The Kishanganga is the main River flowing through the enchanting Gurez Valley rising in the Kishansar Lake (which is a part of the Group of Lakes commonly referred to as the Great Lakes) and flowing through some great Mountain scenery until its confluence with the Jhelum around Muzaffarabad in Pakistani held Kashmir. The River was renamed as the Neelam in Pakistan in the 1950s. Old Maps and Books still refer to it as the Kishanganga.

The River as mentioned originates at the Kishansar Lake which lies in the Mountains above Sonamarg and is joined by the Raman Sind and then it flows in a Western direction and enters Gurez where its joined by the Burzil Nallah which comes down from the direction of the Burzil Pass which was the Pass on the Trade Route which connected Kashmir with Astore and Gilgit. Of course now the Route is not used anymore and Burzil Pass is on the Pakistani side. 

The Gazzetteer describes the tributaries as such : The principal  tributaries of the KishanGanga are the Raman Sind has been mentioned as joining it from the south side of the Tilai Valley; the Burzil stream, which flows through the north~east portion of the Gurais Valley ; the Matsil a considerable stream which drains the mountainous tract to the North of the Kashmir valley ; the Kel dara, which drains a similar district on the right bank of the Kishanganga, South of Chilas and Astor, and flows in nearly opposite the Matsil. The natives describe the Kel river as running into KishanGanga at right angles, with such force and volume as to arrest its course, causing a large whirlpool just above the junction. At. the north end of the' Drawar district, the Kishanganga is joined on the right bank, nearly opposite to Sharidi, by the Kankatori or Samgan, and in the middle of the same district, also on the right bank, by the Jagran river, receiving the united waters of the Shamahabari and Kazi Nag streams, the drainage of the Karnao valley, by its left bank at the village of Tetwal. Besides the tributaries above enumerated, the Kishanganga receives contributions from innumerable streams and torrents.

Sadly today the beautiful Geography stands defeated by the vagaries of Politics. Of its app 250 kms length, app 50 kms lies on the Indian side while the rest is either the border or on the other side. The Valleys on both sides of the River are incredibly beautiful but in most places you can see across the River but never can go across. It is the border River but in Geographic terms as well the Kishanganga River marked the limit of the Kashmir Valley in a broader sense. Its point of origin is not very far from the point Kashmir ends and Ladakh starts. And the point where it merges with the Jehlum around Muzzafarabad is the edge of Kashmir where traditionally Kashmir meets the Potohar Plateau and the Plains of the Punjab.

Historically as well the Kishanganga has made its mark. The area drained by the Kishanganga was referred to as the Shardadesh which is in reference to ancient Sharda University or the Sharda Peeth which was a great centre of Learning and one of the most revered places for the Kashmiris. It was referred to as one of the most revered Holy Places in India by Al Beruni as well. 

Also it was along the Kishanganga ran the Trade Route which connected Kashmir with Astore and Gilgit. One had to cross the Rajdhanigan Pass or the Tragbal Pass to enter Gurez. Then you went upstream the Kishanganga to the Tulail Valley where you followed the Burzil Nallah up the Burzil Pass and where there on descend into Astore and further into Gilgit. There would have been few Trade Routes which could have rivalled this one in beauty. Of course many like to give it the fancy moniker of “Silk Route” but then any Route which crossed the Himalayas and connected with Central Asia and in turn with China was called the Silk Route. But after the events of 1947 Trade along this Route stopped and the Route lost its relevance.

From the Indian side you can of course see the River in its glory in Gurez and in the areas along the LoC like Karnah, Titwal and Machil. These areas have recently been opened for Tourists starting with Gurez where a few Tourists are going nowadays though the Government is now promoting Tourism in other areas as well along this River.

And the Indian Government is building a Dam on the Kishanganga and work is already underway and it has created a large Reservoir near the Village of Dawar and the waters would be diverted via a Tunnel towards Bandipora and into the Wular Lake. Of course the Volume of water now after the Dam will become lesser and the difference between the River before the Dawar and after the Dam is apparent. 

The Border River now controversially stands tamed.