Longest River in India: Top 10 Longest & Largest Rivers In India

Top 10 Longest Rivers in India: India is famous as the land of rivers as there are numerous rivers flowing across the country. India is the land of rivers and these mighty water bodies play a huge role in the economic development of the country. The rivers in India have been divided into two namely Himalayan Rivers (rivers that originate from the Himalayas) and Peninsular Rivers ( rivers that originate in the Peninsula ). Himalayan Rivers are perennial while Peninsular Rivers are rain-fed. Here, in this article, we will talk about the top 10 longest rivers in India.

Top 10 Longest Rivers in India

Here is the list of the top 10 longest rivers in India in terms of length.

Longest River in India

1. The Ganges River- 2525 km

The Ganges, known as Ganga in India is the most sacred river when it comes to Hindu beliefs and it is also the longest river, enclosed with the Indian subcontinent. Its origin is the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand and it starts at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The Ganges is compromised by contamination, not exclusively to people, yet in addition to creatures, among which are in excess of 140 fish species, 90 land and water proficient species, reptiles, for example, the gharial, and warm-blooded creatures, for example, the Ganges waterway dolphin, the last-referenced two incorporated into the IUCN’s basically imperiled list.

The Ganges is the longest river in India and also the largest river in India followed by Godavari (1465 kms). The states that are covered by this waterbody are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The last part of the Ganges ends in Bangladesh, where it finally converges in the Bay of Bengal. Some of the primary tributaries of the Ganga are the Yamuna, Son, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, and Koshi.

2. Godavari River- 1464 km

Again, in terms of the total length covered within India, the Godavari aka Dakshin Ganga or South Ganges is the second longest river in India. It begins from Triambakeshwar, Nasik in Maharashtra and traverses via Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, after which it finally meets with the Bay of Bengal. The major tributaries of the river can be classified as the left bank tributaries which include the Purna, Pranhita, Indravati and Sabari River. The stream is sacred to Hindus and has a few places on its banks, that have been spots of the journey for a large number of years. Its total span in terms of length is 1,450 kilometers. Some of the prime cities on the banks of Godavari are Nashik, Nanded, and Rajahmundry.

3. Krishna River- 1400 km

Krishna, which is the third-longest river in India in terms of length in India and the fourth-longest river in India (within the country’s borders) in terms of water inflows and river basin area, following the Ganges, Godavari, and the Brahmaputra. It serves as one of the prominent sources of irrigation for the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. It originates in Mahabaleshwar and then enters the Bay of Bengal after flowing through these states. The main tributaries of the Krishna are Bhima, Panchganga, Dudhaganga, Ghataprabha, Tungabhadra and its main cities by the banks are Sangli and Vijayawada.

4. Yamuna River- 1376 km

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.

5. Narmada River- 1312 km

The Narmada River also called the Rewa and previously also known as Nerbudda, it originates from the Amarkantak. It is also known as the "Life Line of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat" for its huge contribution to the state of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. In contrast with all the rivers of the country that flow in the east direction, it flows westward. It is also considered as one of the holiest water bodies. To Hindus the Narmada is one of the seven heavenly waterways of India; the other six being Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Sindhu, and Kaveri. The Ramayana, the Mahabharat, and the Puranas allude to it oftentimes.

6. Indus River- 3180 km

The history of the name of our country is related to the Indus, it begins from Mansarovar Lake and then crosses Ladakh, Gilgit, and Baltistan. It then enters Pakistan. The Indus is also known for harboring one of the oldest and flourishing civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization. Its main tributaries include Jansker, Soan, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. Major Cities located on the banks of Indus are: Leh, and Skardu. The total length of the Indus River is 3180 kilometers. However, its distance covered within India is only 1,114 kilometers.

7. Brahmaputra River- 2900 km

The Brahmaputra is the second river that originates from the Mansarovar ranges. It originates from Angsi Glacier near Mansarovar Lake, Tibet, China. It is the sole river whose gender is considered male in India,  It is called the Yarlung Tsangpo River in China and then it enters into India via Arunachal Pradesh. During the rainstorm season (June–October), floods are an exceptionally normal event. The Kaziranga National Park is on the banks of Brahmaputra.  It then traverses through Assam and finally enters Bangladesh. Its total length within India is only 916 kilometers. The Majuli or Majoli is a river island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam and in 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India. It had an area of 880 square kilometers at the beginning of the 20th century.

8. Mahanadi River- 890 km

The Mahanadi River originates in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. The Mahanadi was infamous for its staggering floods for a lot of written history. Hence it was called ‘the distress of Odisha’. Anyway, the development of the Hirakud Dam has enormously modified the circumstance. Today a system of waterways, blasts and check dams keep the stream well in charge. Its major tributaries are Seonath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo, Ong, parry river, Jonk, Telen.

9. Kaveri River- 800 km

Kaveri River, also spelled Cauvery, sacred river of southern India. It rises in Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats. Before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu, the river breaks into a large number of distributaries forming a wide delta called the “garden of southern India.” The Kaveri River is celebrated for its scenery and sanctity in Tamil literature, and its entire course is considered holy ground. The river is also important for its irrigation canal projects.

10. Tapti River- 724 km

Tapti River is one of the only three rivers that originate in Peninsular India and that runs from east to west. It rises in the Betul district (Satpura Range) and drains off into the Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea). It runs through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and has six tributaries. The tributaries rivers of Tapti river are Purna River, Girna River, Gomai, Panzara, Pedhi and Arna.

List of Top 10 Longest Rivers in the World: Check Here