Once Balarama and Revati were sporting in a grove on the banks of the river Yamuna. It was a hot day and Balarama wanted to swim in Yamuna. As he was too tired to go to the river, he requested the river to come to him. The river goddess Yamuna, however, refused to divert her course to please Balarama. Enraged by her attitude, Balarama caught her by the hair and dragged her through the grove. Yamuna struggled to free herself, the river twisted and turned. And so it is that the river Yamuna has a very tortuous course. Balarama succeeded in taming Yamuna. He established canals that helped irrigate fields. Balarama became lord of agriculture and is often shown in images holding a plough.

Ganga - the river of heaven

The river goddess Ganga lived in the heavens, watering the gardens of the gods. There she was known as Mandakini. When Brahma told her to descend upon earth and cleanse mankind, she said, "If someone does not break my fall, my waters will split the mountains and wash away the earth." So mankind turned to Shiva who stood atop Mount Kailasa, arms akimbo, ready to capture Ganga in his mighty locks as she descended from the heavens.

Every creature in the cosmos witnessed Ganga's spectacular descent. She dived with the force of ten thousand torrential rivers and fell right on top of Shiva's head. She found herself getting entangled in his thick hair; the matted curls and dense knots held her waters, firmly restraining her flow. Chained by Shiva's tresses, Ganga finally emerged out of Shiva's topknot, not as a gush but as a mere trickle that gently moved towards the sea, fertilising the earth on its way.

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