A river basin is the part of land through which a main river and all its tributaries flows. It is the basic hydrological unit for planning and development of water resources of a country. In India, rivers hold a great significance, rather than just being a source of water. There are hundreds of scenic, wild rivers flowing throughout the country. Some are considered nature’s wonder, worshipped, and even declared as goddesses.
Top 10 longest rivers in India |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Sr. No. | River | Length in India (km) | Total Length (km) |
| 1. | Ganga | 2525 | 2525 |
| 2. | Godavari | 1464 | 1465 |
| 3. | Krishna | 1400 | 1400 |
| 4. | Yamuna | 1376 | 1376 |
| 5. | Narmada | 1312 | 1312 |
| 6. | Indus | 1114 | 3180 |
| 7. | Brahmaputra | 916 | 2900 |
| 8. | Mahanadi | 890 | 890 |
| 9. | Kaveri | 800 | 800 |
| 10. | Tapti | 724 | 724 |
Ganga River
The Ganges is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the largest basin in India with area about 861452 sq. km. It originates from the Gangotri glacier in Himalaya and traverses about 2,525 km across the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal before falling into the Bay of Bengal. Its principal tributaries are Yamuna, Chambal, Banas, Kali Sindh, Parbati, Sind, Betwa, Dhasan, Keri, Gomti, Sarda, Ghaghara, Gandak, Son, Damodar, and Hooghly, Ramganga, and Mahananda
Length: 2,510 km
Discharge: 18,490 m³/s
Basin area: 1.32 million km²
Mouth: Ganges Delta
Sources: Gangotri Glacier, Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Satopanth Glacier, Kamet, Trisul, Nanda Kot
Bridges: Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Vidyasagar Setu, Ram Jhula, MORE
Indus River
The Indus is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The 3,180 km river rises in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan. River Indus is the Birthplace of the ancient Indus valley civilization and holds immense historical significance. Our country is also believed to be named after this great river. Indus river originates from the Mansarovar Lake and goes past Ladakh, Gilgit, and Baltistan. The river then enters Pakistan.
Length: 3,180 km
Basin area: 1.165 million km²
Discharge: 6,600 m³/s
Sources: Tibetan Plateau, Senge Zangbu, Gar River
Mouths: Arabian Sea, Rann of Kutch, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra, also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachal Pradesh, and Luit, Dilao in Assam, is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, India, and Bangladesh. It is the 9th largest river in the world by discharge, and the 15th longest. Apart from the Indus river, Brahmaputra also originates from the Mansarovar ranges. The river is known to have emerged from the Angsi Glacier located close to the Mansarovar lake in Tibet, China. This is the only river in India which is considered to have a male gender. In China, Brahmaputra is called the Yarlung Tsangpo river which enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. The total length of the river within India is 916 kms and the rest of the part lies in China.
Length: 3,848 km
Source: Himalayas
Bridges: Bogibeel Bridge, Dhola Sadiya Bridge, Naranarayan Setu
Mouths: Ganges, Bay of Bengal
Godavari River
The Godavari is India’s second longest river after the Ganga and third largest in India, drains about 10% of India’s total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra. It flows east for 1,465 kilometres, draining the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha
Length: 1,465 km
Discharge: 3,505 m³/s
Basin area: 312,812 km²
Mouth: Bay of Bengal
Sutlej River
The Sutlej or Satluj River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as Satadree. It is the easternmost tributary of the Indus River.
Length: 1,450 km
Discharge: 500 m³/s
Basin area: 66,317 km²
Source: Kangrinboqe Peak
Mouths: Chenab River, Panjnad, Arabian Sea
Krishna River
The Krishna River is the fourth-largest river in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganges, Godavari and Brahmaputra. The river, also called Krishnaveni, is almost 1,288 kilometres long. Holding a prominent place for irrigation in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Krishna is considered as the fourth longest river in India. Covering a distance of 1290 kms, this river emerges from Mahabaleshwar and enters the Bay of Bengal. The tributaries of this river are Panchganga, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Tungabhadra and Dudhaganga. It flows by the banks of Sangli and Vijayawada.
