In India, numerous rivers are flowing across various parts of the states and these mighty bodies play a major role in the development of the country. The rivers are divided into Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers. Most of India’s rivers flow eastward and joins with the Bay of Bengal and three rivers run from east to west, Narmada, Mahi, and Tapti. The rivers in India are worshiped as they are the life of every living being. Many ancient civilizations thrived at the banks of the river and Hindus considered them as sacred and most rivers are worshiped in the form of gods and goddesses. Here are given the list of top 10 largest rivers in India based on length.
Table of Contents
1. The Ganges
The Ganges or Ganga is an Asian river which flows through India and Bangladesh. The length of Ganga is 2525km and it is the most sacred river for Hindus. The Ganges is the longest river in India and 3rd largest river in the world. The river originates from the Gangotri glaciers of Himalayas in Uttarakhand and flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of India and Bangladesh. The river starts flowing from the point where Bhagirathi and Alakananda river merges in Devprayag. The most sacred river is worshipped as a goddess, Ganga. Some prominent cities located at the banks of Ganges are Varanasi, Allahabad, Haridwar, Kanpur, and Patna. The Ganges has 140 species of fishes, reptiles, warm-blooded creatures, and Ganges dolphin. The largest part of Ganges ends in Bangladesh and some primary tributaries of Ganga include the Yamuna, Son, Gomati, Koshi, Gandak, Ghaghara.
2. Godavari
The Godavari is the second-longest river after Ganga with length 1465km. It is the longest river in Southern India and is known as ‘Dakshina Ganga’. The river originates from Triambakeshwar, Nashik in Maharashtra and it flows east through Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, and drains to the Bay of Bengal. The major tributaries of the river include Purna, Pranhita, Indravati, and Sabari river. The stream remains sacred to Hindus and many visit the banks of the river to perform poojas. The river has been mentioned in Hindu scriptures and continues to nourish a rich cultural heritage. The river forms the third largest river basins in the Indian subcontinent after Ganges and Indus. The Godavari is one of the main nesting sites for endangered olive ridley sea turtle. Godavari Delta is the second largest mangrove formation in the country. The forest near to the river acts as a barrier against cyclone and tropical storms.
3. Yamuna
The Yamuna is also known as Jamuna and it is the third-longest tributary river 1376km long. The Yamuna originates from Yamunotri glaciers in the uppermost region of lower Himalayas. It merges with the Ganges at Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj which is a popular site of Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival held every 12 years. The largest tributary flows through the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand. The Yamuna crosses through various states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and meetings its tributaries on the way. Around 57 million people depend on Yamuna’s water and 70% of Delhi water supply comprises the river. Hindus worship the river as Goddess Yamuna, and as per Hindu mythology, she is the daughter of the sun deva, Surya, and the sister of Yama. As per legends, bathing in sacred water is considered to free one from the torment of death. The river is a major destination for water-based adventurous sports.
4. Narmada
Narmada is a Sanskrit word that means ‘the Giver of Pleasure’. Narmada river is also known as Rewa, and the 4th largest river in India is 1312 km long. The river is the lifeline for Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The river originates from the Amarkantak range of mountains in Madhya Pradesh forming a traditional boundary between North India and south India before draining into the Arabian sea. It is one of the only rivers that run from east to west and flows in a rift valley between Satpura and Vindhya ranges. To Hindus, Narmada is one of the holiest water bodies and the name of the river is mentioned in Ramayana, and Mahabharata often. It is believed a dip in the holy river will wash away one’s sin. Narmada is considered to be clean and many take bath in the holy river. The river is also worshipped as a mother goddess by Narmadeeya Brahmins.
5. Krishna
Krishna is the fourth-longest river in India with length 1300km. The river is also known as Krishnaveni and it is one of the major sources of irrigation for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Krishna river originates from the western ghats in Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and empties into the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh. The delta of the river is one of the most fertile regions in India and home to ancient kings. The major part of Krishna flows through Vijayawada. The right bank of the river is Tungabhadra and Bhima river is the longest tributary of the Krishna river. Krishna is the fourth biggest in terms of river basin area and there are many dams built across the river to utilize water for irrigation and electricity generation. The famous dams are Srisailam dam and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. The Krishna basin supports rich vegetation and they have last surviving Mangrove forest in the estuary. They host some of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India.
6. Indus
The history of India is associated with Indus, and our country is named after this famous river. River Indus is the birthplace to Indus valley civilization and it emerges from the Mansarovar lake, passing through Ladakh, Baltistan, and Gilgit and finally, the river enters the border of Pakistan. Indus is also known as Sindhu and the length of the river is 3180 km. The river merges into the Arabian Sea near Karachi in Sindh. Indus is the longest river in Pakistan. Indus is one of the largest rivers in the world in terms of annual flow. The river has five major tributaries, the Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The major cities located at the bank of Indus include Leh and Skardu. Indus water is a treaty between India and Pakistan and it is a key water source for Pakistan’s economy.
7. Brahmaputra
The Brahmaputra is the 7th longest river in India and the 9th largest in the world. The length of Brahmaputra in India is 916km and it is the second river that originates from Mansarovar ranges. The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river that flows through Tibet, India, and Bangladesh. From Mansarovar lake near Mount Kailash, the river flows along with southern Tibet through the Himalayas in great gorges and it touches Arunachal Pradesh flowing further southwest through Assam valley and empties into the Bay of Bengal. The Brahmaputra is an important river utilized for irrigation and transportation. The river is prone to flooding in the spring when Himalayas snowmelt. This is the only river in India that is considered to have a male gender. In China, the river is named the Yarlung Tsangpo and few parts of the river lie in China. The Brahmaputra is a home for 130 million people living on the bankside and it is popularly known as the ‘lifeline of Assam’.
8. Mahanadi
The Mahanadi is an important river that flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The length of the river is 890km. Mahanadi is named using the combination of two words of Sanskrit, maha means great and Nadi means river. The river originates Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and flows through the state of Odisha. The world’s largest earthen dam, Hirakud dam is constructed across Mahanadi river near Sambalpur in Odisha. The major tributaries of the river are Seonath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo, Ong, Parry river, Jonk, Telen. The river is also called ‘the distress of Odisha’.
9. Kaveri
Kaveri is the largest river in Tamil Nadu and it is considered as the sacred river of southern India. Kaveri is also spelled as Cauvery, and the length of the river is 800km. The river emerges from western ghats in Karnataka flows through the south east direction of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and empties into the Bay of Bengal. The Kaveri river forms two islands in Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra. River Kaveri is considered as the Ganges of the South. Doddabetta is the highest point of the Kaveri basin creating the largest Shivanasamudra falls. The water from Kaveri is used for irrigation purposes.
10. Tapti
Tapti is one of the three rivers that originate from Peninsular India and that flows from east to west. The length of the Tapti River is 724 km and the river lies between Godavari and Narmada. Tapti or Tapi originates near Multai near MP enters Maharashtra and flows through the western part of Vidarbha and Kadesh. The river also flows through Surat crossing Magdalla. During monsoon, the river overflows its bank, and many times the city of Surat gets flooded with water. The river is named after goddess Tapati, the daughter of Surya.