Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir): The historical 'Verinag' spring is located at the foot of the beautiful and lush green hills of Pir Panchal. Not only is this spring religiously and historically special, but it is also considered to be the source of the Jhelum, the largest river in the Kashmir Valley.
According to historians, the name Verinag originates from two words - 'Veri' which was the old name of the area and 'Nag' which is a natural spring in Kashmiri language. And due to the presence of the historical spring, the whole area has been known as Verinag for centuries. The spring is located at a distance of about 32 km from Anantnag main town.
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Historians say that water was used to flow with full force from this spring and one day when Mughal King Jahangir saw it, he ordered his artisans to build a special and unique spring around it.
The spring also holds importance as an agreement was reached between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, under the Indus Water Treaty. Under the treaty, Pakistan got the right over three rivers - Jhelum, Sindh and Chenab while India got rights over Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. It is not only important for the locals but also for the India-Pakistan relations as the spring is considered to be an important part of Jhelum that flows down to Pakistan.
The water from Verinag spring not only irrigates hundreds of kanals of land in different parts of the district but also supplies clean drinking water to thousands of households. Its water is also believed to be quite useful for digestion.
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Jhelum flows through the valley and millions of people live on its banks across Kashmir who get their livelihood from this river, especially fishermen and sand miners.
However, due to climate change, most of the natural springs in the valley have either run low or shrunk in size. But the special thing about the Verinag spring is that even after hundreds of years, its flow remains the same to this day.
The spring water gathers in a pond nearby and flows out in the form of a canal. At the confluence, the water from Verinag is joined by tributaries like Lidder near village Mirgund at Khanabal, Rambi Aara in Shopian which together forms the river Jhelum.
The spring attracts not only locals but also tourists from outside Jammu and Kashmir and foreigners who come in large numbers every year to enjoy the beauty of this historic spring.