Our Nation, our pride, India is worldwide known for its culture and tradition. India is also known as the land of rivers as there are many rivers flowing across the country. Indian rivers can be divided into two categories, namely Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers. The Himalayan rivers are endless while peninsular rivers are rain-fed. 90% of Indian rivers flow toward the eastern parts of the country and merge into the Bay of Bengal. And the remaining 10% of Indian rivers flow towards the western parts of the country and merge into the Arabian sea.
Indian rivers are integral to one another. They comprise the lifeline of the country and because of them, the land remains fertile and suitable for agriculture. Here in this article, I am presenting you the top ten longest rivers that are worshipped as goddesses by the people of India.
1.The Ganges River- 2525 km
The Ganges, known as Ganga in India is the holiest river when it comes to Hindu beliefs and it is also the longest river. the river Ganga originates from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand and it starts b merging with the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The Ganges is the longest river in the country and also the largest river in India followed by the Godavari river which is 1465 km. The states where the river flows are Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. The last part of the river Ganges ends in Bangladesh, where it finally merges into the Bay of Bengal. Some of the major tributaries of the river Ganga are the Yamuna, Gomti, Gandak, Son, Ghaghara, and Koshi.
2.Godavari River- 1464 km
Godavari River also known as the Dakshin Ganga or South Ganges, which is the second longest river in India. It originates from the Triambakeshwar, Nasik in Maharashtra, and runs through Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, and then it finally merges into the Bay of Bengal. The major tributaries of the river include the Purna, Pranhita, Indravati, and Sabari Rivers. The stream is holy to Hindus Its spread according in length is 1,450 kilometers. Some of the major cities on the banks of Godavari are Nanded, Nashik, and Rajahmundry.
3. Krishna River- 1400 km
The river Krishna is considered the third-longest river in India in terms of length and the fourth-longest river in India in terms of water inflows and river basin area, following the Ganges, Godavari, and Brahmaputra. The river is one of the major sources of irrigation for the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It originates from Mahabaleshwar and then meets the Bay of Bengal after flowing through these states. The main tributaries of the Krishna River are Bhima, Panchganga, Ghataprabha, Dudhaganga, and Tungabhadra and its main cities by the banks are Sangli and Vijayawada.
4. Yamuna River- 1376 km
The Yamuna River is commonly called as Jamuna, the river originated from the Yamunotri glacier at the Banderpoonch peak in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It is the longest tributary of the river Ganges and it does not directly merge into the ocean. The tributaries of the river are Ken, Rishiganga, Sharda, Sasur, Giri, Hanuman Ganga, Chambal, Hindon, Betwa, Sindh and Tons are the major tributary rivers of Yamuna. The major states through which the river flows are Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
5. Narmada River- 1312 km
The Narmada River also called the Rewa river and was earlier known by the name of Nerbudda, as it originates from the Amarkantak. The river is also known as the Life Line of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat because of its major contribution to the state of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. This river flows westward side. It is also considered one of the holiest water bodies in the country. for the Hindus the Narmada River is one of the seven heavenly waterways of India, the other six being the Godavari, Ganges, Saraswati, Yamuna, Sindhu, and Kaveri.
6. Indus River- 1114 km
The history of the name of our country is related to the Indus, it originated from the Mansarovar Lake and then crosses Ladakh, Gilgit, and Baltistan. Then it enters the country of Pakistan. The Indus is also known for harbouring one of the oldest and most developed civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization. The main tributaries of the river are Jansker, Chenab, Soan, Ravi, Jhelum, Sutlej, and Beas. Major Cities located on the banks of the Indus are Leh and Skardu. The total length of the Indus River is approximately 3180 kilometers. And the distance the river covers in India is only 1,114 kilometers.
7. Brahmaputra River- 916 km
The Brahmaputra River is the second river that originates from the Mansarovar ranges. It originates from Angsi Glacier, Mansarovar Lake, Tibet, China. It is the only river whose gender is considered male in India, It is called the Yarlung Tsangpo River in China and then it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and then traverses through Assam, and finally enters into Bangladesh. Its total length in India is only 916 kilometers.
8. Mahanadi River- 890 km
The Mahanadi River originates in the Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The Mahanadi River was famous for its staggering floods and for a lot of written history. However, it was called ‘the distress of Odisha’. The development of the Hirakud Dam has tremendously changed the circumstances. The main major tributaries of the river are Seonath, Ib, parry river, Hasdeo, Ong, Mand, Jonk, and Telen.
9. Kaveri River- 800 km
Kaveri River is the holy river of southern India. It originates from the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows in a southeast direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends to the Eastern Ghats. Before merging into the Bay of Bengal, the river breaks into a large number of distributaries forming a wide delta called the “garden of southern India.
10. Tapti River- 724 km
Tapti River is one of the only three rivers that originate in Peninsular India and that flows from east to west. It rises in the Betul district of the Satpura Range and drains off into the Gulf of Khambhat, Arabian Sea. It flows via Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat and has six tributaries. The tributary rivers of the Tapti river are the Purna River, Gomai, Panzara, Girna River, Pedhi and Arna.
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