Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet (China), Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese,Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali and Jamuna River in Bengali. It is the 9th largest river in the world by discharge, and the 15th longest.
| Brahmaputra Dilao | |
|---|---|
Path of the Brahmaputra River | |
| Etymology | From Sanskrit ब्रह्मपुत्र (brahmaputra, "son of Brahma"), from ब्रह्मा (brahmā, "Brahma") + पुत्र (putra, "son"). |
| Location | |
| Countries | |
| Autonomous Region | Tibet |
| Cities | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Chemayungdung glacier, Manasarovar |
| • location | Himalayas |
| • coordinates | 30°19′N 82°08′E |
| • elevation | 5,210 m (17,090 ft) |
| Mouth | Ganges |
• location | Ganges Delta |
• coordinates | 25°13′24″N 89°41′41″E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 3,969 km (2,466 mi). |
| Basin size | 651,334 km2 (251,481 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Mouth of Ganges |
| • average | 19,824 m3/s (700,100 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 3,105 m3/s (109,700 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 100,000 m3/s (3,500,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Brahmaputra Delta (Brahmaputra/Meghna – Basin size: 712,035 km2 (274,918 sq mi) |
| • average | 25,000 m3/s (880,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Ganges |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Lhasa River, Nyang River, Parlung Zangbo, Lohit, Nao Dihing, Buri Dihing, Dangori, Disang, Dikhow, Jhanji, Dhansiri, Kolong River, Kopili, Bhorolu, Kulsi, Krishnai. |
| • right | Kameng/ Jia Bhoroli, Manas, Beki, Raidak, Jaldhaka, Teesta, Subansiri, Jia dhol, Simen, Pagladia, Sonkosh, Gadadhar. |
It originates in the Manasarovar Lake region, near Mount Kailash, on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of Tibet where it is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The Brahmaputra flows along southern Tibet to break through the Himalayas in great gorges (including the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon) and into Arunachal Pradesh. It enters India near the village of Gelling in Arunachal Pradesh and flows southwest through the Assam Valley as the Brahmaputra and south through Bangladesh as the Jamuna (not to be confused with the Yamuna of India). In the vast Ganges Delta, it merges with the Ganges, popularly known as the Padma in Bangladesh, and becomes the Meghna and ultimately empties into the Bay of Bengal.
At 3,969 km (2,466 mi) long, the Brahmaputra is an important river for irrigation and transportation in the region. The average depth of the river is 30 m (100 ft) and its maximum depth is 135 m (440 ft) (at Sadiya). The river is prone to catastrophic flooding in the spring when the Himalayan snow melts. The average discharge of the Brahmaputra is about 19,800 m3/s (700,000 cu ft/s), and floods reach about 100,000 m3/s (3,500,000 cu ft/s). It is a classic example of a braided river and is highly susceptible to channel migration and avulsion. It is also one of the few rivers in the world that exhibits a tidal bore. It is navigable for most of its length.
The Brahmaputra drains the Himalayas east of the Indo-Nepal border, south-central portion of the Tibetan plateau above the Ganga basin, south-eastern portion of Tibet, the Patkai hills, the northern slopes of the Meghalaya hills, the Assam plains, and northern Bangladesh. The basin, especially south of Tibet, is characterized by high levels of rainfall. Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) is the only peak above 8,000 m and hence is the highest point within the Brahmaputra basin.
The Brahmaputra's upper course was long unknown, and its identity with the Yarlung Tsangpo was only established by exploration in 1884–86. The river is often called the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river.
The lower reaches are sacred to Hindus. While most rivers on the Indian subcontinent have female names, this river has a rare male name. Brahmaputra means "son of Brahma" in Sanskrit.