View source for Vrishabhavathi River

{{Short description|River in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox river
| name                             = Vrishabhavathi River
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| subdivision_type1                = Country
| subdivision_name1                = India
| subdivision_type2                = State
| subdivision_name2                = [[Karnataka]]
| subdivision_type3                = District
| subdivision_name3                = [[Bengaluru Urban, Ramanagara]]
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| length                           = {{convert|52|km|mi|abbr=on}}approx.
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| source1                          = [[Dodda Basavana Gudi|Big Bull Temple]]
| source1_location                 = [[Basavanagudi, Bangalore]], India
| source1_coordinates              = {{Coord|12|56|34|N|77|34|5|E|type:river_region:IN|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation                = {{convert|933|m|abbr=on}}
| source2                          = [[Kadu Malleshwara Temple]]
| source2_location                 = [[Malleshwaram, Bangalore]]
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| mouth                            = [[Arkavati|Arkavati River]]
| mouth_location                   = Doddamudavadi, [[Ramanagara]], India
| mouth_coordinates                = {{coord|12.59877|77.40477|format=dms|type:river_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation                  = {{convert|638|m|abbr=on}}
| progression                      = 
| river_system                     = 
| basin_size                       = {{convert|360.62|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left                 = 
| tributaries_right                = Paschimavahini
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The '''Vrishabhavathi River''' is a minor river, a tributary of the [[Arkavathy]], that flows through the south of the Indian city of [[Bangalore]].<ref name="woesflow">{{cite news |last=S |first=Kushala |date=2005-03-21 |title=Woes flow along Vrishabhavathi basin |work=The Times of India |location=Bangalore |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/woes-flow-along-vrishabhavathi-basin/articleshow/1057432.cms |access-date=30 April 2012}}</ref> The river was once so pristine that the water from it was used for drinking and used by the famous Gali Anjaneya temple but is now highly polluted due to pollutants from industrial, agricultural and domestic sources.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bharadwaj |first=Arun |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtxxDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT394 |title=Seen & Unseen Bangalore |date=20 June 2016 |publisher=[[Notion Press]] |isbn=9789386073181 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vtxxDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT394 394–]}} {{Self-published inline|date=November 2022|certain=y}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Vrishabhavathi is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Vrishabha'' which refers to a bull. The river is believed to originate at the feet of the monolithic Nandi statue at the [[Dodda Basavana Gudi|Big Bull Temple]] in [[Basavanagudi]], hence giving it the name ''Vrishabhavathi''.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=Ramachandra |first=T. V. |title=Rejuvenation Blueprint for Lakes in Vrishabhavathi Valley |date=September 2017 |url=https://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/water/paper/ETR122/vrishabhavathi.html |series=ENVIS Technical Report 122 |publisher=Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore |last2=S |first2=Vinay |last3=K S |first3=Asulabha |last4=V |first4=Sincy |last5=Bhat |first5=Sudarshan |last6=Mahapatra |first6=Durga M. |last7=Aithal |first7=Bharath H.}}</ref>

==Course==
[[File:Basavanagudi Boulder Inscription Colour English.jpg|thumb|right|Inscription dated to the 16th century mentioning that the river originates at the feet of Basaveshwara at the Big Bull Temple]]
The river is a confluence of 2 streams. The longer stream originates near [[Kadu Malleshwara Temple|the Kadu Malleshwara Temple]] in [[Malleswaram]]. A smaller stream of the river originates The origin of the smaller stream is near the [[Dodda Basavana Gudi|Dodda Ganesha and the Dodda Basava Temple]] near [[Bugle Rock]] in [[Basavanagudi]], and joins the longer stream near Mysore Road.<ref name="riverhealth">{{cite news |last1=Gowda |first1=Varsha |date=17 April 2020 |title=Lockdown and a river's health |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/spectrum/lockdown-and-a-rivers-health-826651.html |access-date=17 April 2020 |work=Deccan Herald}}</ref>  

The river has a basin area of {{cvt|383|km2}} and passes through 96 out of the [[List of wards in Bangalore|198 wards in Bangalore]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mandyam |first1=Nithya |date=15 April 2020 |title=Frothing reduces, Vrishabhavathi water crystal clear after decades |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-frothing-reduces-vrishabhavathi-water-crystal-clear-after-decades/articleshow/75150777.cms |access-date=17 April 2020 |work=The Times of India}}</ref>including major neighbourhoods like [[Basavanagudi]], [[Girinagar]], [[Hosakerehalli]], [[Nayandahalli]], [[Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore|Rajarajeshwari Nagar]] and [[Kengeri]] carrying out sewage and stormwater. It can be seen near the [[Sampige Road metro station|Mantri Mall]] Malleswaram, [[Magadi Road metro station|Magadi Road]] and [[Mysore Road metro station|Mysore Road]] metro stations. There is a reservoir named after itself '''Vrishabhavathi Reservoir''' near [[Bidadi]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Kaggere |first=Niranjan |date=5 May 2015 |title=Even STP can't clean up Vrishabhavathy |work=Bangalore Mirror |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/Even-STP-cant-clean-up-Vrishabhavathy/articleshow/47152139.cms |via=}}</ref> It joins [[Arkavathy River]] near [[Kanakapura]] as a tributary. 

== Religious significance ==
There are several temples throughout the course of the river. Some of the well-known temples along the banks on the Vrishabhavathi are [[Dodda Basavana Gudi|Dodda Ganesha and the Dodda Basava Temple]], Gali Hanumantha Temple, [[Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple]] and the [[Kadu Malleshwara Temple]]. The Gali Hanumantha Temple is over 600 years old, constructed in 1425 by Sri [[Vyasaraya]] of Channapattana who was a Rajaguru of [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. The temple was constructed on the confluence of two rivers – Vrishabhavathi and Paschimavahini. The Ishwara Temple at Kengeri dates back to 1050 AD.<ref name=":1" />

== Pollution and current concerns ==
The river is highly polluted due to pollutants from industrial, agricultural and domestic sources.<ref name="woesflow" /><ref name="sullagekillingvillage">{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Rupesh |date=2005-03-21 |title=City sullage killing many a village |publisher=Deccan Herald |location=Ramanagara |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/59308/city-sullage-killing-many-village.html |access-date=30 April 2012}}</ref> It is said to be dark, smelly and frothy due to "untreated or badly treated domestic sewage that goes into the river."<ref name=riverhealth/>

In 2005, the then [[Chief Minister of Karnataka]], [[Dharam Singh]] proposed to remodel the [[river valley]] to include widening of the river, and adopt measures to prevent  inundation.<ref name="remodelling">{{cite news |date=2005-05-27 |title=Experts suggest Vrishabhavathi Valley remodelling |work=The Hindu |location=Bangalore |url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/27/stories/2005052718340300.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=30 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029152111/http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/27/stories/2005052718340300.htm |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Hydrology of Karnataka|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Rivers of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Geography of Bengaluru]]


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{{India-river-stub}}