Lohit River

The Lohit River, which name came from the Assamese word Lohit meaning blood, also known as the Zayul Chu by the Tibetans and Tellu by the Mishmis,[3] is a river in China and India, which joins the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam. It is formed in the Zayul County of the Tibet Autonomous Region, through a merger of two rivers: the Kangri Karpo Chu (also called Rongto Chu and Zayul Ngu Chu), which originates in the Kangri Karpo range, and Zayul Chu (Chinese: 察隅河; pinyin: Cháyú Hé), which originates to its northeast. The two rivers merge below the town of Rima.[4] The combined river descends through this mountainous region and surges through Arunachal Pradesh in India for 200 kilometres (120 mi) before entering the plains of Assam where it is known as the Lohit River. Tempestuous and turbulent, and known as the river of blood partly attributable to the lateritic soil, it flows through the Mishmi Hills, to meet the Siang (Brahmaputra) at the head of the Brahmaputra valley.

Lohit River
Zayü River
Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh
Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh
Lohit River basin
Mouth of Lohit River
Mouth of Lohit River
Mouth of Lohit River
Mouth of Lohit River
Mouth of Lohit River
Lohit River (India)
Mouth of Lohit River
Mouth of Lohit River
Lohit River (Asia)
Location
CountryChina, India
ProvinceTibet, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
Physical characteristics
SourceKangri Karpo
  locationTibet, Zayu County, China
  coordinates29.1629°N 97.0837°E / 29.1629; 97.0837
  elevation5,200 m (17,100 ft)
2nd sourceKangri Karpo
  locationTibet, Zayu County, China
  coordinates29.463°N 97.1366°E / 29.463; 97.1366
MouthSiang (Brahmaputra)
  location
Assam
  coordinates
27°48′N 95°28′E
  elevation
108 m (354 ft)
Length560 km (350 mi)
Basin size41,499 km2 (16,023 sq mi)[1]
Discharge 
  locationConfluence of Brahmaputra River, Assam, India
  average3,437.9 m3/s (121,410 cu ft/s)[1]
Discharge 
  locationDemwe Lower hydroelectric plant (basin size: 20,174 km2 (7,789 sq mi)), Arunachal Pradesh, India
  average(Period: 1984/85-2003/04)1,234 m3/s (43,600 cu ft/s)[2]
  minimum263 m3/s (9,300 cu ft/s)[2]
  maximum4,273 m3/s (150,900 cu ft/s)[2]
Basin features
River systemBrahmaputra River
Tributaries 
  leftZuao, Gholum, Lati, Noa Dihang
  rightDav, Delai, Tiding, Dibang

Course

Lohit river at Kahoo, soon after entering Arunachal Pradesh
The Lohit River entering the Brahmaputra Valley plains at Parshuram Kund
Lohit river at the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge in the Brahmaputra Valley

Thickly forested for the most part, alpine vegetation gives way to subtropical forests, and then to some of the densest tropical jungles in all of India. Rhododendrons bloom in many hues in the upper reaches, orchids reveal themselves in the lower groves. This is indeed a treasure house of medicinal plant and herbs, and the home of Mishmi teeta, the coptis plant, prized the world over for its medicinal properties.

The Mishmis hold sway in the hills. In the plains are the Khamptis and the Singphos, fervent Buddhists and migrants from across the Patkai hills from Burma. As the Lohit journeys through, Tibetan theology gives way to animist belief, in turn replaced by Theravada Buddhism and then by Hindu temples. This region experiences a mix of many cultures near the tripoint between Tibet, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

The Lohit river comes into India from China and flows near India's easternmost inhabited tip, at a place called Kibithu. The Indian Army uses this river for various expeditions and training.

The Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, also referred to as the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, is a beam bridge and longest in India, connecting the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge spans the Lohit River, from the village of Dhola in the south to Sadiya to the north.

River rafting

There have been very few raft expeditions on the Lohit River. It is a medium volume continuous Class 4+/5 river in its upper alpine reaches and becomes pool drop towards the latter end of the trip. Rafting was first started in February 1994 by the Indian Army and the first successful kayak descent of the river in December 2003.

Parshuram Kund, a Hindu pilgrimage is situated on the lower reaches of Lohit. Over 70,000 devotees and sadhus take holy dip its water each year on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, in the month of January.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. "Upper Brahmaputra".
  2. "Lohit River Basin Study". 2009.
  3. Williamson, Noël (1909). "The Lohit-Brahmaputra between Assam and South-Eastern Tibet, November, 1907, to January, 1908". The Geographical Journal. 34: 363–383. doi:10.2307/1777190. JSTOR 1777190. Tibetans call it the Zayul Chu, and the Mishmi name is Tellu
  4. Kingdon Ward, F.; Smith, Malcolm (November 1934), "The Himalaya East of the Tsangpo", The Geographical Journal, 84 (5): 369–394, doi:10.2307/1786924, JSTOR 1786924
  5. PTI (18 January 2013). "70,000 devotees take holy dip in Parshuram Kund". The Indian Express. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  6. PTI (19 December 2012). "Arunachal Pradesh planning to promote tourism at Parsuram Kund". Daily News & Analysis. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
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