Famous Rivers in India

The rivers of India play an important role in the lives of the people. They provide potable water, cheap transportation, electricity, and the livelihood for many people nationwide. This easily explains why nearly all the major cities of India are located by the banks of rivers. The rivers also have an important role in Hindu Religion and are considered holy by all Hindus in the country.

Ganga River

The Ganges is a lifeline to millions who live along its course. It is a most sacred river to Hindus, and worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It has been important historically: many former provincial or imperial capitals (such as Patliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Kashi, Allahabad, Murshidabad, Munger, Baharampur, Kampilya and Kolkata) have been located on its banks.

Country: India, Bangladesh (as Padma)

Cities: Rishikesh, Haridwar, Bijnor, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Bithoor, Kanpur, Jajmau, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Katihar,Murshidabad, Plassey, Nabadwip, Kolkata, Baranagar, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chandpur, Chittagong

Physical characteristics

Source: Gangotri Glacier

Location: Uttarakhand, India

Mouth: Bay of Bengal

Location: Ganges Delta

Length: 2,601 km

Location: Bay of Bengal

Tributaries

 ⁃ left: Ramganga, Garra, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda, Bramhaputra

 ⁃ right: Yamuna, Tamsa(Also called Tons, Sone, Punpun, Falgu, Kiul, Karamnasa, Chandan, Ajoy, Damodar, Rupnarayan

Brahmaputra River

With its origin in the Manasarovar Lake region, near the Mount Kailash, located on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River, it flows along southern Tibet to break through the Himalayas in great gorges (including the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon) and into Arunachal Pradesh (India). It flows southwest through the Assam Valley as Brahmaputra and south through Bangladesh as the Jamuna (not to be mistaken with Yamuna of India). In the vast Ganges Delta, it merges with the Padma, the popular name of the river Ganges in Bangladesh, and finally, after merging with Padma, it becomes the Meghna and from here, it flows as Meghna river before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Country: China, India, Bangladesh

Autonomous Region: Tibet

City: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Dhubri

Physical characteristics

Source: Bhagirath Glacier, Manasarovar

 ⁃ location: Himalayas

Mouth Ganges

 ⁃ location: Ganges Delta

Length: 3,080.25 km

Tributaries

 ⁃ left: Dibang River, called by Dimasa tribe , Lohit River, Dhansiri River, Kolong River

 ⁃ right: Kameng River, Manas River, Beki River, Raidak River, Jaldhaka River, Teesta River, Subansiri River

Kaveri River

Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name), is an Indian river flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu district of the state of Karnataka, at an elevation of 1341m above mean sea level and flows for about 800 km before its outfall into the Bay of Bengal. It is the third largest river – after Godavari and Krishna – in South India and the largest in Tamil Nadu which, on its course, bisects the state into North and South. The Kaveri is sacred river to the people of South India and is worshipped as the goddess Kaveramma. The Kaveri is also one of the seven holy rivers of India.

Country: India

State: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

Region: South India

Physical characteristics

Source: Talakaveri, Kodagu, Western Ghats, Karnataka

 ⁃ location: Karnataka, India

Mouth: Bay of Bengal

 ⁃ location: Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu

Length: 805 km

Discharge

 ⁃ location: Grand Anicut (South)

Tributaries: 

 ⁃ left: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathy

 ⁃ right: Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati, Moyar

Narmada River

The Narmada River, also called the Rewa and previously also known as Nerbudda, is a river in central India after the Godavari, and the Krishna. It is also known as "Life Line of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat" for its huge contribution to the state of Madhya pradesh and Gujarat in many ways. Narmada rises from Amarkantak Plateau near Anuppur district Madhya Pradesh. It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India and flows westwards over a length of 1,312 km (815.2 mi) before draining through the Gulf of Khambhat into the Arabian Sea, 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Bharuch city of Gujarat. It is one of on It is one of only three major rivers in peninsular India that run from east to west (longest west flowing river), along with the Tapti River and the Mahi River.

Country: India

State: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat

City: Jabalpur, Dindori, Narsinghpur Harda, Mandhata, Barwani, Omkareshwar, Barwaha, Maheshwar, Mandla, Bharuch, Rajpipla, Dharampuri

Physical characteristics

Source: Narmada Kund

 ⁃ location: vindhyachal parvat Amarkantak Plateau, Anuppur district, Central India, Madhya Pradesh

Mouth: Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea)

 ⁃ location: Bharuch District, Gujarat

Length: 1,312 km approx.

Tributaries

 ⁃ left: Burhner River, Banjar River, Sher River, Shakkar River, Dudhi River, Tawa River, Ganjal River, Chhota Tawa River, Kaveri River, Kundi River, Goi River, Karjan River

 ⁃ right: Hiran River, Tendoni River, Choral River, Kolar River, Man River, Uri River, Hatni River, Orsang River

Yamuna River

The Yamuna (Hindustani: pronounced [jəmʊnaː]), also known as the Jumna or Jamna, is the second largest tributary river of the Ganges (Ganga) and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of 6,387 metres (20,955 ft) on the southwestern slopes of Banderpooch peaks of the Lower Himalaya in Uttarakhand, it travels a total length of 1,376 kilometres (855 mi) and has a drainage system of 366,223 square kilometres (141,399 sq mi), 40.2% of the entire Ganges Basin. It merges with the Ganges at Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj, which is a site of the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival held every 12 years.

Country: India

State: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi

Cities: Yamuna Nagar, Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura, Agra, Etawah, Prayagraj

Physical characteristics

Source: Saptrishi kund

 ⁃ location: Banderpooch peaks, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India

Mouth: Triveni sangam

 ⁃ location: Prayagraj , India

Length: 1,376 km

Tributaries

 ⁃ left: Hindon, Tons, Giri, Rishiganga, Hanuman Ganga, Sasur Khaderi

 ⁃ right: Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sindh,