Sarasvati: River or Goddess? What does the Mahabharata say?

The river Sarasvati finds wide mention in the Rig Veda. The Mahabharata is not far behind as it dedicates an entire sub-parvan to the tirthas or pilgrimages on the banks of the river.

But was the river Sarasvati a real river that flowed in the Indian sub-continent?

Or, was it a river reconstructed from a much more ancient past?

What does the Mahabharata say about the Sarasvati?

And more importantly, how did the river become the Goddess of Speech?

The questions are endless….the answers, a mere click away!