Yamuna River - Definition and Overview

The river Yamuna is a major river of northern India, with a total length of around 1370 km. It is the largest tributary of river Ganga or Ganges. Its source is Yamunotri, in the Himalayas of Uttaranchal. It flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before meeting the Ganges at Allahabad. The cities of Delhi, Mathura and Agra are on the banks of the river. Major tributaries of this river are Tons, Chambal, Betwa, Sindh and Ken, Tons being the largest.

According to legend the goddess of the river is the sister of the Hindu god of death, Yama and daughter of mighty god Surya, the Sun god. The river Yamuna is intimately connected to Lord Krishna's pastimes. The Lord Krishna sanctified the river Yamuna from the beginning of his transcendental pastimes in the world.

A little known fact about the Yamuna is that it is the frontier of the Indian elephant. West of the Yamuna, there are no elephants to be found over 900 [kilometre|km]] of the western Himalayas and their foothills. The forests of the lower Yamuna offer ideal corridors for elephant movement and the principal forests to be found here are of Sal, Khair Sissoo trees and the Shivalik chir- pine forests. Yamuna Action Plan (http://yap.nic.in/yamuna.asp)