Rivers in India

About the Rivers of India

The 63 rivers above with an encyclopedia article, in brief. Each name opens the river's full page, with its course on the map.

Alaknanda

The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and a river considered holy in Hinduism. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Baitarani

The Baitarani is one of six major rivers of Odisha, India. Venerated in popular epics and legends, the Baitarani River is a source of water for agricultural irrigation. The coastal plain of Odisha has the name of Hexadeltaic region. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Banas

The Banas is a river which lies entirely within the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is a tributary of the Chambal River, itself a tributary of the Yamuna, which in turn merges into the Ganga. The Banas is approximately 512 kilometres in length. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Barak

The Barak River is a trans-boundary river in India and Bangladesh. It flows 900 kilometres through the states of Manipur, Mizoram and Assam in India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Beas

The Beas River, anglicized from Vyas River in India, is a river in northwestern India, flowing through the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, and is the smallest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Betwa

The Betwa is a river in central and northern India, and a tributary of the Yamuna. It rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh and flows northeast through Madhya Pradesh before entering Uttar Pradesh after flowing through Orchha. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bharathapuzha

The Bharathappuzha, also known as the Nila River, Ponnani River, or Kuttippuram River, is a river in the Indian state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second longest river that flows through Kerala after the Periyar. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bhavani

Bhavani is an Indian river which flows through the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It originates in the Nilgiris in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, and flows westwards into Kerala for some distance, before turning east, and flowing back towards Tamil Nadu. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bhima

The Bhima River is a major river in Western and South India. It flows southeast for 861 kilometres through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana states, before joining the Krishna River. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Brahmani

The Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Odisha state of eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers, and flows through the districts of Sundargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal,Jajapur and Kendrapara. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cauvery

The Kaveri, historically known in Tamil as Ponni, is a major river flowing across southern India. It is the third-largest river in the peninsula after the Godavari and Krishna. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Chambal

The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central and Northern India, and thus forms part of the drainage system of the Ganges. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Chenab

The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and one of the five major rivers associated with the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh, India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Damodar

Damodar River is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The valley is rich in mineral resources and is known for large-scale mining and industrial activity. It was also known as the Sorrow of Bengal because of the ravaging floods it caused in the plains of West Bengal. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Dudhsagar

Dudhsagar Falls is a four-tiered waterfall on the Mahadayi River in the Indian state of Goa. It is 60km from Panaji by road and is located on the Belagavi–Vasco Da Gama rail route about 46km east of Madgaon and 80km south of Belagavi (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Gandak

The Gandaki River, also known as the Narayani and Gandak, is one of the major rivers in Nepal and a left-bank tributary of the Ganges in India. In the Vedic text Shatapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned as Sadanira. Its total catchment area is 46,300 km2, most of it in Nepal. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ganges

The Ganges is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525-kilometre-long river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ghaggar-Hakra River

The Ghaggar-Hakra River is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows in force only during the monsoon season. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage, and as Hakra downstream of the barrage in the Thar Desert. In pre-Harappan times the Ghaggar was a tributary of the Sutlej. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ghaghara

The Ghaghara River, also known as the Karnali River in Nepal, Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet, and as the Sarayu River in the lower Ghaghara of India's Awadh, is a perennial trans-boundary river that originates in the northern slopes of the Himalayas in the Tibetan Plateau, cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sharda River at Brahmaghat in India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Godavari

The Godavari is India's second longest river after the Ganges River, and drains the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of the total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Gomti

The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a river flowing entirely within the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a tributary of the Ganges. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Hasdeo

Hasdeo River is the largest tributary of the Mahanadi River. The river flows in the state of Chhattisgarh. It joins the Mahanadi River near Shiladehi, a village in Janjgir-Champa district. Minimata Dam, which is commonly known as Hasdeo Bango Dam, is constructed across this river near Bango village. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ib

The Ib River is a tributary of the Mahanadi River in central India, which it joins to flow directly into the Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha state. The Ib originates in hills near Pandrapet at an elevation of 762 metres. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Indravati

Indravati River is a tributary of the Godavari River in India. Its source is in the Dandakaranya Range, at the hilltop village of Mardiguda, Thuamula Rampur Block, Kalahandi district, Odisha. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Indus River

The Indus is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Jhelum

The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kabini

The Kabini River is one of the major tributaries of the river Cauvery in southern India, It originates in Wayanad district of Kerala state by the confluence of the Panamaram River and the Mananthavady River. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kaladan

The Kaladan or Kissapanadi River, also known as the Beino, Bawinu and Kolodyne, is a river in the eastern Mizoram State of India, and in Chin State and Rakhine State of western Myanmar. The Kaladan River is called the Chhimtuipui River in India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kali Sindh

The Kali Sindh is a river in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in northern India. It is a tributary of the Chambal River in the Ganges Basin. The main tributaries of the Kali Sindh are the Parwan, Niwaj and Ahu rivers. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ken

