Longest Rivers in India: Check List of Top 10 Longest Rivers in India

Rivers are often called the lifelines of a country. They provide water that is crucial for agriculture and other human activities. Thankfully, our country India is blessed with many rivers. In fact, India is famous as the land of rivers. These rivers play an instrumental role in the economic development of the country. Most of the rivers in India flows towards the east and drain into the Bay of Bengal. However, there are a few rivers like Narmada and Tapi that flow towards the west and drain into Arabian Sea.

In today’s post, we are providing a list of the top 10 longest rivers in India.

10 Longest Rivers in India 2024

Top 10 longest rivers in India

Ganges (Ganga)

The Ganges is the longest river in India. Its length is more than 2525 km in India. It is a lifeline of millions of People living in Ganga – Brahmaputra Basin. In fact, it is regarded as one of the most important rivers in the world. A few of the major cities on the bank of Ganges are Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Patna, etc.

Godavari River

The Godavari is India’s second-longest river after the Ganga. It is also known as the “Ganga of South India”. The Godavari originates in the Western Ghats of central India near Nashik in Maharashtra and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Please note that the Godavari is the longest river in South India. Godavari Bridge, which is one of the longest bridges in India is on this river.

Krishna River

Originating from Jor Village near Mahabaleshwar, Krishna is one of the longest rivers in South India. The Krishna River is considered sacred as per the Hindu religion. The basin of Krishna river is endowed with rich mineral deposits such as oil & gas, coal, iron, limestone, dolomite, gold, granite, laterite, uranium, diamonds, etc.

Yamuna River

The Yamuna is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganga. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier, this river is highly venerated in Hinduism and worshipped as the goddess Yamuna. Nearly 57 million people depend on the river Yamuna.

Narmada River

The source of the Narmada is a small reservoir, known as the Narmada Kund. It is located at Amarkantak on the Amarkantak Plateau. A few of the major cities on the banks of Narmada are Hoshangabad, Budhni, Jabalpur, Dindori, Narsinghpur Harda, Mandhata, Omkareshwar, Barwaha, Mandleshwar, Maheshwar, Mandla, Bharuch, Rajpipla, Sinor (Vadodara District), Dabhoi (Vadodara District), Karjan (Vadodara District), Dharampuri.

Indus River

The overall mapped length of the Indus River is 3,180 km. However, its length in India is around 1114 km. This river was known to the ancient Indians in Sanskrit as Sindhu. According to some experts, Indus Valley Civilisation started on the banks of this river. It Originates from Lake Manasarovar and drains into the Arabian Sea. It is one of the 50 largest rivers in the world in terms of average annual flow.

Brahmaputra River

According to the official Indian Government Website on Rivers, Brahmaputra is the longest river that passes through India. The river provides crucial water for the people in North-East India. It originates from the Manasarovar Lake region, near Mount Kailash, located on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River. It merges into the Padma in Bangladesh and becomes Meghna. It drains into the Bay of Bengal as the Meghna river.

Mahanadi River

Mahanadi is a large river that flows in East Central India. The river Mahanadi is famous for Hirakund Dam. One of the major dams in India. It flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Many important cities of Odisha are located on the bank of this River. In ancient era, the river was known by the name of “Kanaknandini”.

Kaveri River

Kaveri is an important river that flows in South India states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In various Tamil literature, Kaveri is praised for its breath-taking scenery and sanctity. The river is important for many irrigation canal projects.

Tapti River

Tapti or Tap is one of the few rivers that flows westward and drains into the Arabian Sea. It flows through many states of west India including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. According to etymology, Tapti river is names after the goddess Tapati, the daughter of Surya, the Sun god, and Chhaya. Tapati is the sister of Shani, Bhadra, Yamuna and Yama.

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