Yamuna River

I begin my journey high up in the snowy Himalayan mountains, where everything is quiet and cold. I start as a tiny trickle of melted ice, giggling as I splash over smooth, grey stones. As I dance my way down the mountain, I grow bigger and stronger. More streams join me, and soon I am a wide, flowing river. Monkeys chatter in the tall trees along my banks, and colorful birds sing hello as I pass. I have flowed through the heart of India for thousands and thousands of years, watching history unfold. I am the Yamuna River, and I have many stories to tell.

For as long as anyone can remember, people have lived near me. Long ago, way back in 1500 BCE, they sang beautiful songs about my sparkling waters. I loved hearing their happy voices. Many centuries later, great emperors called the Mughals arrived. One of them, Emperor Shah Jahan, had a big heart and loved beautiful things. He wanted to build a special palace for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away. Starting around the year 1632 CE, his workers built a magnificent white marble palace right on my banks in a city called Agra. It was the Taj Mahal. "Oh, how beautiful," I whispered, as I reflected its pearly white dome in my water. A few years later, around 1639 CE, Shah Jahan built another amazing place in a city called Delhi. It was a huge castle with strong red walls, called the Red Fort. He built it right next to me so he could look out from his palace windows and watch me flow by every day. I felt so proud to be part of his grand plans.

My journey continues today. I flow through big, busy cities like Delhi and water the green fields where farmers grow food for everyone to eat. I am very important and have a lot of work to do. Sometimes, all the city life makes me feel a little tired and unwell. My water can get cloudy and sad. But many kind people are working hard to help me feel better. They are cleaning me up so I can be sparkling and healthy again. They remember that I am a special, sacred river. I connect the amazing stories of the past with the bright hopes for the future, and I remind everyone of the beauty of nature.