Great poets have sung songs in the praise of mountains and rivers of India. They are the country’s valuable natural resources. Her big rivers and gigantic mountains are a source of great pride and joy for every Indian.
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If we look at the map of the country, we find a long range of mountains in the North. They are Himalayas. They remain covered with snow throughout the year. They have some of the highest peaks of the world. In central India also we find big mountains. They are the Vindhayachal and the Satpura range. They separate Southern and Northern India. Besides these, Aravali and Nilgiri Hills are also famous.
Mountains are very useful from various points of view. First, the high Himalayas are called, “The Sentry of India” . They are so high that no enemy could invade India by crossing them. So they are like a natural wall which separates Indian from Tibet, Sherpa Tensing, and Indian citizen was the first person to conquer the highest mountain peak of the world Mount Everest. He made history and so did Bichendri Pal, the first women to conquer the peak. We are proud of them.
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Secondly our mountains are very good agents of controlling the climate. The north-Western cold winds are checked by them from entering our country. The monsoon winds are checked by them from going straight to Central Asia. In fact, it is due to them that we get rainfall in Northern and Southern India.
Thirdly, many valuable plants grow on them. Some of them are of great medicinal value. We get good quality tea from Darjeeling and Nilgiri. Beside this, mountains are advantageous in many other ways also. Great saints and sadhus go there in search of peace. They provide a beautiful and calm natural environment in which one can elevate himself spiritually. When the snow melts on the high mountains, it flows in big streams. They come down flowing in the fields in the form of rivers. Further, mountains and their forest are the abode of large number of wild animals. So our country has world famous mountains which are very beneficial for us.
In our own country, there are two kinds of rivers. First, there are rivers which remain full of water throughout the year. Such rivers are found in Northern India. They get their water supply from the snow of the mountains. Secondly, there are rivers, which dry up in summer season. Such rivers are found in Southern India.
Some of our rivers are world famous. In the North we have the Ganges the Yamuna, the Brapmputra and their numerous tributaries. The Ganges is regarded as sacred by the Hindus. They call it “Ganga Mata”. In the south Krishna, Kaveri, Narbada and Godavari, are very famous. Many of our big cities are situated on the banks of these rivers. They are important places of pilgrimage, for example, Allahabad, Hardwar and Varanasi.
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We are rightly proud of our rivers. Some of them have made world famous fertile lands. They have been depositing good alluvial sand year after year. In this way, the Ganges-Yamuna plain has been formed by Ganges and Yamuna River.
The rivers helps us to irrigate our fields. Canals have been dug out of the rivers and they supply water to the farmers. Thus, progress and success of our agriculture is closely linked up with the rivers.
In ancient times rivers were a good source of transport. In modern times also they are used for transport. Large wood logs are carried by them from the mountains to the plains with the flow of water. Boats and steamers also help in carrying passengers and goods, through the rivers.
Now-a-days multipurpose projects are bring constructed on them. They help in generating power. They help in the breeding of fish. Rivers are also a good source of picnics and enjoyments. Rivers and mountains are real wealth of the country. Thanks to them, we are sure to make great progress in the near future. These natural resources should be exploited fully and properly so that our country many prosper.