Rivers due to their life-giving quality have always been treated as godlike in subcontinent. Today, the silver line of Ravi lying outside the boundary of Lahore looks like an outcast god, deprived of his healing powers but the people still come here every day to pay their homage to the sacred river.
They throw coins, pieces of meat and other things as sadaqah. You can see old women praying quietly by its muddy banks. They believe that Khizer Hayat is the guardian of waters and he watches over this river, just like he watches over water everywhere. Putting aside the beliefs of people, the fact is, it is more of a god of death now. Rivers due to their life-giving quality have always been treated as godlike in subcontinent. Today, the silver line of Ravi lying outside the boundary of Lahore looks like an outcast god, deprived of his healing powers but the people still come here every day to pay their homage to the sacred river. They throw coins, pieces of meat and other things as sadaqah. You can see old women praying quietly by its muddy banks. They believe that Khizer Hayat is the guardian of waters and he watches over this river, just like he watches over water everywhere. Putting aside the beliefs of people, the fact is, it is more of a god of death now.
The Ravi River flows in India and Pakistan and is among the five rivers, which give Punjab its name. It arises in Bara Banghal, a branch of the Dhauladhar range of Himalayas in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It starts in the northwestern direction and then turns to the southwest near Dalhousie, and after cutting a ravine in the Dhaola Dhar it enters Madhopur in Punjab.
In Sanskrit literature the town was Iravati. On the right bank of the river there is the beautiful town of Chamba and on its western bank there is the famous tomb of Jahangir. Finally the Ravi River flows into Pakistan border and along it before entering Pakistani Punjab. It flows past Lahore, Pakistan and turns west near Kamalia, emptying into the Chenab River after a course of about 725km.
Mallahs still have their huts down the bank of Ravi where they wait all day along for some passenger to come. It is their jaddi pushtee profession but they are not eager anymore for their children to learn it. This river of endless romance seems to be dying a slow death. May be a day will come when there will be no one to tell tales of its glory!
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Source: (wateen.net)