Length: 1,400 km
Discharge: 1,642 m³/s
Basin area: 258,948 km²
Source: Mahabaleshwar
Mouths: Bay of Bengal, Hamsaladeevi
Yamuna River
The Yamuna is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganga by discharge and the longest tributary in India. The Yamuna also called Jamuna, originated from the Yamunotri glacier at the Banderpoonch peak in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. It is the longest tributary of the River Ganges and it does not directly fall into the sea. Hindon, Sharda, Giri, Rishiganga, Hanuman Ganga, Sasur, Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sindh and Tons are the tributary rivers of Yamuna. The major states through which the river flows are Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Length: 1,376 km
Basin area: 366,223 km²
Mean depth: 3 m
Sources: Yamunotri, Champasar Glacier
Mouths: Ganges, Triveni Sangam
Narmada River
The Narmada River, also called the Reva and previously also known as Narbada or anglicised as Nerbudda, is the 5th longest river and overall longest west-flowing river in India, and largest flowing river of the state of Madhya Pradesh. This river flows through Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states of India.
Length: 1,312 km
Discharge: 1,216 m³/s
Basin area: 98,796 km²
Source: Amarkantak
Mouths: Arabian Sea, Gulf of Khambhat
Chambal River
The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central and Northen India, and thus forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. Chambal River is actually regarded as the most pollution free river in India. Needless to say, the pristine and crystal clear appeal of the river is sure to blow your mind. Best part about the river is that you can also find rich flora and wildlife in the area. Interestingly, it is one of the very few places in the world where one can spot both, a gharial and the mugger crocodile thrive in unison. The river is also home to the popular Gangetic River Dolphin along with numerous turtles and bird species. Bottom line, as a wildlife enthusiast, you would be amazed.
Length: 1,024 km
Basin area: 143,219 km²
Source: Janapav
Mouth: Yamuna River
Tapi River
The Tapti River is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river which flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around 700kms and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Length: 724 km
Basin area: 62,225 km²
Source: Satpura Range
Mouths: Arabian Sea, Gulf of Khambhat
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi 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. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay of Bengal. Mahanadi is one of the most famous rivers in East-Central India. It is a combination of many mountain streams. The river flows through the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. It flows through the cities of Cuttack, Banki, and Sambalpur. The river is also known for the Hirakud Dam.
Length: 900 km
Basin area: 141,600 km²
Discharge: 2,119 m³/s
Source: Sihawa
Mouth: False Point
FAQ in Longest River In India 2022
Q: Which is biggest river in India?
Ans: At over three thousand kilometers long, the Indus is the longest river of India. It originates in Tibet from Lake Mansarovar before flowing through the regions of Ladakh and Punjab, joining the Arabian Sea at Pakistan’s Karachi port.
Q: Which river is smallest in India?
Ans: Arvari river is a small river in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It just have 90 km of length and it also consider as the smallest river of India and flows through the Arvari District of Rajasthan.
Q: What are the 5 major rivers in India?
Ans: The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus river, Ganga river, Yamuna, and the Brahmaputra. The major Peninsular rivers are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery
Q: Which is the deepest river in India?
Ans: Brahmaputra river is the deepest river in India with depths reaching up to 380 feet. It is one of the largest rivers of the world, has its origin in the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake. The Brahmaputra receives numerous tributaries in its 750 km long journey through the Assam valley.
Q: Which is the cleanest river in India?
Ans: Recently, the Jal Shakti Ministry declared the Umngot river in Meghalaya as the cleanest in the country. The ministry took to Twitter share a stunning image of the crystal-clear river.
Q: Which is the largest river of Asia?
Ans: Yangtze River, Chinese (Pinyin) Chang Jiang or (Wade-Giles romanization) Ch’ang Chiang, longest river in both China and Asia and third longest river in the world, with a length of 3,915 miles (6,300 km).
Q: Which is largest river in the world?
Ans: Nile: 4,132 miles.
Amazon: 4,000 miles.
Yangtze: 3,915 miles.
Q: Which river has largest basin in India?
Ans: There are 20 river basins/draining areas, large and small, in India. The Ganga basin is the largest.
Q: What is our national river?
Ans: The Ganga or Ganges is the longest river of India flowing over 2,510 kms of mountains, valleys and plains. It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River.
Q: Which is the oldest river in India?
Ans: Narmada