Subansiri

The Subansiri descends from the eastern Himalaya to join the Brahmaputra in the Assam plain. Its course cuts through steep mountain country before reaching the broad lowlands, carrying water and sediment from the high valleys. The river was known for the gold in its sands: before colonial rule, people washed its deposits in the Himalayan foothills to recover the precious metal. Its name thus recalls both a formidable mountain river and a source of alluvial gold.