Names, lengths and origin of rivers of India

All rivers in India are considered as holy/religious spots and they play a significant role in Indian traditions in different manners since primordial times. India’s every region is spotted with several major rivers. A river is a natural waterway of freshwater, which flows towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river.

 Most of the major rivers of India flow towards the east and drain out into the Bay of Bengal. There are only five rivers in India that flow from east to west Narmada, Mahi, Tapti river, Luni and Sabarmati and drain out into the Arabian Sea.

Names, lengths and origin of rivers of India

  • Ganga
    Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand
    2,525
    Bay of Bengal
  • Yamuna
    Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
    1,376
    Merges with Ganga at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam - Kumbh Mela spot
  • Brahmaputra
    Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh
    1,800
    Merges with Ganga and ends in Bay of Bengal
  • Chambal
    Tributary of Yamuna river, starting at Madhya Pradesh
    960
    Joins Yamuna river in UP
  • Son
    Tributary of Ganga, starting at Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
    784
    Joins Ganga just above Patna - also considered part of Vindhya river system
  • Gandak
    Nepal; Ganges tributary at Indo-Nepal border (Triveni Sangam)
    630
    Joins Ganga near Patna
  • Kosi
    Starts from Bihar near Indo-Nepal border
    720
    Joins Ganga near Katihar district of Bihar
  • Betwa
    Tributary of Yamuna, rises at Vindhya region, MP
    590
    Joins Yamuna at Hamirpur in UP
  • Gomti
    Tributary of Ganga, starting at Gomat Taal, UP
    900
    Joins Ganga in Varanasi district
  • Ghaghara
    Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, tributary of Ganga
    1080
    Joins Ganga in Bihar
  • Hugli (Hooghly)
    Tributary of Ganga near West Bengal
    260
    Merges with Ganga at Bay of Bengal
  • Damodar
    Tributary of Hugli near Chandwara, Jharkhand
    592
    Merges with Hugli in West Bengal
  • Mahananda
    Paglajhora falls, Darjeeling, West Bengal
    360
    Merge in Ganga
  • Alaknanda
    Satopanth & Bhagirathi-Kharak glacier
    190
    Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
  • Bhagirathi
    Gaumukh, Uttarakhand
    205
    Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
  • Indus
    Originates in Tibetan plateau, Enters India in J&K
    3180
    Merges into Arabian sea near Sindh
  • Chenab
    Upper Himalayas in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh
    960
    Merges with Indus
  • Jhelum
    Tributary of Chenab river, Punjab
    725
    Merges with Chenab at Jhang (Pakistan)
  • Ravi
    Starts from Bara Bhangal, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
    720
    Joins Chenab in Pakistan
  • Sutlej
    Tributary of Indus river, originates at Rakshastal, Tibet
    1500
    Meets Beas river in Pakistan and ends at Arabian sea
  • Beas
    Rises at Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh
    470
    Joins Sutlej river in Punjab, India
  • Parbati
    Mantalai Glacier near Pin Prabati Pass
     -
    Mixes with Beas River at Bhuntar, near Kullu of Himachal Pradesh
  • Suru
    Panzella Glacier, Pensi La Pass, Kargil
    185
    Indus, Nurla, Skardu, Pakistan
  • Dras
    Machoi Glacier, Zoji La, ear Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir
    86
    Suru River at Kharul, Kargil
  • Zanskar
    Doda River (First Branch), Kargyag and Tsarap River (Second Branch)
     -
    Indus River near Nimmu in Ladakh
  • Tsarap
    Pankpo La, Sarchu
    182
    Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
  • Doda
    Drang-Drung Glacier, Pensi La
    79
    Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
  • Kaveri
    Talakaveri in Western Ghats in Karnataka
    765
    Ends in Bay of Bengal
  • Krishna
    Originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra
    1400
    Ends in Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh
  • Godavari
    Starts in Maharashtra and passes through 7 Indian states
    1465
    Empties in Bay of Bengal
  • Tungabhadra
    Tributary of Krishna river staring at Karnataka
    531
    Joins Krishna river along the border of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
  • Tapti
    Rises in Eastern Satpura Ranges, Madhya Pradesh
    724
    Empties into Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat
  • Mahi
    Rises in Madhya Pradesh
    580
    Flows into Arabian sea from Gujarat
  • Narmada
    Starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
    1315
    Drains into Arabian sea via Gulf of Cambay
  • Indravati
    Dandakaranya range, Kalahandi district, Odisha
    535
    Godavari near border of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana
  • Pranhita
    Confluence of Wardha and Wainganga, near Sirpur Kaghaznagar
    113
    Godavari, near Kaleshwaram, Telangana
  • Wardha
    Satpura range, Multai, Betul district of Madhya Pradesh
    528
    Pranhita River
  • Kolab (Sabari)
    Sinkaran hills, Koraput, Odisha
    200
    Godavari
  • Manjira
    Balaghat hills
    724
    Godavari, near Kandakurthi, Karnataka
  • Wainganga
    Satpura range, Mundara, Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh
    579
    Pranhita River
  • Painganga
    Ajanta range, Aurangabad, Maharashtra
    676
    Wardha river, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
  • Vedavathi
    Confluence of Veda and Avathi
     -
    Tungabhadra river, near Siruguppa
  • Bhima
    Bhimashankar
    861
    Krishna river, near raichur
  • Indrayani
    Lonavala, Maharashtra
     
