Mandovi

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Mandovi-River

Mandovi River (मांडवी नदी) is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. Author (Laxman Burdak) visited the place on 20.12.2007 and has provided images and other information.

Variants

• Mandavi River मांडवी नदी (AS, p.732)
• Mahadayi
• Mandovi River
• Mandovi
• Mahadayi
• Mhadei river
• Mhadei (in Sattari taluka)

Origin of name

The ancient Mandas are even now a clan of the Jats in India. It is they who gave the first Historical Empire of the Jats in the western Plateau of Iran. Due to internal wars that the first migration of the Jats took place and from the Manda Empire and from other parts of Central Asia they came to India. That is why Panini mentioned many cities of theirs in the heart of Punjab in the fifth century B.C. But memories die hard. Even today, we have our villages named after the cities lost in Iran. The names like Elam, Bhatona, Susana, Baga, Kharkhoda (Manda Kurukada), etc, are still the names of Jat villages. It is these Jats whom Buddha Prakash Calls, “ exotic and outlandish people” who came to Indian at the time of successors of Cyrus (c. 576 BC–530 BC), and whom Jean Przyluski calls the Bahlikas from Iran and Central Asia. , Mandovi River was name given by Manda Jats who first came to this Konkan region.

River course

The river has a length of 81 km, 35 km in Karnataka, 1 km in Maharashtra and 45 km in Goa.

It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belagavi district of Karnataka. With its cerulean waters, Dudhsagar Falls and Varapoha Falls, it is also known as the Gomati in a few places.

The Mandovi enters Goa from the north via the Sattari Taluka and from Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka near the Castle Rock Rly. Stn. The Mandovi flows through Belagavi, Uttara Kannada in Karnataka and Cumbarjua, Divar and Chorão in Goa, eventually pouring into the Arabian Sea. The river Mapusa is a tributary of the Mandovi.

The Cumbarjuem Canal, which links both rivers, has made the interiors of the Mandovi accessible to ships carrying iron ore. Iron ore is Goa's prime mineral and it is mined in the eastern hills. Three large freshwater isles — Divar, Chorão and Vanxim are present in the Mandovi near the town of Old Goa. The island of Chorão is home to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, named after the renowned ornithologist Salim Ali. A regular ferry transports the inhabitants between the isles and the mainland.

The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins with the Zuari at a common creek at Cabo Aguada, forming the Mormugao harbour. Panaji, the state capital and Old Goa, the former capital of Goa, are both situated on the left bank of the Mandovi.

Mandovi River Cruise Goa

Hopping on a cruise in Goa is one of the most exquisite activities and this sunset cruise in Goa is the perfect way to explore the serene backwaters of Goa. Cruise through the Mandovi River with lush mangroves on both sides. You will also get to spot the crocodiles lying leisurely on the banks of the river and many migratory birds on the trees.

Mandovi Bridge (Goa)

The Mandovi bridge is a set of two bridges. It carries four lanes of NH66 over river Mandovi. It was Russian in design and the first to be used in this country. The first Mandovi bridge was built in 1971 and the second one in 1998.

On 5 July 1986 the first bridge collapsed. After the collapse, this project required the dismantling of the old bridge structure and strengthening with by filling M20 concrete. The total cost of construction was ₹2 crores. The parallel bridges have a length of 600 metres each.

Spanning across the Mandovi River near Panjim are three parallel Mandovi Bridges. The older bridge collapsed in the 1980s before a new bridge was constructed to accommodate heavy transport vehicles. The Mandovi Bridge links the towns of Panjim to Porvorim.

On 14 June 2014, the foundation stone for the third bridge, which is the largest bridge in Goa, was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will span 5 kilometres and will be 15 metres higher than the existing bridges and will be spaced in between the two. The 3rd Mandovi bridge is name Atal Setu after former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The bridge was inaugurated on 27 January 2019 at the hands of Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari, Goa CM Manohar Parrikar.

Jat clans

• Manda

मांडवी नदी

मांडवी नदी (AS, p.732): मांडवी नदी गोआ के निकट बहने वाली नदी जो सह्याद्रि से निस्तृत होकर अरब सागर में गिरती है।

माण्डवी नदी परिचय

माण्डवी नदी (कोंकणी: मांडवी), जिसे मांडोवी, महादायी या महादेई तथा कुछ स्थानों पर गोमती नदी के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। यह भारत के राज्य कर्नाटक और गोवा से होकर बहने वाली एक नदी है। इस नदी को गोवा राज्य की जीवन रेखा के रूप में वर्णित किया जाता है। साथ ही यह ज़ुआरी नदी के साथ गोवा की दो प्रमुख नदियों में से एक है। मांडवी नदी की कुल लंबाई 77 किलोमीटर है जिसमें से 29 किलोमीटर का हिस्सा कर्नाटक और 52 किलोमीटर गोवा से होकर बहता है। इस नदी का उद्गम पश्चिमी घाट के तीस सोतों के एक समूह से होता है जो कर्नाटक के बेलगाम जिले, के भीमगढ़ में स्थित हैं। नदी का जलग्रहण क्षेत्र, कर्नाटक में 2032 वर्ग किमी और गोवा में 1580 वर्ग किमी का है। दूधसागर प्रपात और वज्रपोहा प्रपात, मांडवी के ही भाग हैं।