List of Rivers in India

Samadrita Chakraborty |

Parents Corner |

2023-09-05 |

null mins read

Types of Rivers In India
All Rivers Names in India
FAQs

India is a riverine country. Though this country is known as the land of five rivers, it has numerous rivers. Mother nature has chosen India to be its most versatile place. Therefore, we observe differences in the natural landscape where rivers have taken the protagonist’s role. Be it the snowy mountains of the Himalayas or the vast mangrove forest across the east and south parts of the country. Rivers have surrounded all the areas and increased their natural beauty further.

Rivers in India have different origins. Some have originated from the mighty Himalayan ranges. Others have found their source from the rainwater. As India is a country where the monsoon is one of the major seasons, rainwater is a frequent water source here. Almost every state of India has at least one river. Some states have 44 rivers, like Kerala. You would be astonished to know that our country has an underground river- Saraswati.

Types of Rivers In India

As already mentioned, India is a riverine country, and there are multiple variations of the river here. Only some of the rivers originate from the snowy ranges of the Himalayas. Some have found their origin in the lap of the Deccan plateau or coastal areas. The peninsular rivers of India are similar in number to the rivers from the north. Therefore, if you want to know the physical geography of India entirely, you must know the different types of rivers in the country.

Himalayan Rivers

The Himalayas have nineteen major rivers, which are significant components of the landscape, supporting ecosystems, and providing water to millions in India, Pakistan, and elsewhere. These rivers are broadly classified into three major systems: the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra, with distinct characteristics, catchment areas, and tributaries.

The Indus River System

The Indus River and its tributaries form one of the largest river systems originating from the Himalayas. The Indus itself originates in Tibet, near Lake Mansarovar, then flows northwest through India and Pakistan. The system drains an extensive catchment area of about 51,000 square miles, mainly consisting of the western Himalayas. The five main tributaries are the Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej, and Beas rivers. These rivers all together run through the land of five rivers, meaning the region of Punjab both in India and Pakistan.

All of these rivers have different courses and have historical importance. For example, the Jhelum runs through the Kashmir Valley. The Sutlej, the longest of the five, originates near Lake Rakshastal in Tibet. These rivers are water sources for agricultural purposes, as well as supporting multiple ecosystems in the Punjab states.

#### The Ganges River System

Nine rivers comprise the Ganges river system, the largest one in northern India. The Ganges itself assumes a highly important role in Hinduism. Important tributaries of the Ganges are Yamuna, that flows alongside Ganges to join with it and other significant rivers, like Kali, Gandak, Ramganga, Koshi, and Bagmati. All these together form the catchment area that drains over 100,000 square miles, large parts of which are densely inhabited plains in northern India for agriculture, industries, and urban habitats.

The river Ganges originates from the Gangotri Glacier. It goes south through mountains and subsequently flows into the plains. Other tributaries to the Ganges, for example, the Yamuna and Gandak, descend from the Himalayas as well, which carry nutrients and sediments and make this Ganges basin quite fertile. The Ganges system has significant ecological importance and has a role to play for the sustenance of millions of lives through water for farming, drinking, and general use.

The Brahmaputra river system has three major tributaries: Raidak, Tista, and Manas. The Brahmaputra is one of the world's largest rivers, which originates from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet before entering India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam, where it takes a powerful course. Then, it enters Bangladesh, where it meets the Ganges to form the vast Sundarbans delta, one of the largest river deltas in the world. The Brahmaputra system catchment area covers approximately 71,000 square miles, including parts of the eastern Himalayas.

While most rivers forming the Brahmaputra tend to flow generally eastwards then westward before meeting up, contrary to Ganges, their water streams also flood once a year due to intense rains during monsoon in this case affecting Assam with all towns included. Contrariwise, Brahmaputra's waters irrigate paddy crops and feeds a lot of fishes supporting very many houses around northeastern regions of India.

All the Himalayan rivers originate north of the ranges and commonly start high up on the mountain ranges in high-altitude glaciers and plunge southwards in great deep gorges. The path followed by these rivers often tends to follow geologic trends; fault lines and folds beneath them often influence where these rivers run. However, while the Ganges-Brahmaputra flow towards the east, the Indus rivers flow towards the north and west. These structural controls have shaped the landscape of the Himalayas and the plains below into fertile valleys and deltas crucial for agriculture and settlement. In a nutshell, rivers originating from the Himalayas are lifelines for millions, supporting agriculture, biodiversity, and human settlement across India and neighboring countries.

Deccan Rivers

Coastal Rivers

Rivers that flow through the coastal area of India are known as coastal rivers. Indian states that lie close to the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean form these regions. These states are Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, and Karnataka. Due to a lack of rainfall in most of these areas, they have dried weather, sandy tracts, and scanty vegetation. The coastal rivers are streams, especially on the west coast. They are episodic, short in length, and ephemeral. Most of them are non-perennial. As most of the coastal rivers are small, they often go unrecognised. Some of the coastal rivers are mentioned below:

Subarnarekha River and Kangsabati River in West Bengal
Sharada River, Nagavali River, and Vamsadhara River in Andhra Pradesh
Vaigai and Thamirabarani rivers in Tamil Nadu
Sharavathi and Netravati rivers are two major coastal rivers in Karnataka. The Polar River is another coastal river of India.
Vashishti River and Savitri River are major coastal rivers of Maharashtra.

Rivers Of The Inland Drainage Basin

Luni, Musi, and Bhavani rivers are known as the inland Drainage Basin rivers as they make a journey towards the interior parts of India. These rivers do not end in seas or oceans. They end their journey in an inland drainage basin that acts like a funnel as it collects all the water.

All Rivers Names in India

The number of rivers in India is huge; by now, you know it. Here are some crucial facts about some major rivers of India.

Name of The River	Origin	Ending	Tributaries
Ganga	Gangotri Glacier	Bay of Bengal	Yamuna Ramganga, Ghagra Gomti Son Gandak Kosi Mahanandi
Brahmaputra	Chemayungdung Glacier	Bay of Bengal	Ronganadi, Jia Bharali Dhansiri Manas Sankosh Beki
Godavari	Trimbakeshwar	Bay of Bengal	Manjara Pravara Penganga Wardha Indravati Sabri
Cauvery	Talakaveri	Bay of Bengal	Kabini Harangi Hemavati Bhavani Subarnavati
Yamuna	Yamunotri	Ganges	Chambal Tons Ken Hindon Betwa
Mahanadi	Sihawa	Bay of Bengal	Jonk Seonath Hasdeo Onk Mand Tel