It roared and spread itself, but it never hurt! If time were called upon to tell a story, it would perhaps choose the banks of the river Indus to do so. Here the history of the subcontinent can be traced, both chronologically and historically.
From its source in Tibet the Indus flows north-west through Ladakh and Baltistan, swings south around the great bulk of Nanga Parbat, and cuts through the gorges of Kohistan before spreading out across the plains of Punjab and Sindh to the Arabian Sea.
For much of its course through the mountains, the Karakoram Highway runs beside it — from Thakot in the south to Jaglot, where the Gilgit river flows in.
Places to see
The legends
Early Tibetans believed this forceful river guarded the frontiers of India, rising near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. Four rivers were said to flow from animal mouths there — the Brahmaputra from a horse’s, the Indus from a lion’s, the Ganga from an elephant’s and the Karnali from a peacock’s.
The name “Indus”
The Indus takes its name from the Sanskrit “Sindhu”, meaning a large body of water. In Greek it became “Sinthos” and in Latin “Sindus”. The Rig Veda refers to the “Sapta Sindhu” — seven rivers including the Indus, its five tributaries and the Saraswati.
The Indus Valley civilization
The civilization offers clues to pre-Vedic life. Its legacies include architecture, town planning, seals, the famous dancing-girl figurine, and the still-undeciphered Indus script that continues to challenge scholars.
Crossing the river
Alexander the Great crossed the Indus in the 4th century BC near Attock, where Akbar later built a fort when the river in spate delayed his crossing. Sher Shah Suri’s Grand Trunk Road also crossed the Indus near Attock.
Rock art at Chilas
On the boulders along the river at Chilas and Thalpan are thousands of carvings — animals, hunters, Buddhist stupas and inscriptions left by travellers on the old routes between Central Asia and the plains.
Meeting of the mountains
Near Jaglot, where the Gilgit river joins the Indus, the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush ranges meet.
Good to know
- Following the river
- The most dramatic stretch is the drive along the Karakoram Highway from Besham to Chilas, deep in the Indus gorge.
- When to go
- Spring and autumn. In summer the lower gorge around Chilas is one of the hottest places in the north.
- Further downstream
- In the plains the Indus can be explored by boat, past the river towns of Punjab and Sindh — see the Indus River Boat Safari, and the destination guides for Sukkur and Moenjodaro.
Header photo: The Indus near Chilas — Ahmedomair, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons