List of Rivers of India PDF and their Origin and Tributaries | Download PDF

Rivers of India PDF and their Origin and Tributaries

List 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 fresh water, which flows toward 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.

A river is a natural waterway of freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, sea, lake or any other river. Most of India’s major rivers flow eastwards and fall 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 fall into the Arabian Sea. Here we have brought details related to the complete list of major rivers of India and the rivers and their tributaries in India. Also, Check Riverside Cities in India

Here we have come up with the details related to the Major rivers of India and the complete list of rivers in India and their tributaries.

Rivers in India

Most of the rivers pass through India and discharge their waters into the Bay of Bengal and very few flow through the western part of the country and fall into the Arabian Sea. Some parts of India is also consisted of inland drainage like in northern parts of the Aravalli range, some parts of Ladakh, and also the arid regions of the Thar Desert. Origination of most of the major rivers of India is one of the three main watersheds given below –

• The Himalaya and the Karakoram range
• The Chota Nagpur plateau and Vindhya and Satpura range
• The Western Ghats

Indian River System

Let’s understand some major River Systems with the help of a table containing information about their length –

Indian River System
River System	Total length	Length in  India
Indus River System	3180  km	1114 km
Brahmaputra River System	2900 km	916 km
Ganga River System	2510 km	2510 km
Yamuna river System	1376 km	1376 km
Narmada River System	1312 km	1312 km
Tapi River System	724 km	724 km
Godavari River System	1465 km	1465 km
Krishna River System	1400 km	1400 km
Cauvery River System	805 km	805 km
Mahanadi River System	851 km	851 km

Indus River System

The Indus originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar.

• It follows a north-westerly course through Tibet.
• It has a large number of tributaries in both India and Pakistan and has a total length of about 2897 km from the source to the point near Karachi where it falls into the Arabian Sea out of which approx 700km lies in India.
• It enters the Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir where it forms a picturesque gorge.
• In the Kashmir region, it joins with many tributaries – the Zaskar, the Shyok, the Nubra and the Hunza.
• It flows through the regions of Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit and runs between the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range at Leh.
• It crosses the Himalayas through a 5181 m deep gorge near Attock, which is lying north of Nanga Parbat.
• The major tributaries of the Indus River in India are Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab, Beas, and Sutlej.

Brahmaputra River System

The Brahmaputra originates from Mansarovar Lake, which is also a source of the Indus and Sutlej.

• It is 3848 km long, a little longer than the Indus River.
• Most of its course lies outside India.
• It flows parallel to the Himalayas in the eastward direction. When it reaches Namcha Barwa, it takes a U-turn around it and enters India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The undercutting done by this river is of the order of 5500 metres.
• Here it is known as the Dihang River. In India, it flows through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is connected by several tributaries.
• The Brahmaputra has a braided channel throughout most of its length in Assam.

The river is known as the Tsangpo in Tibet. It receives less volume of water and has less silt in the Tibet region. But in India, the river passes through a region of heavy precipitation, and as such, the river carries large amounts of water during rainfall and a significant amount of silt. It is considered one of the largest rivers in India in terms of volume. It is known for creating calamities in Assam and Bangladesh.

Ganga River System

The Ganga originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier.

• Before it reaches Devprayag in the Garhwal Division, the Mandakini, Pindar, Dhauliganga and Bishenganga rivers merge into the Alaknanda and the Bheling drain into the Bhagirathi.
• The Pindar River rises from East Trishul and Nanda Devi unites with the Alaknanda at Karan Prayag. The Mandakini meets at Rudraprayag.
• The water from both Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda flows in the name of the Ganga at Devprayag.

The concept of Panch Prayag

1. Vishnuprayag: where the river Alaknanda meets river Dhauli Ganga
2. Nandprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Nandakini
3. Karnaprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Pinder
4. Rudraprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Mandakini
5. Devprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Bhagirathi -GANGA

The principal tributaries of the Ganga are Yamuna, Damodar, Sapta Kosi, Ram Ganga, Gomati, Ghaghara, and Son. The river after travelling a distance of 2525 km from its source meets the Bay of Bengal.

Yamuna River System

The Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganga River.

• It originates from the Yamunotri glacier, at the Bandarpoonch peak in Uttarakhand.
• The main tributaries joining the river include the Sin, Hindon, Betwa Ken, and Chambal.
• The Tons is the largest tributary of the Yamuna.
• The catchment of the river extends to the states of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Narmada River System

The Narmada is a river located in central India.

• It rises to the summit of the Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state.
• It outlines the traditional frontier between North India and South India.
• It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India. Only the Narmada, the Tapti, and the Mahi rivers run from east to west.
• The river flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• It drains into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.

Tapi River System

Tapi River is a central Indian river. It is one of the most important rivers of peninsular India with the run from east to west.

• It originates in the Eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya Pradesh state.
• It flows in a westward direction, draining some important historic places like Madhya Pradesh’s Nimar region, East Vidarbha region and Maharashtra’s Khandesh in the northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and South Gujarat before draining into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea.
• The River Basin of Tapi River lies mostly in eastern and northern districts Maharashtra state.
• The river also covers some districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well.
• The principal tributaries of Tapi River are Waghur River, Aner River, Girna River, Purna River, Panzara River and Bori River.

Godavari River System

The Godavari River is the second-longest course in India with brownish water which is about 1,450 km (900 miles) in length.

• The river is often referred to as the Dakshin (South) Ganga or Vriddh (Old) Ganga.
• It is a seasonal river, dried during the summers, and widens during the monsoons.
• This river originates from Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra.
• It flows southeast across south-central India through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa, and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
• The river splits into two streams thus forming a very fertile delta at Rajahmundry.
• The banks of this river have many pilgrimage sites, Nasik(MH), Bhadrachalam(TS), and Trimbak.
• Some of its tributaries include Pranahita (A combination of Penuganga and Warda), Indravati River, Bindusara, Sabari, and Manjira.
• Asia’s largest rail-cum-road bridge which is an engineering feat, links Kovvur and Rajahmundry is located on the river Godavari.

Krishna River System

Krishna is one of the longest rivers in India which is about 1300 km in length.

• It originates from Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra.
• It flows through Sangli and meets the sea in the Bay of Bengal.
• The river flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• Tungabhadra River is the main tributary which itself is formed by the Tunga and Bhadra rivers that originate in the Western Ghats.
• Dudhganga Rivers, Koyna, Bhima, Mallaprabha, Dindi, Ghataprabha, Warna, Yerla, and Musi are some of the other tributaries.

Cauvery River System

The Kaveri (also spelt Cauvery or Kavery) is one of the great rivers of India and is considered sacred by the Hindus.

• It originates from Talakaveri of Tamil Nadu, located in the Western Ghats about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level.
• The Kaveri is also known as Dakshin Ganga.
• It is a famous pilgrimage and tourist place in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.
• The headwaters of the river are in the Western Ghats range of Karnataka state, and from Karnataka through Tamil Nadu.
• The river drains into the Bay of Bengal. The river supports irrigation for agriculture and is considered as a means of support of the ancient kingdoms and modern cities of South India.
• The river has many tributaries called Arkavathy, Shimsha, Hemavati, Kapila, Shimsha, Honnuhole, Amaravati, Lakshmana Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyyal, and Tirtha.

Mahanadi River System

The Mahanadi is a river in eastern India. The Mahanadi rises in the Satpura Range of central India and flows east to the Bay of Bengal.

• The Mahanadi drains most of the state of Chhattisgarh and much of Orissa and also Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
  Near the city of Sambalpur, a large dam – the Hirakud Dam – is built on the river.
• The Mahanadi rises in the Satpura Range of central India and It has a length of around 860 km.
• It flows east to the Bay of Bengal. The river drains in the state of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa.
• The largest dam, the Hirakud Dam is built on the river.

Rivers of India PDF and their Origin and Tributaries

The following list shows the names of rivers in India with their lengths, origins, and tributaries.

S.No.	Rivers	Origin	Length (km)	End
1.	Ganga	Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand	2,525	Bay of Bengal
2.	Yamuna	Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand	1,376	Merges with Ganga at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam – Kumbh Mela spot
3.	Brahmaputra	Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh	1,800	Merges with Ganga and ends in Bay of Bengal
4.	Chambal	Tributary of Yamuna river, starting at Madhya Pradesh	960	Joins Yamuna river in UP
5.	Son	Tributary of Ganga, starting at Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh	784	Joins Ganga just above Patna – also considered part of Vindhya river system
6.	Gandak	Nepal; Ganges tributary at Indo-Nepal border (Triveni Sangam)	630	Joins Ganga near Patna
7.	Kosi	Starts from Bihar near Indo-Nepal border	720	Joins Ganga near Katihar district of Bihar
8.	Betwa	Tributary of Yamuna, rises at Vindhya region, MP	590	Joins Yamuna at Hamirpur in UP
9.	Gomti	Tributary of Ganga, starting at Gomat Taal, UP	900	Joins Ganga in Varanasi district
10.	Ghaghara	Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, tributary of Ganga	1080	Joins Ganga in Bihar
11.	Hugli (Hooghly)	Tributary of Ganga near West Bengal	260	Merges with Ganga at Bay of Bengal
12.	Damodar	Tributary of Hugli near Chandwara, Jharkhand	592	Merges with Hugli in West Bengal
13.	Mahananda	Paglajhora falls, Darjeeling, West Bengal	360	Merge in Ganga
14.	Alaknanda	Satopanth & Bhagirathi-Kharak glacier	190	Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
15.	Bhagirathi	Gaumukh, Uttarakhand	205	Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
16.	Indus	Originates in Tibetan plateau, Enters India in J&K	3180	Merges into Arabian sea near Sindh
17.	Chenab	Upper Himalayas in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh	960	Merges with Indus
18.	Jhelum	Tributary of Chenab river, Punjab	725	Merges with Chenab at Jhang (Pakistan)
19.	Ravi	Starts from Bara Bhangal, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh	720	Joins Chenab in Pakistan
20.	Sutlej	Tributary of Indus river, originates at Rakshastal, Tibet	1500	Meets Beas river in Pakistan and ends at Arabian sea
21.	Beas	Rises at Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh	470	Joins Sutlej river in Punjab, India
22.	Parbati	Mantalai Glacier near Pin Prabati Pass	–	Mixes with Beas River at Bhuntar, near Kullu of Himachal Pradesh
23.	Suru	Panzella Glacier, Pensi La Pass, Kargil	185	Indus, Nurla, Skardu, Pakistan
24.	Dras	Machoi Glacier, Zoji La, ear Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir	86	Suru River at Kharul, Kargil
25.	Zanskar	Doda River (First Branch), Kargyag and Tsarap River (Second Branch)	–	Indus River near Nimmu in Ladakh
26.	Tsarap	Pankpo La, Sarchu	182	Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
27.	Doda	Drang-Drung Glacier, Pensi La	79	Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
28.	Kaveri	Talakaveri in Western Ghats in Karnataka	765	Ends in Bay of Bengal
29.	Krishna	Originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra	1400	Ends in Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh
30.	Godavari	Starts in Maharashtra and passes through 7 Indian states	1465	Empties in Bay of Bengal
31.	Tungabhadra	Tributary of Krishna river staring at Karnataka	531	Joins Krishna river along the border of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
32.	Tapti	Rises in Eastern Satpura Ranges, Madhya Pradesh	724	Empties into Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat
33.	Mahi	Rises in Madhya Pradesh	580	Flows into Arabian sea from Gujarat
34.	Narmada	Starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh	1315	Drains into Arabian sea via Gulf of Cambay
35.	Indravati	Dandakaranya range, Kalahandi district, Odisha	535	Godavari near border of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana
