Kaushya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Kaushya (कौश्या) or Kangsabati River rises from the Chota Nagpur plateau in the state of West Bengal, India and passes through the districts of Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal before draining in the Bay of Bengal.

Variants

• Kaushya (कौश्या) दे. Kaushiki (कौशिकी) (AS, p.246)
• Kangsabati River
• Kasai
• Cossye

Course

After rising at Murguma near Jhalda in the Chota Nagpur plateau in Purulia district, it passes by Purulia, Khatra and Ranibandh in Bankura district, and then enters Paschim Medinipur in the Binpur area. It is joined by Bhairabbanki. At Keshpur the river splits into two. The northern branch flows through the Daspur area as Palarpai and joins the Rupnarayan River. The other branch flows in a south-easterly direction and on joining the Kaliaghai River forms the Haldi River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal at Haldia.

Kangshabati is created from the confluence of two smaller river streams namely Saharjhor and Girgiri and takes the name of Kangshabati near Tigra village of C. D. Block Jhalda II in district Puruliya.

Purulia, Mukutmanipur, Raipur, Binpur, Midnapore, and Kharagpur are towns on or near the banks of this river.

कौश्या

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...1. कौशिकी: बंगाल की कौश्या, जो मिदनापुर तालुके में बहती हुई समुद्र में गिरती है. 'ततः पुण्ड्राधिपंवीरं वासुदेवं महाबलम्, कौशिकीकच्छनिलयं राजानं च महौजसम' (II.27.20) महाभारत विराट 30,22. इसी नदी के किनारे ताम्रलिप्ति नगरी बसी हुई थी. कालिदास ने रघुवंश 4,38 में शायद कौशिकी को ही 'कपिशा' कहा है. इसी कौशिकी का श्रीमद् भागवत 5,19,18 में भी उल्लेख है-- 'ऋषिकुल्या त्रिमासा कौशिकी मंदाकिनी यमुना....'