View source for Sone River

{{Short description|Second-largest tributary of Ganga river in India}}
{{about|the river in India|the river in Vietnam|Son River (Vietnam)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Sone River
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| name_other = 
| name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = Son River, Umaria district, MP, India.jpg
| image_size = 
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| map = 
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| pushpin_map = 
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| pushpin_map_caption = <!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[India]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Bihar]]
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = [[Baghelkhand]], [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]]-[[Purvanchal]] and [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_name5 = [[Anuppur]], [[Rampur Naikin]] [[Sidhi]],  [[Dehri]], [[Daltonganj]], [[Chopan]], [[Arwal]], [[Koilwar]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length_km = 784
| width_min = 
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| discharge1_location = [[Ganges River]]
| discharge1_min = 
| discharge1_avg = 
| discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = 
| source1_location = [[Pendra]], [[Chhattisgarh]] Nearest Amarkantak
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|22|43|48|N|82|03|31|E|type:river_region:IN|display=inline}}
| mouth = [[Ganges River]]
| mouth_location = [[Maner, Bihar|Maner]], [[Patna district]], [[Bihar]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|25|42|21|N|84|51|44|E|type:river_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = 
| progression = 
| river_system = 
| basin_size = 
| tributaries_left = Ghaghar River, [[Johilla River]], [[Chhoti Mahanadi]], and Madhawal river
| tributaries_right = Banas River, [[Gopad River]], [[Rihand River]], [[Kanhar River]], [[North Koel River]]
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}}

'''Sone River''', also spelt '''Son River''', is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near [[Amarkantak|Amarkantak Hill]] in [[Pendra]] (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), [[Chhattisgarh]] and finally merges with the [[Ganga|Ganges]] river near [[Maner]] in [[Patna]], [[Bihar]]. The Sone River is the second-largest southern tributary of the Ganges after the [[Yamuna River]]. India's oldest river bridge [[Koilwar Bridge]] over the Sone River connects [[Arrah]] with [[Patna]]. Sone river is famous for its sand across country. Multiple dams and hydro-electric projects run on its course towards the Ganges.The river is also mentioned in Valmiki Ramayans's Balkand where Ram. Laxman along with Vishvamitra is crossing the river to further go north towards Ganga.

==Course==
[[File:Amarkantak5.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Sonemuda, origin of Sone River]]
[[File:Babur crossing the river Son.jpg|thumb|left|[[Babur]] crossing the Son River.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://warfare.uphero.com/Moghul/Baburnama/Baburnama.htm |title=Baburnama |date=1590s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017192134/http://warfare.uphero.com/Moghul/Baburnama/Baburnama.htm |archive-date=17 October 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>]]{{More citations needed section|date=January 2024}}
Sone River is called 'सोन / सोने' in Hindi, but called 'शोण' in Sanskrit, a rare instance of an Indian river having masculine name. Damodara and Brahmaputra also have masculine name. This river is mentioned as SoNai in [[Sangam literature|Sangam Tamil literature]] [[Kuṟuntokai]] as early as 2nd century CE.<ref>[https://www.tamilvu.org/slet/l1200/l1200uri.jsp?book_id=22&song_no=75 Kurunthogai Verse 75 - Sangam Tamil Literature]</ref> The Sone originates near [[Pendra]] in [[Chhattisgarh]], just east of the headwater of the [[Narmada River]], and flows north-northwest through [[Shahdol district]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]] state before turning sharply eastward where it encounters the southwest-northeast-[[Kaimur Range]]. The Sone parallels the Kaimur hills, flowing east-northeast through [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]] and [[Bihar]] states to join the Ganges just west of [[Patna]]. Geologically, the lower valley of the Son is an extension of the [[Narmada Valley]], and the [[Kaimur Range]] an extension of the [[Vindhya Range]]. [[Arwal]], [[Daudnagar]], [[Deori, Shahdol|Deori]], [[Rohtasgarh]], [[Dehri]], [[Sonbhadra]] and [[Maner, Bihar|Maner]] are some of the major cities situated on Sone River.

The Sone river which is {{convert|784|km|mi}} long, is one of the longest Indian rivers.<ref name="volume 23">{{cite book| title=Imperial gazetteer of India, Volume 23| author=Sir William Wilson Hunter| url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V23_082.gif| access-date=2014-06-06| pages=76–78| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714165858/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V23_082.gif| archive-date=14 July 2014| df=dmy-all}}</ref> Its chief tributaries are the [[Rihand River|Rihand]], [[Kanhar River|Kanhar]] and the [[North Koel River|North Koel]]. The Son has a steep [[gradient]] (35–55&nbsp;cm per km) with quick [[Surface runoff|run-off]] and [[ephemeral]] regimes, becoming a roaring river with the rain-waters in the [[drainage basin|catchment]] area but turning quickly into a fordable stream. The Son, being wide and shallow, leaves disconnected pools of water in the remaining parts of the year. The channel of the Son is very wide (about 5&nbsp;km at [[Dehri]]) but the [[floodplain]] is narrow, only {{convert|3|to|5|km|mi|0}} wide. The meeting point with [[North Koel River|North Koel]] the width of Sone River is {{convert|5|to|8|km|mi|0}}. In the past, the Son has been notorious for changing course. As it is traceable from several old beds near its east bank, the river changed its course more than 5 times. In modern times this tendency has been checked with the [[anicut]] at Dehri, and now more so with the [[Indrapuri Barrage]].