36.	Pranhita	Confluence of Wardha and Wainganga, near Sirpur Kaghaznagar	113	Godavari, near Kaleshwaram, Telangana
37.	Wardha	Satpura range, Multai, Betul district of Madhya Pradesh	528	Pranhita River
38.	Kolab (Sabari)	Sinkaran hills, Koraput, Odisha	200	Godavari
39.	Manjira	Balaghat hills	724	Godavari, near Kandakurthi, Karnataka
40.	Wainganga	Satpura range, Mundara, Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh	579	Pranhita River
41.	Painganga	Ajanta range, Aurangabad, Maharashtra	676	Wardha river, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
42.	Vedavathi	Confluence of Veda and Avathi	–	Tungabhadra river, near Siruguppa
43.	Bhima	Bhimashankar	861	Krishna river, near raichur
44.	Indrayani	Lonavala, Maharashtra		Bhima river
45.	Pavana	Sahyadri range, Lonavala Maharashtra	58	Mula river
46.	Ghataprabha	Western ghats, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra	283	Krishna river, Almatti
47.	Venna	Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra	130	Krishna river, Satara, Maharashtra
48.	Koyna	Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra	130	Krishna river, near Karad, Satara
49.	Amravati	Anamalai hills, Pambar, Chinnar rivers	282	Kaveri river at Karur, Tamil Nadu
50.	Bhavani	Silent valley National Park, Kerala	135	Kaveri river at Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu
51.	Hemavati	Western Ghats, Chikmagalur, Karnataka	245	Kaveri river near Krishna Raja Sagara, Karnataka
52.	Mahanadi	Dhamtari, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh	858	Bay of Bengal, near False Point, Kendrapara, Odisha
53.	Subarnarekha	Chota Nagpur plateau, near Ranchi, Jharkhand	395	Kirtania Port, near Talsari, Bay of Bengal
54.	Kangsabati	Chota Nagpur plateau, Purulia district, West Bengal	465	Bay of Bengal near Haldia
55.	Penner (Penna)	Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka	597	Bay of Bengal, near Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
56.	Palar	Nandi hills, Kolar district Karnataka	348	Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur, Tamil Nadu
57.	Vaigai	Varusanadu Hills, Tamil Nadu	258	Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu
58.	Vellar	Shevaroy Hills	150	Bay of Bengal, near Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu
59.	Ponnaiyar	Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur	400	Bay of Bengal
60.	Noyyal	Velliangiri Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu	180	Kaveri river
61.	Gomai	Satpura Range	–	Tapti river, near Prakasha, Nandurbar, Maharashtra
62.	Panzara	Near Pimpalaner, Dhule, Maharashtra	–	Tapti river
63.	Purna	Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh	–	Tapti river, near Changdev, Maharashtra
64.	Kolar	Vindhya Range, near Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh	101	Narmada, near Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh
65.	Tawa	Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh	172	Narmada near Hoshangabad district
66.	Sabarmati	Dhebar lake, Aravalli range, near Udaipur, Rajasthan	371	Gulf of Khambhat
67.	Zuari	Hemad-Barshem in western ghats	34	Arabian sea
68.	Ulhas	Near Rajmachi hills, Sahyadri range	122	Vasai creek, Mumbai
69.	Mithi	Vihar lake and Powai lake	15	Arabian sea, Mahim creek, Mumbai
70.	Mandovi	Bhimgad, Karnataka	77	Arabian sea
71.	Kali	Kushavali, Karnataka	184	Arabian sea
72.	Netravati	Kudremukh, Chikmagalur, Karnataka	–	Arabian sea, near Mangalore, Karnataka
73.	Sharavati	Western Ghats, Tirthahalli, Karnataka	128	Arabian sea, near Honnavar, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka
74.	Periyar	Sivagiri hills, Sundaramala, Tamil Nadu	244	Lakshadweep sea, Kerala
75.	Bharathappuzha	Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu	209	Lakshadweep sea, Ponnani, Kerala
76.	Pamba	Pulachimalai Hills, Western Ghats	176	Vembanad Lake
77.	Chaliyar	Elambaleri Hills, Western Ghats, Wayanad, Kerala	169	Lakshadweep sea, Kerala

