The Hindon River, being a tributary of the Yamuna traces its origin from the lower Himalayan ranges housing the Upper Shivalik. Having a catchment area of 7083 sq km, this river is mostly created by rainwater. Flowing between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers for almost 400 km, this river covers Muzaffarnagar District, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Noida & Greater Noida and finally it meets the Yamuna outside Delhi. Along the outskirts of Delhi, you will come across the Hindon Air Force Base at Ghaziabad district. With major religious and historical significance, this river has seen major changes and events taking place along its banks. Tracing its historical importance to the Indus Valley Civilization era and its mythological roots to the world when the Pandavas and the Kaurvas wrote the battle of Kurukshetra in Mahabharata, this river has indeed come a long way.

History

Hindon River, boasts of its historical significance with the Indus Valley site named Alamgirpur, nestled some 28 km away from Delhi. Between, 1857 - 58, this riverbed also witnessed countless fights and catastrophic casualties as a result of the Indian Sepoy Mutiny with particular reference to the Badli-ki-Serai Battle. The graves of British soldiers exist till date. This riverbed has also witnessed the events creating the epic drama of Mahabharata and this has made it a major part of Indian mythology.
Hindon Vahini is a special wing that works towards the conservation of the river. This wing is a part of the Paryawaran Sachetak Samiti. This body works by organizing movement to save the Hindon River from pollution. The environmentalist, Vijaypal Baghel gives leadership to these movements.

Another group working to save the Hindon River is the Harnandi Jal Samaj. Organized by the Samvardhan Trust Ghaziabad, this group creates awareness about river pollution. They also focus on the polluted drains of Ghaziabad district that contribute greatly to river pollution. They emphasize that it's important to clean the tributaries such as Hindon before cleaning Yamuna.

Course

Flowing between the Ganges and Yamuna, the course of Hindon River comprises of the Muzaffarnagar District, Meerut district, Baghpat district, Ghaziabad district, Noida and Greater Noida, ending at Yamuna at the outskirts of Delhi.

Tributaries

The Kali River, originating in the Doon Valley, is a tributary of this river. Traveling for 150 km this tributary passes through the Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Baghpat districts before merging with the Hindon River. Being highly polluted, this tributary adds to the polluting factors of the Hindon River. The Uttar Pradesh industrial belt is equally responsible for this aggravating pollution.

Religious Significance

Near Sardhana you will come across an age old Mahadev Temple that has existed since, the era of Mahabharata and history states that the Pandavas prayed here before starting their journey to the Lakshagrih, the abode of lac created by Duryodhana. This temple exists at the juncture of the Kali River, Kali Nadi and the Hindon River at Barnava.