The Ken River is one of the major rivers in the Bundelkhand region of central India and flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is a tributary of the Yamuna. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kolidam

The Kollidam is a river in southeastern India. The Kollidam is the northern distributary of the Cauvery River as it flows through the delta districts. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kosi

The Kosi or Koshi is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Koyna

The Koyna River is a tributary of the Krishna River which originates in Mahableshwar, Satara district, western Maharashtra, India. It rises near Mahabaleshwar, a famous hill station in the Western Ghats. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Krishna

The Krishnā River in the Deccan Plateau is the third-longest in India, after the Ganga and Godavari. It is also the fourth-largest in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganga, Indus and Godavari. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Luni

The Luni is the largest river in the Thar Desert in Northwest India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mahanadi

The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around 132,100 square kilometres and has a total length of 900 kilometres. Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence in 1947. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mahananda

The Mahananda is a trans-boundary river that flows through the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal before crossing into Bangladesh. It is an important tributary of the Ganges. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mahi

The Mahi is a river in western India. It rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through the Vagad region of Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and flows into the Arabian Sea. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mandakini

The Mandakini River is a tributary of the Alaknanda River in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The river runs for approximately 81 kilometres between the Rudraprayag and Sonprayag areas and emerges from the Chorabari Glacier. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Manjira

The Manjira river is a tributary of the river Godavari. It passes through the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. It originates in the Balaghat range of hills near the Ahmednagar district at an altitude of 823 metres and empties into the Godavari River. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Narmada

The Narmada River, also known as the Narbada or anglicised as Nerbudda, is the fifth longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest river in the state of Madhya Pradesh. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Netravati

The Netravati River or Netravathi Nadi has its origins at Bangrabalige valley, Yelaneeru Ghat in Kudremukha in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, India. This river flows through the famous pilgrimage place Dharmasthala and is considered one of the holy rivers of India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Penganga

The Painganga River is the chief river of the Buldhana district, Hingoli district, Nanded district, Yavatmal district, Chandrapur district and Washim district in the Maharashtra state in India. It flows along the southeast boundaries of the district in a winding, meandering course. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Penner

Penna is a river of southern India. After originating from Nandi hills, it flows as two different streams, one in North and South directions. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Periyar

The Periyar is the longest river and has the largest discharge potential in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ponnaiyar

The South Pennar River is a river in India. It is the second longest river in Tamil Nadu, with a length of 497 km, after the Kaveri. Chandapura, Anekal, Hosur, Bagalur and Chengam are the major industrial settlements on its banks. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ravi

The Ravi River is a river in South Asia that flows through northwestern India and eastern Pakistan forming the boundary between the two nations for about 50 miles before travelling westwards across eastern Pakistan. It is one of five major rivers of the Punjab region. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Rihand

The Rihand River is a tributary of the Son River and flows through the Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Its old name was Renu or Renuka. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sabarmati

The Sabarmati River is one of the major west-flowing rivers in India. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sankh

The Sankh River flows across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha states in India. The river flows for 240 kilometres before it meets the Koel River in Odisha. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Seonath

The Shivnath River, also called the Seonath River, is the longest tributary of the Mahanadi River, which joins it at Changori in the Janjgir-Champa district in Chhattisgarh, India). It has a total course of 290 kilometres. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sharavathi

Sharāvati is a river which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka in India. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats. The famous Jog Falls, located in Sagar taluk, Shimoga district is formed by this river. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Shyok

The Shyok River is a major tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh in India and into Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan. Originating from the Rimo Glacier in the eastern Karakoram, it runs for about 550 km before joining the Indus near Skardu. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Son

Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra, Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Bihar. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Subansiri

The Subansiri is a trans-Himalayan river and a tributary of the Brahmaputra River that flows through Tibet's Lhuntse County in the Shannan Prefecture in Southwestern China, and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sutlej

The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as Satadru; and is the easternmost tributary of the Indus River. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tel

The Tel river flows in Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, Boudh Sonepur District of Odisha, India. Tel is an important tributary of the Mahanadi. It flows just eight kilometers away from the town of Titilagarh. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tista

Teesta River is a 414 km long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal and subsequently enters Bangladesh through Rangpur division. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tungabhadra

The Tungabhadra River starts and flows through the Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through the borders of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Gudimalla and Murvakonda villages. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Vaigai

Vaigai is a semi-perennial river in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It flows through the districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, and Ramanathapuram in the southern part of the state. The city of Madurai is situated on the banks of the river. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wainganga

The Wainganga is a river in India originating in the Mahadeo Hills in Mundara in Gondwana region near the village Gopalganj in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. It is a key tributary of the Godavari. The river flows south in a winding course through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, roughly 580 km. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wardha

The Wardha River, also known as the Varada River, is a major river in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, India, which originates in the Satpura Range and flows into the Wainganga river to form the Pranhita river which finally joins the Godavari river. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Yamuna

The Yamuna is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about 4,500 m on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Lower Himalaya in Uttarakhand. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)