The everlasting rivers

by Sripathy Jayamaha

'Little drops of water make the mighty ocean,' says the poet. Rivers are the ones that carry these drops of water fed by many a tributary which finally ends up in the oceans. Here we remember with reverence the Neranjana Ganga over which Prince Siddhartha sped on a white steed; and the River Jordan where Jesus Christ was baptised by his cousin John the Baptist before it emptied itself into the Dead Sea or Lake Ashphalbite.

The longest river in our country is the Mahaweli. Other long rivers are the Kelani, Kalu, Walawe, Nilwala and also Deduru and Maha Oyas. The waters of Menik ganga refresh many a devotee at Kataragama. All these major rivers begin their journey as little drops of water from a range of mountains where the holy mountain is situated.

The Kelani river winds past many cities and bridges and has the honour to glide past a very revered temple, the Rajamaha Vihara at Kelaniya.

Power

It also meanders past many churches and empties itself into the mighty Indian Ocean overlooking the skyline of the City of Colombo. The river brings back memories. The sand collecting paada boats of the sivupada 'Kelani ganga oru yanawa bala vareng' - and the 10 Academy Award winning film 'Bridge on the River Kwai', that was shot on location at Kitulgala with the Kelani acting as the ill-fated 'Kwai.'

The Mahaweli has been dammed and was the first river to give us water for irrigation and power. She too prides herself in flowing close to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. She flows into the ocean at Trincomalee after passing under the historic Manampitiya bridge. The curvaceous Kalu Ganga graces past the city of gems, Ratnapura and empties as a delta at Kalutara. The left wing is by a lovely dagoba and bo tree venerated by all motorists who drive down south.

The other wing is by a sandy playground and bathing spot - the Kalido. We cannot forget the four bridges across the delta for the railway and motorists. Can we speak of rivers without our always "crying" gatakimbula residing in our Nilvala ganga? The Gangas, Yamuna, the Indus, Brahmaputhra are massive rivers that originate from the snow clad Himalayan range of mountains, from the hair of Shiva.

All cradles of civilisations. River valley civilisations. Millions bathe in these rivers to cleanse themselves from the ravages of sin Jwang Ho, Yangtse Yang and the Pearl rivers in China make China to feed her people and those around her. They have also been cradles of civilisation.

Another river steeped in civilisation, the Nile, begins from Lake Victoria's Ugandan border and falls into the sea in Egypt. Itts the longest river in the world, where Moses was found in the bushes according to the Holy Bible. The river passes ancient history - the pyramids, sphinxes and now provide sustenance to the Egyptians by way of the Aswan Dam. The Tigris and the Euphrates in Euro Asia were responsible for some stupendous civilisations. Each civilisation had its beginning in a river valley.

The Missouri Mississipi is the longest in North America. The proud St. Lawrence river plunges as the Niagara falls dividing herself into the Canadian and American falls. The Amazon is the widest which makes the sea to be murky and muddy for nearly 60 kilometres near its estuary.

The Beautiful Blue Danube gave us Strauss's immortal Blue Danube. River Zambesi plunges as the thundering cloud or the mile long Victoria falls in Zimbawe. River Kereb looks up in awe at her creator - the highest water fall in the world Venezuela's Angel Falls.

Spiritual

Our thoughts go back to the spiritual leaders when we picture the Niger river that fall into the Atlantic Ocean, broken into many tributaries. Gay Paree will lose its lustre without the serene Seine. The Thames flows by the mother of Parliaments and the Big Ben and also under London Tower Bridge into the pool of London. It is another river with a history. A famous battle was fought at the estuary of the River Plate in Uruguay. A battle between three destroyers and a German pocket battleship 'The Grof Spree.'Rivers have given man, animals and plants, water and also food. Our very existence depends on these winding paths of water.

They can recite Alfred Lord Tennyson's verse: 'For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever. Should we be spared of man's desecration of nature.' Man, who will one day have to paddle his own canoe in the 'River of No Return .'