The Burhi Gandak (also spelled Budhi Gandak) is a noteworthy river in the state of Bihar, India, which functions as a tributary of the Ganges. Its name—Burhi or Budhi—literally means "old", reflecting the river's course through an older, easterly channel that runs roughly parallel to the larger Gandak River. The Burhi Gandak drains a substantial section of the Indo-Gangetic plain and is an important part of the regional river network.

Key characteristics

  • Origin: rises from the marshy depression known as Chautarwa Chaur near Bisambharpur in West Champaran district.
  • Length and basin: the river's total length is about 320 kilometres with a drainage basin of roughly 10,150 square kilometres.
  • Tributaries and course: early in its course the Dubhara and the Tour join the river, and it flows generally southward across the plains before meeting the Ganges.
  • Channel nature: it follows an old channel and often runs parallel to the larger Gandak system rather than cutting a new path through the landscape.

Geographically the Burhi Gandak passes through low-gradient alluvial plains where seasonal shifts in flow and silt deposition shape the riverbed. Its origin in a wetland-like chaur (depression) means the river is fed by local runoff and monsoon rains as well as by smaller feeder streams. Over time the river has deposited rich alluvial soils along its banks, creating wide floodplains that support intensive agriculture.

Human communities have long depended on the Burhi Gandak for irrigation, fishery resources and groundwater recharge. At the same time the river is associated with cyclical flooding during the summer monsoon; floods can inundate crop land and settlements but also renew soil fertility. Local management, embankments and seasonal flood-control measures are typical responses to this pattern.

Historical and practical significance

Historically, rivers like the Burhi Gandak have influenced settlement patterns, transportation and rural livelihoods across Bihar. Its role as a tributary of the Ganges places it within a larger riverine system that has long been central to the region's economy and ecology. Because it flows in an older channel adjacent to the main Gandak, the Burhi Gandak provides a useful case study in river evolution and floodplain dynamics in the Indo-Gangetic basin.

Notable distinctions include the similarity of its name to the larger Gandak and the local spelling variations (Burhi versus Budhi). For further detail on the region's major rivers and their management, see broader resources on the Gandak River and waterways of Bihar.