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Rivers of India: Major Rivers List with Length & Origin
Rivers of India are essential in relation to their geographical, cultural, economic, and historical importance because for millions of people around the world, the rivers are, for decades, a symbol of Maa, showcasing a sacred deity.
Classification of Rivers of India
The Indian rivers can be grouped into 4 major categories depending on where they originate from:
The Himalayan Rivers that arise directly from the snowmelt of the glaciers of the Himalayas.
The Deccan Rivers, which consist of rivers in the Peninsular system, drain either into the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.
The Coastal Rivers are found on the west and east coasts.
The Inland Drainage is a system that consists of a few Inland rivers that do not drain into the sea.
Below is a list of rivers in India covering the major rivers of India, along with their length, origin, tributaries, and important cities.
1. The Indus
The Indus river is one of the world’s longest rivers and extends across three countries: China, India, and Pakistan. The Indus is an essential part of the agricultural process in Pakistan. It originally flows from the Tibetan Plateau and empties into the Arabian Sea near Karachi.
Length: 3,180 km
Origin: Tibetan Plateau (near Lake Mansarovar, China)
End: Arabian Sea (near Karachi, Pakistan)
Tributaries: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Shyok, Zanskar
City: Leh, Hyderabad (Pakistan), delta near Karachi
2. The Brahmaputra
The origin of the Brahmaputra River is in Tibet, from where it flows as the Yarlung Tsangpo, and then it becomes one of northeast India's most important rivers. It supports the agriculture and tea cultivation of Assam to a great extent. The village of Majuli on this river became India's first river island district in 2016.
Length: 2,880 km
Origin: Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet
End: Bay of Bengal (after joining the Ganges)
Tributaries: Lohit, Subansiri, Teesta, Dibang, Manas
City: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tezpur
3. The Ganges
The Ganges River is considered one of the major rivers in India; it is the main source of livelihood in northern India. It holds great religious and cultural significance, hence it is closely associated with big religious events like the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Length: 2,525 km
Origin: Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
End: Bay of Bengal (Sundarbans Delta)
Tributaries: Yamuna, Ghaghara, Son, Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda
City: Haridwar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata
4. The Godavari
When we take a look at the Peninsular India, we find the Dakshin Ganga or the Godavari River, coming from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra and moving east across central and eastern India.
The river provides a huge support system to the agriculture in Telangana, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, also contributing to religious importance in Nashik and Rajahmundry.
Length: 1,465 km
Origin: Western Ghats near Trimbakeshwar, Nashik district, Maharashtra
End: Bay of Bengal
Tributaries: Pranhita, Indravati, Manjira, Sabari, Purna
City: Nashik, Nanded, Rajahmundry
5. The Krishna
The Krishna is the second largest in the Peninsular region, which flows for a distance of approximately 1,400 km, originating in Maharashtra. Cutting through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh before falling into the Bay of Bengal, the river also proves to be a source of importance for irrigation and hydroelectric power in Southern India. The Krishna basin is one of the most important river basins of Peninsular India and supports millions of people through agriculture and water resources. The river is also associated with major irrigation projects such as the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam dams.
Length: 1,400 km
Origin: Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar, Satara district, Maharashtra
End: Bay of Bengal
Tributaries: Bhima, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Musi
City: Sangli, Vijayawada, Amaravati
6. Yamuna
Another river that has proven to be of utmost importance after the Ganga is the Yamuna, which covers a distance of 1,376 km and meets the Ganga at Prayagraj after travelling through cities such as Delhi, Mathura, and Agra.
The river is also known for its significance because it holds great importance in Hinduism, particularly associated with Lord Krishna. While the government is taking measures for its conservation, the river is, however, now surrounded by considerable pollution in major metropolitan areas, such as Delhi.
Length: 1,376 km
Origin: Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
End: Confluence with the Ganga at Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh)
Tributaries: Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sindh, Tons
City: Delhi, Mathura, Vrindavan, Agra, Prayagraj
7. The Narmada
This river is one of the very few rivers in India that flow into the west, with its origin at Amarkantak in the Maikal range of Madhya Pradesh and its end at the Arabian Sea. The river is about 1,312 km long and is also famously called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, as its water is used in the form of agriculture, irrigation, drinking, electricity, and industry.
Narmada gets its share from rivers such as the Tawa, Burhner, Sher, and Shakkar. It flows through parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, passing near several important cities and towns.
Length: 1,312 km
Origin: Amarkantak, Maikal Range, Madhya Pradesh
End: Arabian Sea (near Bharuch, Gujarat)
Tributaries: Tawa, Burhner, Sher, Shakkar
City: Jabalpur, Hoshangabad (Narmadapuram), Omkareshwar, Bharuch
8. The Mahanadi
Among the long, major rivers in eastern India, the Mahanadi River is 900 km long. Its origin is in Sihawa in Dhamtari, a region in Chhattisgarh. The Mahanadi River affects Odisha. Other rivers that join the Mahanadi River are Hasdeo, Seonath, Jonk, and Ong, to name a few. Mahanadi River, which is important in irrigating lands, has a delta around the coastal area of Odisha. This delta is where the Mahanadi eventually empties itself into the Bay of Bengal.
Length: 900 km
Origin: Near Sihawa, Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh
End: Bay of Bengal (Odisha coast)
Tributaries: Hasdeo, Seonath, Jonk, Ong
City: Raipur, Sambalpur, Cuttack
9. Kaveri
The Kaveri River is also termed the Cauvery River. It originates from the Western Ghats range of mountains located in the state of Karnataka and passes through Karnataka as well as the state of Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery River carries immense religious importance to the people of South India. The 805 km-long Cauvery River is fed by several other important rivers, such as the Bhavani River and the Noyyal River. The Cauvery River receives rain from both the Southwest Monsoons and the Northeast Monsoons.
Length: 805 km
Origin: Talakaveri, Brahmagiri Hills, Western Ghats, Karnataka
End: Bay of Bengal (Tamil Nadu)
Tributaries: Bhavani, Noyyal, Arkavathi, Hemavati
City: Mysuru, Srirangapatna, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Erode
10. The Tapi
The Tapi or Tapti, 724 km in length, rises near Multai in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, debouches into the Arabian Sea in the Gulf of Khambhat.
It is joined by tributaries like the Purna, Panjhra, and Aner rivers. The Tapi then flows roughly parallel to the Narmada River on its way to Maharashtra and Gujarat. The river is economically important to Surat, supporting agriculture, industry, and the city’s water supply.
Length: 724 km
Origin: Near Multai, Satpura Range, Madhya Pradesh
End: Arabian Sea (Gulf of Khambhat)
Tributaries: Purna, Panjhra, Aner
City: Surat, Bhusawal, Jalgaon
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