The Satluj (Satadru or Satudri)

The Satluj river rises from the Rakas Lake (Rakas-Tal) which is situated at an altitutude of about 4600 metres near the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet (China). This is an antecedent river, called Langechen Khambab in Tibet. It makes gorges through the Zaskar and the Greater Himalayan Ranges. At the pass of Shipki La (4300 m), it enters Himachal Pradesh where it cuts through the Zaskar Range. From here the river flows westward and passes Kalpa, and then crosses Dhaula Dhar Range near Rampur through a narrow gorge. It passes through the Shiwalik, and at the gorge near Bhakra village, the Bhakra Dam has been constructed across the river. Below the Bhakra Dam, the river comes to the Punjab Plain at Rupar. From Rupar, Satluj River flows westward, and at Harike in the southwest comer of Kapurthala, it meets the Beas. After the confluence, the combined river enters Pakistan. In India, the length of its course is 1050 km, draining an area of about 28,090 sq km.