India has revered rivers long before it learnt to dam them. They remember mountains that no longer exist, civilisations that have vanished and journeys that continue to shape the nation. The Rig Veda invokes flowing waters not merely as sources of life but as living mothers. The Mahabharata speaks of rivers carrying both memory and destiny. Perhaps that is why the idea of linking rivers stirs something deeper than engineering drawings and budget estimates. It promises to carr