The Karnali

The Karnali is known as Kauriala in the Nepal Himalayas and as Ghagra in the Ganga Plain. The Karnali is an antecedent river originating from the Gurla Mandhata Peak (7720 m) of the Nepal Himalayas. Before making a gorge in the Greater Himalayas, the Karnali river traverses a 160 km long tract in the Trans- Himalayan region. This river cuts through the Mahabharata Range in the western part of Nepal through a deep gorge. In the Plains, it is joined by the Sharda river and acquires the name Ghagra meaning rattling or lahnga. Passing through Ayodhya and Faizabad towns, it joins River Ganga at Chapra near Ballia town. Ghagra is a large river with its vagaries of shifting course.