India River Map
All major rivers of India in one map - Himalayan rivers (Indus, Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi) and Peninsular rivers (Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Tungabhadra) with origins, lengths, states and tributaries.
Major Rivers of India
Himalayan River System
The Himalayan rivers are perennial because they are fed by both the summer monsoon and the year-round melting of Himalayan glaciers and snow. They have carved deep gorges across the mountains, deposited the great Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains, and continue to shift their courses across that flat landscape. The three principal Himalayan systems are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Each begins close to the sacred Mount Kailash region in Tibet and crosses some of the highest mountains on Earth before fanning out into the plains.
| River | Origin | States in India | Length | Major tributaries | Mouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indus | Mansarovar / Mt Kailash, Tibet | Ladakh, J&K | 3,180 km (1,114 in India) | Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej | Arabian Sea (Pakistan) |
| Jhelum | Verinag spring, Kashmir | J&K | 725 km | Kishanganga (Neelum) | Joins Chenab |
| Chenab | Bara Lacha Pass (Chandra + Bhaga) | HP, J&K | 960 km | Jhelum, Tawi | Joins Sutlej / Indus |
| Ravi | Rohtang Pass, HP | HP, Punjab | 720 km | Ujh, Bein | Joins Chenab |
| Beas | Beas Kund, Rohtang | HP, Punjab | 470 km | Parvati, Banganga | Joins Sutlej at Harike |
| Sutlej | Rakas Tal, Tibet | HP, Punjab | 1,450 km | Beas, Spiti | Joins Indus |
| Ganga | Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand | UK, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB | 2,525 km | Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son | Bay of Bengal (Sundarbans) |
| Yamuna | Yamunotri, Uttarakhand | UK, HR, Delhi, UP | 1,376 km | Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sind | Joins Ganga at Prayagraj |
| Ghaghara | Mapchachungo Glacier, Tibet | UP, Bihar | 1,080 km | Sharda, Rapti | Joins Ganga at Chhapra |
| Gandak | Nepal Himalayas | Bihar | 630 km | Trisuli, Burhi Gandak | Joins Ganga at Sonpur |
| Kosi | Sapt Kosi, Nepal | Bihar | 720 km | Sun Kosi, Tamur | Joins Ganga at Kursela |
| Son | Amarkantak Plateau | MP, Jharkhand, Bihar | 784 km | Rihand, North Koel | Joins Ganga near Patna |
| Brahmaputra | Angsi Glacier (Yarlung Tsangpo), Tibet | Arunachal, Assam | 2,900 km (916 in India) | Subansiri, Lohit, Manas, Tista | Bay of Bengal (joins Ganga) |
| Hooghly | Distributary of Ganga at Farakka | WB | 460 km | Damodar, Rupnarayan | Bay of Bengal |
| Damodar | Chota Nagpur Plateau | Jharkhand, WB | 592 km | Barakar | Joins Hooghly |
Peninsular River System
Peninsular rivers are largely rain-fed, flow over the ancient hard rock of the Deccan plateau and have shallow valleys. Most rise in the Western Ghats and flow east across the Deccan into the Bay of Bengal, building wide deltas like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery deltas. Two big rivers - the Narmada and Tapi - are exceptions: they flow west through rift valleys (between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges) and end in the Arabian Sea through estuaries. The Peninsular system is geologically much older than the Himalayan rivers.
