Kali Bein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kali Bein is a rivulet in Punjab, India that flows into the confluence of the rivers Beas and Satluj at Harike. Guru Nanak attained enlightenment after taking a bath in the Kali Bein, and despite its religious history in Sikhism, the rivulet is not considered holy by the Sikhs in Punjab, as no bodies of water are considered holy in Sikhism aside from the Sikh Sarovars (pools of water within gurdwaras) of Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples).[1] In the wake of the Green Revolution and the rise of chemical pesticides, the Kali Bein became progressively polluted until it was cleaned and rejuvenated in a mass action led by Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal in the 2000s.
Kali Bein literally means the Black Stream.[2] It is called Kali ('black') due to the black colour reflected by the minerals in its waters.[3] The Punjabi word 'bein' derives from the Sanskrit 'veni' meaning a stream or a water body. Beins are a feature of the plains and are marked by their zigzagging course.[4]
Course
The Kali Bein rises from a spring in the Dhanoa village of Dasuya tehsil Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, India. Odhra rivulet, and Mukerian Hydel Channel are the main source of water for Kali Bein. After flowing for 160 km, it merges at the confluence of the Beas and the Satluj at Harike Pattan.[5] The Kali Bein is also called the Western Bein in Hoshiarpur and its course lies parallel to the Beas in the Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts. The Kali Bein is also thought to be the abandoned riverbed of the Beas and its depth varies from 1.5 to 3 metres.[6] The Bein's spring was brick lined during the Emperor Akbar's reign.[5] The Chhoti Bein is a tributary of the Kali Bein.[7] The Kali Bein flows through the districts of Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar and there are several towns on its banks including Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi.[8] The Mukerian Hydel Channel at Terkiana is a major waterworks on the Bein that controls the flow of water downstream.[9] The Kali Bein has a catchment area covering 945 square kilometers.[4]
Sikhism
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, is believed to have attained enlightenment after taking a dip in the Kali Bein.[9] Guru Nanak Dev Ji is said to have disappeared while bathing in the Bein only to reappear three days later. Guru Nanak Dev Ji then proclaimed that "There is no Hindu and there is no Musalman. There is only one God and all are equal before Him".[10] The moolmantra of Sikhism, Ik Onkar, originated from this experience.[11] The Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib, where Guru Nanak Dev Ji used to meditate under a ber tree, is located on the Kali Bein's banks in Sultanpur Lodhi.[2]
