Kirtankhola

Kirtankhola (Bengali: কীর্তনখোলা) is a river that starts from Sayeshtabad in Barisal district and ends into the Gajalia near Gabkhan khal (canal). The total length of the river is about 160 kilometres (99 mi).

In ancient times, the Ganges used to flow in three courses in Bengal, namely the Nalini, the Haldini and the Pabni. The Pabni, meeting with the ancient Padma River joint flow of which termed as the Sugandha, flowed through Madaripur south of Faridpur, again renaming as the Andar Khan or the Arial Khan. The Arial Khan branched out in several courses in Madaripur and flowed through Barisal. Flowing forward and receiving various names, the Arial Khan fell into the Bay of Bengal as the Haringhata.

In south of Madaripur, the Andar khal or the Arial Khan was named as the Sugandha and was the greatest river of Bakla Chandradwip or the South Bengal. In course of time, the deltaic branches of the Sugandha were silted up and gradually disappeared creating various islands or chars in many parts of the greater Barisal district. With the passage of time, the name Sugandha was lost and the name Arial Khan became more prominent. One of the offshoots of this Arial Khan flows eastward near Shayeshtabad and falls into the Bay of Bengal after meeting with the meghna at Sahbazpur in bhola. Another offshoot of Arial Khan flows south-southwest as the Kirtankhola up to Nalchity keeping the Barisal town on its west bank. The further course of the river falls into the Bay of Bengal receiving various names at various places and finally as the Haringhata.

See also

• List of rivers of Bangladesh
• Barisal District

References

http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/K_0268.HTM