Saraswati- where it started drying up -Location of Vinasana: Archaeological evidence seems to corroborate the geophysical reality described in the Great Epic, the Mahabharata, of Balarama's pilgrimage from Dwaraka to Mathura along the Sarasvati River when it was in full flow from the Himalayas to the saagara (ocean), from Har-ki-dun glacier to the Gulf of Khambat and also of a phase of desiccation of the Sarasvati River which was left with lakes, beyond Marusthali and had ceased to join the saagara (ocean). Popular tradition reminisces the 'disappearance' of the Sarasvati River 'underground'.The key phase which led to the desiccation, in the central Sarasvati River Basin, seems to be the progressive westward migration of Satadru (Sutlej) away from Shatrana, away from the Sarasvati River. (See the image for signatures of palao-channels of Satadru (Sutlej) depicting this westward migration.)

 Vinasana perhaps refers to the desiccation phase of the Sarasvati River when it did not join the saagara.Tandya Brahmana describes the distance between Vinasana and PlakSa PrasravaNa (the place of origin of Sarasvati River) as approximately 880 miles.  (see page 100 of the document: Sarasvati River).Glaciology studies have established that the Vedic Saraswati River had originated from Har-ki-dun glacier which is about 10 kms. by the trek route from Yamunotri in the W.Garwhal Himalayas.If PlakSa PrasravaNa refers to a location near Adh Badri, where the Sarasvati River emerges at the foothills of the Siwalik Ranges, it may be hypothesized that Vinasana refers to Shiva near Pokaran, near Jaisalmer in the Marusthali desert. At this place, the LANDSAT satellite images show a palaeo-channel, after forking from the Sarasvati River at Anupgarh, forms a remarkably wide, fragmented channel in the desert near Jaisalmer (See image in the middle of the left margin).

 Landsat Image

 Drainage pattern – Shivaliks