Which river of India crosses Tropic of Cancer Twice?

The Mahi River: India’s Amazing Double-Crosser of the Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer – you might remember it from geography class as that imaginary line circling the globe at 23.5 degrees north. It slices right through India, influencing everything from the weather to the landscape. Now, lots of Indian rivers flow near this line, but there’s one that does something truly special: the Mahi River. This isn’t just any river; it’s the only one in India that crosses the Tropic of Cancer not once, but twice!

Starting its journey way up in the Vindhya Range, near a little village called Minda in Madhya Pradesh, the Mahi River travels about 580 kilometers. It winds its way through Madhya Pradesh, then Rajasthan, and finally Gujarat, before emptying out into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Khambhat. But it’s the river’s quirky path that gives it its claim to fame.

Here’s the cool part: the Mahi first heads north through Madhya Pradesh and into Rajasthan, crossing the Tropic of Cancer. Then, as if it changes its mind, it loops back southwest through Gujarat, crossing that same line again before finally reaching the Arabian Sea. Talk about a geographical U-turn!

This double-crossing act makes the Mahi River a pretty big deal when you’re studying Indian geography. The river’s basin – that’s the area of land it drains – covers about 34,842 square kilometers across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Think of it as a giant bowl, with the Aravalli hills on the north and northwest, the Malwa Plateau to the east, the Vindhyas to the south, and the Gulf of Khambhat on the west. It’s quite a diverse neighborhood!

But the Mahi isn’t just a geographical oddity; it’s important to the people who live there. You’ll find temples and holy sites dotted along its banks. Locals even call it Mahisagar, meaning “ocean of Mahi,” because it’s so wide in places. Plus, the river helps generate electricity and provides water through projects like the Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam in Rajasthan and the Kadana Dam in Gujarat. It’s a working river, supporting communities and powering homes.

So, there you have it: the Mahi River, India’s unique double-crosser of the Tropic of Cancer. It’s a reminder that geography can be full of surprises, and that even a simple river can have a fascinating story to tell.