Everything you need to know about Indian Rivers: Full List

India’s Lifeline: The Mighty Rivers

India’s rivers are the lifeblood of the nation, deeply woven into the lives of its people. From providing water for drinking and irrigation to powering homes and enabling transportation, these waterways are essential. Unsurprisingly, most major cities have sprung up along their banks.

Hindus hold these rivers sacred, as they play a significant role in their mythology. Seven major rivers – the Indus, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, and Mahanadi – form the Indian river system, with countless tributaries branching out. Most rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal, while some in the west flow into the Arabian Sea. There are also pockets of inland drainage in Ladakh, the Aravalli Range, and the Thar Desert.

The Source of India’s Water Wealth:

The Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges
The Vindhya and Satpura ranges of Central India, along with the Chotanagpur plateau
The Western Ghats (Sahyadri mountains) of Western India

Rivers of India by State

Indian Rivers Names with States

S. No.	State	Rivers
1	Andhra Pradesh	Godavari & Musi
2	Bihar	Ganga
3	Delhi	Yamuna
4	Goa	Mandovi
5	Gujarat	Sabarmati
6	Haryana	Yamuna
7	Jharkhand	Damodar, Ganga & Subarnarekha
8	Karnataka	Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Cauvery, Tunga & Pennar
9	Kerala	Pamba
10	Madhya Pradesh	Betwa, Tapti, Wainganga, Khan, Narmada, Kshipra, Beehar, Chambal & Mandakini
11	Maharashtra	Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and Panchganga
12	Nagaland	Diphu & Dhansiri
13	Orissa	Brahmini & Mahanadi
14	Punjab	Satluj
15	Rajasthan	Chambal
16	Sikkim	Rani Chu
17	Tamil Nadu	Cauvery, Adyar, Cooum, Vennar, Vaigai & Tambarani
18	Uttar Pradesh	Yamuna, Ganga & Gomti
19	Uttrakhand	Ganga
20	West Bengal	Ganga, Damodar & Mahananda

Himalayan Rivers

Rivers	Length (KM)	Origin	End
Ganga	2,525	Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand	Bay of Bengal
Yamuna	1,376	Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand	Merges with Ganga at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam – Kumbh Mela spot)
Brahmaputra	1,800	Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh	Merges with Ganga and ends in Bay of Bengal
Chambal	960	Tributary of Yamuna river, starting at Madhya Pradesh	Joins Yamuna river in UP
Son	784	Tributary of Ganga, starting at Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh	Joins Ganga just above Patna – also considered part of Vindhya river system
Gandak	630	Nepal; Ganges tributary at Indo-Nepal border (Triveni Sangam)	Joins Ganga near Patna
Kosi	720	Starts from Bihar near Indo-Nepal border	Joins Ganga near Katihar district of Bihar
Betwa	590	Tributary of Yamuna, rises at Vindhya region, MP	Joins Yamuna at Hamirpur in UP
Gomti	900	Tributary of Ganga, starting at Gomat Taal, UP	Joins Ganga in Varanasi district
Ghaghra	1,080	Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, tributary of Ganga	Joins Ganga in Bihar
Hugli (Hooghly)	260	Tributary of Ganga near West Bengal	Merges with Ganga at the Bay of Bengal
Damodar	592	Tributary of Hugli near Chandwar, Jharkhand	Merges with Hugli in West Bengal

Peninsular Rivers

Peninsular Rivers Flowing West to East And East to West

Rivers	Details
Luni	Originates from the western Aravalli Range near Ajmer, is sometimes known as the Sabarmati, and flows through Gujarat’s swampy Rann of Kutch.
Sabarmati	Begins at Dhebar Lake in the Aravalli Range of Udaipur (Rajasthan) and flows through an estuary to the Arabian Sea.
Mahi	Comes from the Vindhya range in MP and empties into the Gulf of Cambay.
Narmada	Origin: Amarkantak, Shahdol, MP Ends: The Arabian Sea via Estuary Flow Route: MP – Bharuch (Gujrat) – Gulf of Khambat (Gujrat) – The Arabian Sea via Estuary Famous projects: Sardar Sarovar Dam, Maheshwar Dam, Indira Gandhi Sagar Dam It is longest among all east to west flowing rivers. It is also known as Lifeline of MP. Forms Duandhar falls at Jabalpur. Its only tributary is Hiran River. Aliabet is the Largest Island in Estuary.
Tapi	Place of Origin: Betul District, MP, Satpura Range, Mahadev Hills. Flow Route: MP to Maharashtra, Cambay to the Arabian Sea through Estuary, Gulf of Khambat. Notable construction initiatives include the Ukai Dam and the Kakrapar Dam.
Periyar	Rises from Kerala’s Western Ghats, flows west, and empties into the Arabian Sea via an estuary.

Rivers	Details
Mahanadi	Flow routes include Chhattisgarh, Orissa, EGs, and BOB. The famous project is the Hirakund Dam.
Godavari	Largest Peninsular River’s Origin: Triambakeshwar Plateau, Nashik, WGs Flow Route: Nashik to Andhra Pradesh Notable Tributaries: Penganga, Sabri, Wardha, and Indravati Notable Projects: Poochampad, Jayakwadi, and Polavaram
Penganga	It originates in the Ajanta Hills in Maharashtra and is a tributary of the River Wardha before joining the Godavari.
Krishna	Place of Origin: WGs, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra Famous Projects: Koyna, Tugrabhdra, Srisailam, and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Flow Route: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and BOB
Tungabhadra	One of Krishna’s main tributaries, rising from the Western Ghats.
Bhima	Rises from the Balaghat range in Maharashtra and is a Krishna tributary.
Kaveri	Origin: Karnataka’s Brahamgiri Hills, WGs Perennial River Flow Route: Karnataka Kaveripatnam (TN) BOB Creates Shivasundaram Falls The projects Krishnaraja Sagar & Mettur are well-known.
Penner	Originates in Karnataka, divides into the Krishna and Kaveri, and empties into Bay of Bengal.
Vaigai	A seasonal river flowing through Tennessee and originates in the Palni Hills. It drains into the Gulf of Mannar.