Top 5 Major Rivers of India

Here we have come up with the detailed information related to 5 major rivers of India.

1. The Ganga

Being the largest river in India, Ganga has been declared as the National River of India.

•  Ganga is worshipped as the Goddess of Hindus.
•  Gangotri Glacier, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Satopanth Glacier, Kamet, and Trisul are the sources of Ganga.
•  Its length is 2525 km.
•  It rises from the western Himalayas and drains into the Bay of Bengal. The origin of the Ganga is called Gangotri.
•  It flows through the Varanasi, Haridwar, Allahabad, Kolkata, Kanpur, Patna, and Ghazipur cities.
•  The two most bridges of India i.e. Mahatma Gandhi Setu & Vidyasagar Setu are made over the Ganga.

In the General Knowledge section of various competitive exams such as IBPS, SSC & RRB, you may face questions related to River Ganga. The questions can be asked in the following forms.

2. the Godavari

The Godavari is one of the sacred waterways of central India, near Nasik in Maharashtra.

• It is the largest river in South India as well as the second longest river in India.
•  Brahmagiri Mountain is the source of Godavari and its length is 1465 km.
•  The Godavari flows from western to southern India.
•  It flows towards the east, traversing the Deccan Plateau.
•  In the end, it pours into the Bay of Bengal at Narasapuram in Andhra Pradesh.
•  Godavari Bridge and Godavari Arch Bridge are its major bridges.

3. the Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra is the longest river in India which is known by different names based on the regions, it flows through.

•  The Brahmaputra originates from the Kailash Ranges of the Himalayas and its length is 2900 km.
•  Southwest Tibet in the Himalayas is the source of Brahmaputra Waterways.
•  Naranarayan Setu, Dhola-Sadia, Saraighat Bridges are made over Brahmaputra. And, Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola–Sadiya Bridge) is the longest river bridge in India.

4. the Yamuna

The Yamuna, which is the lifeline of Delhi is the second largest tributary river of the Ganga in northern India. The Yamuna is one of the most important rivers in India.

•  It originates from the Yamunotri Glacier in the uppermost region of the Lower Himalaya in Uttarakhand and drains into the Triveni Sangam.
•  The Yamuna takes place in the India river map as one of the important rivers in India.
•  Yamunotri and Champasar Glacier are the sources of Yamuna and their length is 1376 km.
•  It flows through Agra, Allahabad, Mathura, Yamuna Nagar, Noida, Delhi, Etawah, Baghpat, Firozabad, Kalpi, Hamirpur cities.
•  New Yamuna Bridge, Allahabad bridges are made over the Yamuna.
•  The Yamuna also creates natural state borders between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

5. Kaveri

The Kaveri is also known as Cauvery. It is the holiest river of South India and one of the important rivers in the territory.

•  The Kaveri comes in the list of rivers in India which are the most famous amongst Indians.
•  Talakaveri in the Western Ghats Mountain Range is the source of Kaveri and its length is 765 km.
•  It flows through Tiruchirappalli, Talakaveri, Thanjavur, Srirangapatna cities. Cauvery Bridge is made over Kaveri.
•  Shivanasamudra Falls created by Kaveri and Doddabetta is the highest point of the Kaveri basin.

List of Rivers of India PDF & their Origins, Lengths, Tributaries, Basins

In this article, we have tried to cover up all the information related to the rivers, which are situated in India. Must read the complete article to gain knowledge of the list of rivers of India and their origins. Hope this data will help you to connect with our countries’ rivers.

GK Questions And Answers On Indian Rivers

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1. Name the watershed from where all Major Rivers in India originate?

Answer:
A) Aravalli Range
B) Sahyadri or The Western Ghats in Western India
C) Himalaya and Karakoram Ranges
D) Vindhya and Satpura ranges and Chotanagpur plateau in central India

2. Which Sea do the Rivers in India pour off?

Answer: The Bay of Bengal and The Arabian Sea

3.  Name the three River Basins that Himalayan glaciers divide?

Answer:
A) Indus
B) Ganga
C) Brahmaputra

4. Largest River System in India?

Answer: Ganga

5. Which Indian Rivers pour into Bangladesh?

Answer:
A) Ganga
B) Meghna
C) Brahmaputra

6. How many Major Rivers make up the River System of India?

Answer: 7 (Seven)

7. Name the Major Rivers that make up the River System in India?

Answer:
A) Indus
B) Godavari
C) Brahmaputra
D) Krishna
E) Tapi
F) Narmada
G) Mahanadi

8. Name the 4 classifications of the River Systems in India?

Answer:
1) Himalayan Rivers
2)Deccan Rivers
3) Coastal Rivers
4) Rivers of Inland Water Drainage.

Alternative River Names in India

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No.	Present Name	Alternative Name
1	Indus River	Sindhū
2	Jhelum River	Vitastā
3	Brahmaputra River	Dihang, Tsangpo
4	Krishna River	Kṛṣṇaveṇā
5	Chenab River	Asikini
6	Luni River	Lavanavat, Sagarmati
7	Beas River	Vipasa
8	Sutlej River	Satadree
9	Narmada River	Nerbudda, Rewa
10	Ravi River	Parusni
11	Chambal River	Charmanyavati
12	Kosi River	Saptakoshi
13	Ghaghara River	Karnali
14	Gandak River	Kali Gandaki
15	Betwa River	Betravati

List of Rivers of India PDF and their Origin and Tributaries: FAQs