Betrawati, the Uttar Gaya
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Uttar Gaya of Betrawati is a Hindu pilgrimage that lies in Nuwakot District of Nepal. It is about 80 km north of Kathmandu.[1]
Betrawati is the meeting place of three major rivers, the Betran Ganga, Rudra Ganga, and Trishul Ganga. Betrawati is near to the way to Lang tang Mountain and the Nepal/China border at Kerung.
Long ago, in the Satya Yuga, when the gods and demons churned the ocean, the first thing that emerged was the deadly poison called Hālāhala. To protect the world, Lord Mahadeva drank this poison. Although the world was saved, the poison caused him unbearable pain. In the intensity of that pain, he threw the betra (a cane or staff; नेपाली: वेत , संस्कृत: वेत्र) he was holding onto the ground. From the place where it struck, hot water burst forth and flowed as a river. This river, born from the blow of the betra, is today known as the Betrawati River.
Lord Mahadeva drank the hot water of the Betravati, but His pain and the heat of the poison did not subside. Then, still in great agony, He struck the hill with the rudraksha He was wearing. From the spot where the rudraksha fell, a river called Rudravati appeared, which is known today as the Falakhu River. Lord Mahadeva drank the water of the Rudravati and rested there for one night.
However, as His pain was still not completely relieved, He went toward the place now known as Gosainkund. In the force of His suffering, He thrust His trident (trishul) into the ground, and from that place the Trishuli River was born. Lord Mahadeva drank the water of the Trishuli River, and at last His pain was calmed.
The confluence of these three rivers is located here at Uttar Gaya Dham, on the border of Nuwakot and Rasuwa.