River Tawi is the lifeline of Jammu, Jammu city developed around her banks. Tawi River is also called as Surya Putri in ancient text, is a major tributary of Chenab River and an important river in Jammu region.It is the same Tawi, which gave Jammu railway station its name- Jammu Tawi. Here is a folk story about the origin of the Surya Putri Tawi:
- Surya Putri Tawi or Tawishi, as called in Puranas, later came to be known as Tawi. It is said that Pehd Nag, the son of Vasuki Nag (the king of serpents) brought Tawi to Jammu.
- He brought forth the river from Kali Kundi glacier of Bhaderwah to cure his father with the help of Kalika Mata and another illustrious folk-god and legend, Baba Kaliveer.
- Vasuki Nag, in return, handed over the kingdom of Jammu to Pehd Nag.
River Tawi From Bahu Fort Jammu - The folk tale could arguably be called as historical as Naga kings did rule over parts of North India. It is also a fact that they were worshippers of Serpents.
- Another fact with solidifies the historical authenticity of the story is the presence of Shaivism which was prominent in regions of our state since ancient times.
Read also: Decoding the mystery of Baba Buddha Amarnath in Poonch - The first incidental mention of the myth of Baba Pehd appears in the historical account of Dogra rulers in Rajadarshani, written in Persian by Ganesh Das Bhadera.
- A large number of Rajput as well as other clans of Jammu region still worship Baba Pehd Devta as well as Baba Kaliveer as kuldevta, or ancestral diety.
- A devsthan, or shrine, of Baba Pehd Devta is situated in Nagrota and is a centre of unwavering devotion of many Dogras.
It is expected of us Dogras to read more about our folk heroes and legends so as we don’t forget our roots.
About Tawi River
The Tawi rises from Kalpas Kund of Seo Dhar in the Bhaderwah in Doda district, then descends to Sudh Mahadev and finally merged with the Chenab River in Pakistan. Flowing through the city of Jammu, Tawi has divided the city into two parts, old city and new city. The water of Tawi River is the main source of water for the entire city. There are three bridges over the river, one from Gumat to Vikram Chowk, other connects Gujjar Nagar with Bahu fort area and third one is on the city bypass near Nagrota. After flowing through the Jammu City, Tawi crosses the Pakistan and joins Chenab River.