| River | Origin | States | Length | Major tributaries | Mouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahanadi | Sihava hills, Chhattisgarh | Chhattisgarh, Odisha | 858 km | Seonath, Hasdeo, Tel | Bay of Bengal (Paradip) |
| Godavari | Triambakeshwar, Maharashtra | MH, TS, AP, OD, CG, KA | 1,465 km | Wardha, Wainganga, Pranhita, Indravati, Manjira | Bay of Bengal (Antarvedi) |
| Krishna | Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra | MH, KA, TS, AP | 1,400 km | Bhima, Tungabhadra, Musi, Koyna | Bay of Bengal (Hamsaladeevi) |
| Tungabhadra | Western Ghats (Tunga + Bhadra) | Karnataka, AP | 531 km | Hagari, Vedavathi | Joins Krishna at Sangameswaram |
| Bhima | Bhimashankar, Maharashtra | MH, KA, TS | 861 km | Sina, Nira, Ghataprabha | Joins Krishna at Raichur |
| Cauvery | Talakaveri, Brahmagiri, Karnataka | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | 800 km | Kabini, Bhavani, Hemavati, Amaravati | Bay of Bengal (Poompuhar) |
| Narmada | Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh | MP, MH, Gujarat | 1,312 km | Tawa, Banjar, Hiran | Arabian Sea (Gulf of Khambhat) |
| Tapi (Tapti) | Multai, Satpura, MP | MP, MH, Gujarat | 724 km | Purna, Girna, Panjhra | Arabian Sea (Surat) |
| Sabarmati | Aravalli Hills, Rajasthan | Rajasthan, Gujarat | 371 km | Sei, Wakal, Hathmati | Gulf of Khambhat (Ahmedabad) |
| Mahi | Vindhya Range, MP | MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat | 583 km | Som, Anas, Panam | Gulf of Khambhat |
| Periyar | Sivagiri Hills, Western Ghats | Kerala | 244 km | Muthirapuzha, Mullayar | Arabian Sea (Kochi) |
| Vaigai | Varusanadu Hills | Tamil Nadu | 258 km | Suruliyaru, Mullaiyaru | Palk Strait |
River systems compared
Himalayan rivers
- Perennial - snow + rain fed
- Carve deep gorges (antecedent drainage)
- Form vast alluvial plains
- Meander, oxbow lakes, change course
- Useful for navigation in plains
Peninsular rivers
- Rain-fed - mostly seasonal
- Hard rock beds, shallow valleys
- Almost flat gradient near coast
- Form deltas (east) or estuaries (west)
- Geologically older, fixed courses
East-flowing into Bay of Bengal
- Mahanadi - Hirakud Dam
- Godavari - Polavaram, Sriram Sagar
- Krishna - Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam
- Cauvery - Mettur, KRS, Kallanai
- All form deltas
West-flowing into Arabian Sea
- Indus, Sabarmati, Mahi
- Narmada - Sardar Sarovar
- Tapi - Ukai, Kakrapar
- Periyar, Bharatapuzha (Kerala)
- Form estuaries, not deltas
Major dams & projects
- Bhakra Nangal - Sutlej
- Tehri Dam - Bhagirathi
- Farakka Barrage - Ganga
- Hirakud - Mahanadi (longest in India)
- Sardar Sarovar - Narmada
- Nagarjuna Sagar - Krishna
- Mettur - Cauvery
Sacred & cultural rivers
- Ganga - Varanasi, Haridwar, Prayagraj
- Yamuna - Mathura, Vrindavan, Delhi
- Saraswati - Vedic, now mostly subterranean
- Godavari - Nashik (Kumbh Mela)
- Cauvery - Talakaveri, Tiruchirappalli
- Narmada - Omkareshwar, Maheshwar
Quick exam facts
- Longest river fully within India: Godavari (1,465 km) - also called Vridha Ganga or Dakshin Ganga.
- Longest river in India by total length: Ganga (2,525 km).
- Longest river of South India: Godavari.
- Largest river basin: Ganga basin (about 26% of India's land area).
- India's only major river that flows north: Chambal flows northeast for most of its length, while several Himalayan tributaries (e.g. Subansiri) flow generally southward but the Yarlung Tsangpo / Brahmaputra famously makes a U-turn.
- Five rivers of Punjab (Panjnad): Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum - all tributaries of the Indus.
- Sundarbans delta (world's largest mangrove delta) is formed by the combined Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna system.
- Cauvery is called the "Ganga of the South" and gives rise to a long-standing Karnataka-Tamil Nadu water-sharing dispute.
- Narmada and Tapi are the only two large peninsular rivers flowing west through rift valleys.
- Loktak Lake (Manipur) is fed by the Manipur River; Wular Lake (J&K) is fed by the Jhelum.
FAQs
How many major river systems does India have?
Two: the Himalayan system (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and tributaries - perennial and snow-fed) and the Peninsular system (Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Narmada, Tapi - rain-fed).
Which is the longest river in India?
The Ganga at 2,525 km is the longest. The Brahmaputra is longer overall (~2,900 km) but only 916 km lies inside India. The longest river entirely within India is the Godavari (1,465 km).
Which Indian rivers flow into the Arabian Sea?
The Indus, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi and several smaller Western Ghats rivers (Periyar, Bharatapuzha) flow west into the Arabian Sea. All other major Indian rivers flow east into the Bay of Bengal.
Why do Narmada and Tapi flow west?
They flow through rift valleys formed between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, sloping westward toward the Arabian Sea. They form estuaries instead of deltas.
What are the five rivers of Punjab?
Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum - all tributaries of the Indus. The name Punjab itself comes from "panj-aab" meaning "five waters".
Where does the Brahmaputra originate?
From the Angsi Glacier in Tibet (where it is called Yarlung Tsangpo). It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang/Dihang, joins the Lohit and Dibang in Assam to become the Brahmaputra, and merges with the Ganga in Bangladesh to form the Sundarbans delta.
Are these maps GIS-accurate?
No. This is a simplified educational map for quick recall - state outlines and river paths are approximated. Use survey-grade GIS data for technical work.