of Gaya as they are subject to high floods.
The Mohana enters the district about 20 miles to the south - east from Gaya city . The Nilajan enters it about 11 miles south from Gaya . The two streams which are about 300 yards wide unite near Mankosi village , about 5 miles south of Gaya city, and then the United stream is known by the name of FALGU which flows on to the north , passes the city of Gaya .
The FALGU here impinges on a high rocky bank of the steep side of which are many Ghats leading down to the river bed , while above high water is the Vishnupad temple with many minor shrines and the houses of the GYAWALS .
It then runs in a north - easterly direction for about 17 miles ; and opposite the Barabar Hills it again divides into two branches -- One , the Falgu , flowing in a northerly direction while the other , the Mohana , in a north - easterly direction .
Both these branches enter the Patna district after flowing for a few miles and here again they are divided into numerous branches and their water is taken to several canals and pains for irrigation purposes .
The river Falgu is thus hardly able to reach the Poon poon , although one of its branches falls into the branch of the Poon poon called Dhorja in Patna district .
The Falgu like the confluent streams of the Mohana and Nilajan is subject to high floods because of the destruction of forests in its catchment area . During the rains the water level rises very high and almost touches the road and railway bridges at Gaya, but at the other seasons of the year it is nearly dry and dwindles to an insignificant stream wandering through a wide expanse of sand dotted here and there with stagnant pools .
Steps are being taken however by the State Government of Bihar to minimize the danger from its floods by constructing dams and weirs on the river . A great part of its water is diverted for the purpose of irrigation and is distributed among the fields by a series of irrigation channels , the most important of which is the Jamuawan Pains opposite the Barabar hills which has converted the whole area into rich paddy fields .
We continue to improve, Share your views what you think and what you like to read. Let us know which will help us to improve. Send us an email at support@gayajidham.com
Send me the Gayajidham newsletter. I agree to receive the newsletter from Gayajidham, and understand that I can easily unsubscribe at any time.