Beneath the colorful facade of India’s landscape, where the mighty rivers of Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari flow in the sunshine, lies another world which was once lost, buried, and unknown by most. These are India’s underground, or subterranean, rivers ancient water systems that cut their way through rock and soil, feed ecosystems, and contain stories older than the subcontinent itself. Conversations usually revolve around surface river systems, but underground rivers have their own magic, their own voice, and their own intimacy with India’s geological past and spiritual heritage.
In Meghalaya scientists found an underground river in the maze of Krem Liat Prah Cave, which is the longest cave system in India. In this dark, echoing world, the running water’s sound is heard like the heartbeat of the Earth. Local Khasi tribes have always believed the underground rivers to be sacred, something that flowed like veins through the hills and was providing life above and below. In the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, locals also have stories of an underground river located beneath Kanger Valley National Park… It has been part of folklore for some time, but geological studies have now provided researchers with evidence for the potential river channel that flows underground beneath the limestone caves.
Traveling further south, in Tamil Nadu is yet another wonder, the Thamirabarani River, its underground tributaries have only recently been of interest to archaeologists and hydrologists. These buried water systems are as old as 3,200 years and are connected to ancient temple tanks and sacred ponds; and reveal the ingenuity of the ancient Indian hydrological engineering. Many believe that they were intentionally created by ancients to develop a constant supply of water for their communities, especially in times of drought! The blend of faith and science is astounding! Temple builders of ancient India likely used the natural underground flows to sustain their communities well before the idea of modern hydrology was established.
Even in northern India, under the dry plains of Rajasthan and the parched lands of Gujarat, scientists have discovered evidence of an old Saraswati River system that once roamed grandly through the Thar Desert. The pathways of groundwater in satellite images and carbon dating have followed the same routes as the mythical river described in the Rigveda. These discoveries not only support ancient Indian texts but also demonstrate that rivers can live underground in the cycle of history, and they can live underground in the cycle of hope.
It is quite interesting to note that most Indian urban areas and villages are built unknowingly over aquifers and underground watercourses. A good example is the water sources of Varanasi and Prayagraj, which are fed by unseen water of the Ganges, that goes through the soil and keeps the water supply of the city even when the surface water is low. Another example is in Maharashtra where underground streams of the Godavari have been seen due to the intermittent springs that appear and disappear with the rains. The rivers running underground have nourished the agriculture, made the pilgrimage and even supported the living of whole communities for ages all this time without most people getting to know what is going on underground. Besides, the underground rivers of India are not just a wonder of nature but also hold a great deal of ecological and cultural importance.
The concealed waterways serve as a refuge for the most peculiar inhabitants of the caves like the blind fish, small crustaceans, and rare bacteria; the only place for these microorganisms on our planet’s surface. For the humans residing at the surface, such underground rivers are of not only practical use as their water source but also a signal that the planet has a plethora of life and secrets lying beneath the surface that are not visible. It is a regular practice among people to label rivers that disappear underground and after a while, come back up miles away as mythical, which means rebirth, nourishment, and the never-ending cycle of the Earth.
The threat of water shortage in contemporary India is becoming more and more serious, and hence, it is very necessary to re-discover and keep the underground rivers in good condition. Because they are the ones that assure us there is a living river under every dry area or deserted cave that is just waiting for recognition. If we managed to hear the earth below our feet, we would be able not only to get water but also to acquire some balanced wisdom between nature and civilization, which was once very well known.