    Bhima river
  • Pavana
    Sahyadri range, Lonavala Maharashtra
    58
    Mula river
  • Ghataprabha
    Western ghats, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
    283
    Krishna river, Almatti
  • Venna
    Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
    130
    Krishna river, Satara, Maharashtra
  • Koyna
    Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
    130
    Krishna river, near Karad, Satara
  • Amravati
    Anamalai hills, Pambar, Chinnar rivers
    282
    Kaveri river at Karur, Tamil Nadu
  • Bhavani
    Silent valley National Park, Kerala
    135
    Kaveri river at Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu
  • Hemavati
    Western Ghats, Chikmagalur, Karnataka
    245
    Kaveri river near Krishna Raja Sagara, Karnataka
  • Mahanadi
    Dhamtari, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh
    858
    Bay of Bengal, near False Point, Kendrapara, Odisha
  • Subarnarekha
    Chota Nagpur plateau, near Ranchi, Jharkhand
    395
    Kirtania Port, near Talsari, Bay of Bengal
  • Kangsabati
    Chota Nagpur plateau, Purulia district, West Bengal
    465
    Bay of Bengal near Haldia
  • Penner (Penna)
    Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka
    597
    Bay of Bengal, near Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
  • Palar
    Nandi hills, Kolar district Karnataka
    348
    Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur, Tamil Nadu
  • Vaigai
    Varusanadu Hills, Tamil Nadu
    258
    Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu
  • Vellar
    Shevaroy Hills
    150
    Bay of Bengal, near Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu
  • Ponnaiyar
    Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur
    400
    Bay of Bengal
  • Noyyal
    Velliangiri Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu
    180
    Kaveri river
  • Gomai
    Satpura Range
     -
    Tapti river, near Prakasha, Nandurbar, Maharashtra
  • Panzara
    Near Pimpalaner, Dhule, Maharashtra
     -
    Tapti river
  • Purna
    Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh
     -
    Tapti river, near Changdev, Maharashtra
  • Kolar
    Vindhya Range, near Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh
    101
    Narmada, near Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh
  • Tawa
    Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh
    172
    Narmada near Hoshangabad district
  • Sabarmati
    Dhebar lake, Aravalli range, near Udaipur, Rajasthan
    371
    Gulf of Khambhat
  • Zuari
    Hemad-Barshem in western ghats
    34
    Arabian sea
  • Ulhas
    Near Rajmachi hills, Sahyadri range
    122
    Vasai creek, Mumbai
  • Mithi
    Vihar lake and Powai lake
    15
    Arabian sea, Mahim creek, Mumbai
  • Mandovi
    Bhimgad, Karnataka
    77
    Arabian sea
  • Kali
    Kushavali, Karnataka
    184
    Arabian sea
  • Netravati
    Kudremukh, Chikmagalur, Karnataka
     -
    Arabian sea, near Mangalore, Karnataka
  • Sharavati
    Western Ghats, Tirthahalli, Karnataka
    128
    Arabian sea, near Honnavar, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka
  • Periyar
    Sivagiri hills, Sundaramala, Tamil Nadu
    244
    Lakshadweep sea, Kerala
  • Bharathappuzha
    Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu
    209
    Lakshadweep sea, Ponnani, Kerala
  • Pamba
    Pulachimalai Hills, Western Ghats
    176
    Vembanad Lake
  • Chaliyar
    Elambaleri Hills, Western Ghats, Wayanad, Kerala
    169
    Lakshadweep sea, Kerala


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