India is famous as the land of rivers as there are numerous rivers flowing across various states of India. India is the land of longest 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. Every Indian rivers most of the time flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal but there are only three rivers in India that run from east to the west Narmada, Mahi and Tapti River.
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Top 10 Longest Rivers in India with its origin Place
| S.No. | River | Origin | Length in India (km) | Total Length (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ganga | Gangotri Glacier | 2525 | 2525 |
| 2 | Godavari | Triambakeshwar, Maharashtra | 1464 | 1465 |
| 3 | Yamuna | Yamunotri Glacier | 1376 | 1376 |
| 4 | Narmada | Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh | 1312 | 1312 |
| 5 | Krishna | Near Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra | 1300 | 1300 |
| 6 | Indus | Tibet, Kailash Range | 1114 | 3180 |
| 7 | Brahmaputra | Angsi Glacier (Tibet) | 916 | 2900 |
| 8 | Mahanadi | Hills of Southeastern Chhattisgarh | 890 | 890 |
| 9 | Kaveri | Talakaveri, Karnataka | 800 | 800 |
| 10 | Tapti | Satpura Range near Multai, Madhya Pradesh | 724 | 724 |
Here is Longest river in India details:
1. Indus (3610 km)
The genesis of our country’s name, India, can be credited to the river Indus, which begins from the Mansarovar Lake and then crosses Ladakh, Gilgit, and Baltistan. Then it routes itself into Pakistan. The Indus is also known for harbouring 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 situated on the brink of Indus are – Leh, and Skardu. The total length of the Indus River is 3,610 kilometers. Nevertheless, its distance covered within India is only 1,114 kilometers. And finally it discharges its water at Arabian Sea.
2. Brahmaputra (3848 km)
The Brahmaputra, the only river whose gender is thought male in India, finds its point of origin at the Angsi Glacier near Mansarovar Lake, Tibet, China. In these places it is called Yarlung Tsangpo River and then it gains entry into India via Arunachal Pradesh. It then traverses through Assam and finally enters Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra covers an entire length of 3,848 kilometers (as per the latest statistics). Its total length within India is only 916 kilometers. And finally it discharges its water at Bay of Bengal.
3. The Ganges (2525 km)
The Ganges is pointedly the most pure river when it comes to Hindu beliefs and it is also the longest river, enclosed with the Indian subcontinent. Its source of origin is the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand and it starts at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers in Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The states that are covered by this waterbody are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The last part of 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.
4. Godavari (1465 km)
The Godavari also known as Dakshin Ganga or South Ganges is the second longest river in India. It started from Triambakeshwar, Nasik in Maharashtra and traverses via Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, after which it finally meets with the Bay of Bengal.
5. Krishna (1400 km)
Krishna, which is 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. Covering a length of 1,400 kilometers, 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 the above states. The main feeders of the Krishna are Bhima, Panchganga, Dudhaganga, Ghataprabha, Tungabhadra and its main cities by the banks are Sangli and Vijayawada.
6. Yamuna (1,376 km)
Again, state as the fifth-longest river in terms of distance covered in the Indian subcontinent is the Yamuna, which originates from the Yamunotri Glacier. Running across a distance of 1,376km, it offers means of living to almost 50 million people. One of the prominent features of the Yamuna is that it does not end in any sea or ocean and still is one of the largest rivers in the country. It is one of the main tributaries of the Ganges.
7. Narmada (1,312 km)
The Narmada, which flows in the central portion of India, has one unique feature. In contradict with all the rivers of the India, only this river flow in the east direction, it flows westward. It is also considered as one of the holiest water bodies and it does not end in any sea or ocean.
8. Mahanadi River (851 km)
The last longer river in India and holding the 10th position on our list is the Mahanadi River which originates in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. Its major tributaries are Seonath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo, Ong, parry river, Jonk, Telen. The Mahanadi was infamous for its staggering floods for a lot of written history. Hence it was called ‘the distress of Orissa’. The development of the Hirakud Dam has enormously modified the circumstance. And it discharges its water at Bay Of Bengal.
9. Kaveri – 800 Km
River Kaveri is accepted to be the pure rivers in South India and it forms the two quaint islands of Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra. It started from near Kodagu in Karnataka, in the foothills of Western Ghats and runs through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu before it drains off into Bay of Bengal. It is known as the lifeline of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as it provides water for drinking, irrigation and other purposes.
10. Tapti – 724 Km
Tapti River is the only river of those three rivers which originate in Peninsular India and that runs from east to west. It increases in the Betul district and drains off into the Arabian Sea through Gulf of Khambhat. It runs through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and has six tributaries.
Longest River in India: FAQs
Ans. The Ganges River is the longest river in India.
Ans. Ganges is the longest inland river of India.
Ans. Yamuna is the longest tributary river of India.
Ans. Godavari is the longest river of South India.
Ans. Majuli is the largest river island of India.
Ans. The Godavari River is known as Dakshina Ganga
Ans. River Ganges is the home for fresh water dolphins.
Ans. River Ganges is the longest river in India
Ans. The total length of the Indus River is 3180 kilometers.
Ans. River Narmada (also called Rewa) is the largest west flowing river in Peninsular India.
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