In Bihar, this river forms the border line between the [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]- and [[Magahi]]-speaking regions.

[[John Wardle Houlton|Sir John Houlton]], the British administrator, described the Son as follows, "After passing the steep escarpments of the [[Kaimur hills|Kaimur range]], it flows straight across the plain to the Ganges. For much of this distance it is over two miles wide, and at one point, opposite Tilothu three miles wide. In the dry weather there is a vast expanse of sand, with a stream not more than a hundred yards wide, and the hot west winds pile up the sand on the east bank, making natural embankments. After heavy rain in the hills even this wide bed cannot carry the waters of the Son and disastrous floods in Shahabad, Gaya, and Patna are not uncommon."<ref name=houlton>Houlton, Sir John, Bihar, the Heart of India, pp. 47–48, Orient Longmans, 1949.</ref>

==Dams==
The first dam on the Son was built in 1873–74 at Dehri.

The [[Indrapuri Barrage]] was constructed, {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} upstream, and commissioned in 1968.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://oibsv2.iwmi.org/guidelines/India-Bihar_Upadhyaya.pdf | title = Performance Evaluation of Patna Main Canal | publisher = ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region | access-date = 2011-07-08 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326060509/http://oibsv2.iwmi.org/guidelines/India-Bihar_Upadhyaya.pdf | archive-date = 26 March 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

The [[Bansagar Dam]] in Madhya Pradesh was commissioned in 2008.

==Bridges==

The 1.44 Km long rail-cum-road [[Lattice girder|lattice-girder]] concrete and steel [[Koilwar Bridge|Abdul Bari Bridge]] or [[Koilwar Bridge]] near [[Arrah]] in Bihar was completed in November 1862.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://irsme.nic.in/files/mmfiles/BRIDGES_RRB.pdf|title=Bridges: The Spectacular Feat of Indian Railways|publisher=National Informatics Centre|access-date=2011-07-05|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305002840/http://irsme.nic.in/files/mmfiles/BRIDGES_RRB.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  It remained the longest bridge in India, until the [[Nehru Setu]] bridge at [[Dehri]]  was opened in 1900.<ref name=houlton/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://irse.forumco.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1888 | title = Longest railway bridge in Kochi | publisher = ForumCo.com | access-date = 2011-07-07 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120323063453/http://irse.forumco.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1888 | archive-date = 23 March 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> After [[Nehru Setu]] bridge at Dehri, Railway Bridges are present on Sone River near [[Chopan]], Vijay Sota & [[Anuppur]].

The modern Son bridge built in [[Deolond]], [[Shahdol]] district of [[Madhya Pradesh]] was inaugurated by [[Motilal Vora]] and [[Ram Kishore Shukla|Pandit Ram Kishore Shukla]] then [[Chief Minister]] and [[Finance Minister]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]] on 13 February 1986.

The Government of Bihar sanctioned in 2008 a bridge across the Son River connecting [[Arwal]] and Sahar in [[Bhojpur district, Bihar|Bhojpur district]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.thebihar.com/about-bihar/location/arwal/|title = Arwal|publisher = The Bihar, 31 March 2010|access-date = 2011-07-03|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100406060937/http://www.thebihar.com/about-bihar/location/arwal/|archive-date = 6 April 2010|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

[[New Koilwar Bridge]]: A 6-lane road bridge, carrying [[National Highway 922 (India)|NH-922]], parallel to the existing rail and road Koilwar Bridge.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110408/jsp/bihar/story_13823833.jsp| title = Four-lane connector over Sone, Ganga| publisher = The Telegraph, 8 April 2011| access-date = 25 June 2011| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120626045202/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110408/jsp/bihar/story_13823833.jsp| archive-date = 26 June 2012| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bateliers sur la rivière Son, Umaria district, MP, Inde.jpg|Boatmen on the Son River, Umaria district, MP
File:Son River at Aurangabad district, Bihar.JPG|Son River, from Son Nagar railway station, Aurangabad district, Bihar
File:Son River1 at Aurangabad district, Bihar.JPG|Son River, from [[Son Nagar railway station]], [[Aurangabad District, Bihar|Aurangabad district]], Bihar
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of India]]

==References==
<references/>

{{Commons category|Son River}}
{{Waters of South Asia}}
{{Son basin}}
{{Hydrography of Madhya Pradesh}}
{{Hydrography of Uttar Pradesh}}
{{Hydrography of Jharkhand}}
{{Rivers in Bihar}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Son River| ]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Ganges]]
[[Category:Rivers of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rivers of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bihar]]
[[Category:Rivers of Uttar Pradesh]]