Rivers in India; Origin, Tributaries, States, Download PDF

Rivers of India

The rivers of India are its biggest source of water. Rivers provide us with water to drink, irrigation, electricity, cooking, clean things, and easy & cheap transportation.  It is also a source of fresh water that flows naturally toward an ocean, lake, sea, or another river. 

Rivers flow in channels. The bottom of the channel is called the bed and the sides of the channel are called the banks. Sometimes a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water. Rivers of India is an important topic in many SSC exams which is why we have explained it in detail below.

How Many Rivers are in India?

Rivers begin at their source in the higher ground such as mountains or hills, where rain water or melting snow collects and forms tiny streams. There are many rivers in India that flow throughout the country along with their tributaries. When one stream meets another and they merge together, the smaller steam is known as a tributary. It takes many tributary streams to form a river.

As a river flows, it carries along material or debris, called its load. A river’s load includes rocks, stones, and other large particles, which are washed along the river bed.  Finer particles float in the water. A river grows larger as it collects water from more tributaries along its course. The river ends at a mouth. In larger rivers, there is often also a wider floodplain shaped by floodwaters over-topping the channel.

Rivers of India PDF

Having the study material about rivers of India will help the aspirants have the most reliable source which can be later used by them for studying as well as revision purposes. Below we have provided the Important Rivers in India PDF. Candidates can download the PDF and keep it for future reference.

Rivers of India Notes PDF

Major Rivers in India

Most of the rivers discharge their waters into the Bay of Bengal. Some of the rivers flow through the western part of the country and merge into the Arabian Sea. The northern parts of the Aravalli range, some parts of Ladakh, and arid regions of the Thar Desert have inland drainage. Detailed information about important rivers of India is provided below.

• Ganga: Ganga is the holiest river in India according to Hinduism. It started from the Gangotri in the Himalayas and poured into the Bay of Bengal by traveling around 2525 km. It is ranked 3^rd largest river in the world. There are a number of cities had been developed across the banks of the Ganga like Pataliputra, Kashi, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kolkata, etc. It also created the World’s largest delta in West Bengal named the Sundarban delta.
• Yamuna: Yamuna River originated from Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas, then travels across several states and merged into the Ganga at Triveni, Allahabad. Its total length is 1376 km. Yamuna River’s water contributed to nearly 70% of Delhi’s water supply. The Taj Mahal is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River.
• Brahmaputra: Brahmaputra River originated from Angsi Glacier, the northern Himalayas in Tibet, then entered into the Arunachal Pradesh to Assam and then merges with the Padma River in Bangladesh. Its length is around 2900 km and plays an important role in irrigation and transportation. It emptied into the Bay of Bengal.
• Indus River: The Indus River is historically famous in Asia. It originated from the Tibetan Plateau and then flows through Ladakh then entered Pakistan and finally merges into the Arabian Sea after traveling a distance of 3180 km. 
• Mahanadi River: Mahanadi is a major river in the state of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Mahanadi’s water is used for irrigation and drinking purpose, it is also called the ruin of Orissa due to its devastating floods over the years till Hirakud Dam was constructed. Its total length is 858 km.
• Godavari: Godavari is the longest river in southern India and 2^nd largest in India after Ganga. It originated from Maharashtra and flows through Andhra Pradesh, then merges into the Bay of Bengal after traveling a distance of 1465 km.
• Krishna: The 3^rd longest river in India after Ganga and Godavari, Krishna River which is originated from Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and flows through the state of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and finally merges into the Bay of Bengal by traveling a distance of 1400 km.
• Kaveri: The Kaveri River is one of the large rivers in India and originates from Talakaveri in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and flows through the states of Karnataka & Tamilnadu, finally merges into the Bay of Bengal by traveling a distance of 765 km.
• Narmada: Narmada River is the 5^th Longest in the Indian sub-continent. It is also called the Lifeline of Madhya Pradesh due to its huge contributions. Narmada River originated from Narmada Kund, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, and merges into the Arabian Sea near Gujarat after traveling a distance of 1312 km.
• Tapti: Tapti River is one of the major rivers in Central India. Its total length is around 724 km which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra and finally merges into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea near Gujarat.

Rivers in India and Their Origin

Having complete knowledge of the rivers of India involves knowing the major river systems. Candidates should acquaint themselves with the important river systems of India so, they can answer any question related to them with confidence. Know the detailed information about the important river systems of India below.

West-Flowing Rivers in India

In India, the majority of rivers are east-flowing that end up draining in the Bay of Bengal. However, a few rare rivers also flow in the west. The west-slowing rivers in India mostly flow in the peninsular region and drain into the Arabian Sea. Check out the list of west-flowing rivers in India below.

• Narmada River
• Tawa River
• Tapti River
• Sabarmati River
• Mahi River
• Sharavati River

Rivers of India with States

The origin of Indian rivers is often hard to remember. However, it is an important topic from the exam point of view. Hence, we are providing the list of Rivers of India with States below. This will certainly help you remember important rivers in India along with the places in which they flow.

List of Rivers and Their Tributaries

Rivers and their tributaries form an important topic for the upcoming SSC & Railways exams in 2023. Below we have provided the complete list of Rivers and Their Tributaries. Candidates are advised to go through the table for complete information. 

List of Major Indian River Systems 

In this article, we are providing you with complete information on the Major Rivers and River Systems of India. You can check the River system along with the length of rivers in India and their total length below.

Longest River in India

The longest river in India is the Ganges. Gangothri is the source of the Ganga River, which empties into the Bay of Bengal. The longest river to have its source in India is the Ganga. The Ganga is revered as a sacred river by Hindus. The Ganga travels through West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand during its 2525-kilometer journey before entering Bangladesh. 

We hope this information about important rivers of India was helpful. Refer to the notes on rivers of India provided in this article to prepare optimally and improve your chances of cracking the exam.