The river Yamuna takes birth in the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayan ranges. Yamunotri is in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttar Pradesh and is a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus. The Yamunotri glacier is also known as the Kalinda Parbat and hence the river is also known as Kalindi. There are a number of hot springs in the very bed of the Yamuna near Yamunotri around which kundas have been built. These springs are hot enough to cook rice suspended in cloth bags in them.

According to legend, the Yamuna is the daughter of Surya and Sharanyu and the twin sister of yama, the god of Death. It is said that Sharanyu, unable to bear the lustre of the quivering Surya, closed her eyes upon which he cursed her. It was then that Yamuna was born. The Yamuna is thus also known as the quivering river.

The Yamuna flows down the Himalayan ranges to the foothills of the Garhwals. Leaving the hills it crosses the Shivalik hills, reaches the Dun Valley and flows past the town of Dehra Dun. The Dun valley is one of the loveliest valleys of India. The valley is home to dense forests of Deodar and Shisham. Tea, mangoes and leechies are grown on its slopes. Flowing southwest, the river enters the plains of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and then flows past the town of Faizabad. From Faizabad, the Yamuna flows in a south - south-westerly direction towards Muzaffarnagar, Dankaur, Saharanpur and then Delhi.

Delhi, the capital of India is situated on the west bank of the Yamuna. It is here that Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, a miracle in marble in loving memory of his queen, Mumtaz Mahal. On the right bank stands the magnificent Lal Qila. The next important town is Mathura, again on its west bank. Many stories are associated with Lord Krishna and the town of Mathura. From here the river turns east and reaches the city of Agra where lies the Agra Fort. After Agra, the river flows through the towns of Ferozabad, Etawah and Allahabad. At Allahabad, the Yamuna comes to the end of her journey of almost 1376 kms. when she joins the Ganga and the Saraswati to form the holy Triveni Sangam.

The important towns on the banks of the Yamuna like Mathura and Allahabad are places of pilgrimage. Many festivals and fairs are held here and people come from all over the country to celebrate and participate in them. During the months of August to November, a number of festivals connected with the life of Lord Krishna are held at Mathura. Janmashtami, Holi and Panchakosi are some. During Janmashtami, people celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.

Allahabad, the town of the auspicious Triveni Sangam, is home to the oldest festival in the world, the Magh Mela. During this period, devotees take a dip in the waters of the Sangam to purify their soul. Once every twelve years, the Magh Mela becomes the Kumbha Mela and acquires greater sanctity.