Nivik

Nivik (or Nivek)

According to Hindu mythology, the Nivik is the confluence of three rivers: the Ganges, the Saraswati, and the Yamuna.

According to tradition it was among the favorite places of the goddess, Ganga. Often she would summon other gods and goddesses to the Nivik, so that they could meditate and collaborate together.

In one such legend, Ganga was being chased by the demon Bali. She hid in the Nivik, where Bali was forbidden to enter. Safe in the confluence, Ganga dispatched two salmon upriver; the fish swam until they found Vamana, and they entreated the dwarf god to come to Ganga’s aid. Vamana rode the fish downstream, one foot atop each salmon, until he reached the Nivik and banished Bali back to the underworld.

References

Hindu Mythmakers: Ancient Gods of the East, by Rob Pikelniak, Penguin Press, 1988