Chenab is not a river. It is a metaphor, a symbol of life. But not life as a powerful creative force (though rivers are a symbol of that as well), but life as dukkha, borrowing from the Buddhist tradition or maya of the Vedantic philosophy. It symbolises life's fickleness, unreliability, and inconsistency, as articulated in centuries of Sufi poetry. Chenab is a symbol that is understood across the religious traditions of Punjab.
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![](https://media.assettype.com/outlooktraveller/2024-02/ecd9433b-7876-495c-870f-6e0fb22cfa3f/haroon_1_20240201.jpg?w=1080&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
The Chenab, a mix of two words: chan (moon) and aab (river), is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers
Photo: Shutterstock
The Chenab, a mix of two words: chan (moon) and aab (river), is formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers
Photo: Shutterstock
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