A major river of the northern India, Yamuna River has a total length of about 1370 km. Also known as the `Jumna`, its source is at the Yamunotri glacier near Banderpoonch peaks, in the Mussourie range of the lower Himalayas at an elevation of about 6387 meters above mean sea level in district Uttarakashi, the Uttarakhand Himalaya This river, flows in a southerly direction through the Himalayan foothills, onto the northern Indian plain, and a series of valleys for about 200 Kms, along the Uttar Pradesh-Haryana state border. At this point, the Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the river.

Yamuna River - Behind Taj - Agra. It is also the largest tributary of the Ganga and flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before merging with the Ganges at Allahabad. Even The cities of Delhi, Mathura and Agra lie on its banks. The major tributaries of this river are the Tons, Chambal, Betwa, Sindh and Ken; with the Tons being the largest. The Yamuna, after receiving water through other important tributaries, joins the river Ganga and the underground Saraswati at Prayag (Allahabad) after traversing about 950 Km.

The combined stream flows through the Shivalik range of hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal states of India and enters into plains in Uttaranchal. From here, it flows through the famous Sikh religious place of Poanta Sahib. Flowing through Poanta Sahib it reaches in the Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana state. Then it enters Delhi near the Palla village after traversing a route of about 224 Km. The River is again tapped at Wazirabad through a barrage.

The Yamuna and the Ganges are considered as the most sacred rivers in India. Hence, a hot water pool at Yamunotri is used for the preparation of "PRASAD", which normally includes rice and potatoes, which are cooked in cloth bags by dipping them in the hot water. Yamuna, according to the legends, was the daughter of Surya, the Sun God, and sister to Yama, the God of Death. Consequently, popular belief is that those who take a dip in its holy waters are not tormented by fears of death. It is also connected with Lord Krishna`s pastimes. The Lord Krishna sanctified the River Yamuna, while his father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna. When baby fell down in the river, the dust of His lotus feet sanctified the river at once.

The origin of River Yamuna is at Yamunotri, in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, which lies north of Haridwar in the Himalayan Mountains. The river flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before confluencing with the Ganges at Allahabad. The cities of Baghpat, Delhi, Mathura, Noida, Etawah, Agra, Hamirpur, Allahabad and Kalpi lie on its banks. The major tributaries of this river are the Tons, Chambal, Betwa, and Ken; with the Tons being the largest. Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna. This spot is considered as one of the four sites in India`s Char Dham pilgrimage.

The history of River Yamuna is significant because of the importance of this river in Indian mythology. Some ancient evidence indicated that River Yamuna was a tributary of the Ghaggar River in the past; with time it changed its course to east with a tectonic event in north India and became a tributary of the Ganges instead. The goddess of the Yamuna River, also known as Yami, is the sister of Yama, god of death, and the daughter of Surya, the Sun god, and his wife Samjñ?. The river Yamuna is also associated to the religious beliefs related to lord Krishna.

The geography of River Yamuna is closely related to the topography and the geographical formation of Northern India. Yamuna or Jumna River is a river of northern India. River Yamuna is the longest tributary of the Ganges River, having a length of approximately 860 miles or 1,380 km. The source of the Yamuna happens to be in the western Himalayas. The river initially flows south and then southeast, thus running parallel to and just west of the Ganges.

Most of the course of River Yamuna is covered up in the state of Himachal Pradesh. After originating in Yamunotri, River Yamuna enters Himachal Pradesh at Khadar Majri in Sirmaur district. Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganga. The Yamuna river has a mythical association to the Sun. The river rises from Yamunotri in Gharwal hills and thus forms the Eastern boundary with Uttar Pradesh.

The geology of Yamuna River is known from the silt deposits it have all through the riverbed. The sediments that are collected from Delhi and Agra urban centres were examined for concentration and distribution of nine heavy metals by means of atomic adsorption spectrometry. The religious importance of Yamuna River is related to the companionship of Lord Shri Krishna. This River originates from the Champasar Glacier at an altitude of 4421 m in the state of Uttarakhand; the respected Yamuna is specially mentioned in the Hindu mythology as a mythological river. Some say the source of the river is the Saptarishi Kund, a glacial lake, where a sacred shrine of Yamunotri or Yamnotri is constructed. There is also a temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna, which remains closed from November to May. At Hanumanchatti, the Hanuman Ganga converges with Yamuna River. According to a legend, this remote hilly spot was the home of an ancient sage, the Asit Muni.

The wildlife and surroundings of River Yamuna is a serene frontier of fabulous greenery. The surroundings of River Yamuna are abundance in wildlife and ecological species. The boundary line of River Yamuna has the rare collection of Asian Elephant. There are no elephants to be found over 900 km of the western Himalayas and their foothills and also not in the west of the Yamuna. Pollution and protection of River Yamuna have become one of the burning issues of the nation now. Yamuna is unfortunately one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially in the banks near New Delhi, the capital of India. Almost 57% of the city`s waste is dumped into the river. Numerous attempts have been made to clean it, however the efforts have brought few changes.

Triveni Sangam is the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati River near Allahabad, India. Triveni Sangam is the convergence of three major Indian rivers, namely the Ganga, the Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati River near Allahabad, India. This spot have become a well-known pilgrimage spot in India. Sangama is the Sanskrit term for confluence. The Triveni Sangam in Allahabad is a confluence of three rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.