Known fondly as the land of rivers, India is one of richest countries in the world in terms of culture and resources. As they taught us in school regarding the Indian River system, they are sectioned to two Himalayan Rivers: rivers that have originated from the Himalayas and Peninsular Rivers: rivers that have originated from Peninsula. The key differences between the two types of rivers are that Himalayan Rivers are perennial and the Peninsular Rivers are rainfed. This blog is for us to see and cherish the list of Longest Rivers in India, out of which a few are sacred and worshipped as well. The Bay of Bengal is home to the most of rivers in India and they flow eastwards out of which only 3 runs east to the west. They are Narmada, Mahi and Tapti River. Let’s go ahead and learn more about the Longest rivers in India.
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The Ganges:
Known infamously as Ganga in India, this river is one of the Longest Rivers in India. This river is widely celebrated and worshipped as Goddess Ganga. The Ganges originate from the Gangotri Glacier and approximately is 2525 km long. Ganga last stop is Bangladesh before it flows into the Bay of Bengal but it also flows through few of the prominent places like Varanasi, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad and Patna. Few of the major attributes to The Ganges are the Yamuna, Son, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, and Koshi. Apart from the fact that it is a holy river, it is also subjected to loads of contamination for the past few years by humans.
The Godavari:
Godavari is known to be the second-longest river in India after Ganga. Running for almost 1465 Km is also popularly known as Dakshin Ganga or South Ganges. The Godavari also happens to be one of the sacred ones among the Longest Rivers in India. Quick fact: it is home to India’s second-largest mangrove formation. The Godavari originates from the Western Ghats near Nasik and flows through Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to finally reach the Bay of Bengal.
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Yamuna:
Parallelly known as Jamuna, this river originates from the Yamunotri glacier on the Banderpoonch peak in Uttarkhand. The Yamuna is known to be the longest tributary to Ganga. The Yamuna is 1376 km long and passes through the cities of Uttarakhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This river is known for not falling directly into the sea and is one of the Longest Rivers in India.
Narmada:
Falling into the Arabian sea, this river flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Running a course of 1312 Km, this river was given birth to in the Amarkantak range in Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada river distinguishes itself from the rest of the rivers as it flows westwards. Apart from being one of the longest rivers in India, Narmada is also one of the holiest water bodies and gave birth to a lot of beautiful waterfalls.
Krishna:
Being on the 4th position among the longest rivers in India, Krishan river serves as a major water source for the Southern states. It flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh to finally unite with the Bay of Bengal. Stretching for almost 1300 km starting from Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats which is one of the most fertile deltas in India.
Bramhaputra:
This river is one of the most significant rivers in India. The Brahmaputra enters into India through Arunachal Pradesh from China. This river flows 2900 km and originates from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet. It is popularly known as Yarlung Tsangpo River in China, and is also known to be ‘Lifeline of Assam’. The Bramhaputra reaches China after flowing through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh.
Mahanadi:
Originating from the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, this river flows 851km and is known as the distress of Odisha because of the floods that rise. This river is today controlled well by the Hirakud Dam. this is one of the longest rivers in India that starts from the Eastern Ghats, flows through Chattisgarh, Odisha and then finally joins the Bay of Bengal.
Kaveri:
The queen of southern India, this river originates from the Talakaveri in Coorg District of Karnataka. Also one of the top sacred river bodies among the list, this river streams 800 Km. Starting from the Western Ghats Kaveri flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu descending the eastern ghats. Kaveri also breaks into smaller streams in Tamilnadu known as the garden of southern India. Kaveri is a very significant river as it serves a lot of purposes before joining the Bay of Bengal.
Tapti:
Tapti River is one among the rivers that originate in the peninsular. The starting point of this river is the Betul district and makes its way to the iconic Arabian sea through the Gulf of Khambhat. Tapti runs through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This 800 km long river is not only one among the sacred rivers but is also one of the longest rivers in India.
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Sutlej:
Originating from the lake Rakshastal in Tibet, Sutlej is Indus river’s easternmost tributary. Sutlej dramatically flows through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and is known for producing electricity. There are countless hydroelectric plants and is destined to join the Indus River after flowing through Chenab and Pakistan.
Adding further to this list are Indus and Chambal. It would be a shame to miss these two beauties. Why? Indus is known to hold historical and mythical significance, running 3180 km long through Ladakh, Gilgit, and Baltistan and finally enters Pakistan. The second last river is a tributary of Yamuna river – Chambal runs through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Fun fact about Chambal is that it is one of the least polluted rivers and is super clean!
These rivers would be the best rivers to witness during your domestic visits across the Indian cities, and needless to say, are also the longest rivers in India. Be sure to plan your domestic vacation with Pickyoutrail and feel free to ping us on Whatsapp for queries.