The Jhelum River: A Himalayan waterway with a legacy of gods and ancient battles

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Flowing from the snow-capped Himalayas, the Jhelum River has been known by many names across millennia. From the Sanskrit Vitasta to the Greek Hydaspes, this vital artery of the Punjab region has witnessed the rise of empires, the movements of ancient armies, and the construction of modern engineering marvels.

Originating at the Verinag spring in the Pir Panjal range, the Jhelum serves as a lifeline for the Kashmir Valley. Its name carries deep cultural weight; while some suggest it derives from the words for pure water and snow, Hindu tradition links it to the goddess Parvati. According to the Nilamata Purana, the god Shiva struck the earth with his spear to create a channel measuring one vitasti, allowing the river to emerge from the netherworld to purify the land.

To the ancient Greeks, the river was the Hydaspes, a titan-descended deity. It gained historical prominence in 326 BCE when Alexander the Great crossed its waters to defeat King Porus. In the aftermath, Alexander established two cities: Nikaia, marking the battlefield, and Bucephala, named in honor of his deceased horse. Local lore in the Mandi Bahauddin district suggests that the town of Phalia is a linguistic distortion of that ancient city, and some residents believe the horse is buried in nearby Jalalpur Sharif.

The river's path is marked by significant geological and human intervention. Stretching about 725 kilometres, it flows through Srinagar and Wular Lake before carving through a deep gorge into Pakistan. Modern infrastructure, such as the massive Mangla Dam completed in 1967 and various hydroelectric projects, underscores its role in regional power generation. Today, the river's waters are allocated under the Indus Waters Treaty, though ongoing projects in both India and Pakistan continue to shape its flow and strategic importance.

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