Ganga to Kaveri: India's top 10 longest rivers you should know about

India, with its diverse landscapes, is home to some of the longest rivers. These rivers hold immense historical and cultural significance. They play a crucial role in sustaining livelihoods, fostering agriculture, and nurturing civilizations. Over 200 rivers flow through the vast expanse of India. Most of the Indian rivers originate from the Aravalli, Karakoram, and Himalayan ranges. With agriculture considered the backbone of India, rivers become the lifeline of the irrigation systems.

Ganges: Originating from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand, the Ganges is the longest river in India. It flows through several states, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River is approximately 2,525 kilometers long. It is also known as the Padma River in Bangladesh. The Ganges is considered the most sacred river in India.

Godavari: The Godavari is the second longest river in India after the Ganges. The length of this river is about 1,465 km. Originating in the Trimbak Hills of Maharashtra, it flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh and joins the Bay of Bengal. This river has a significant cultural and economic significance. This river acts as a lifeline for lakhs of people. The Godavari also has tributaries including Pravara, Manjira, Penganga, Wardha, Indravati, Sabari.

Krishna: The Krishna River is the third largest river in India. Originating from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, the Krishna River is about 1,400 km long. This river flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and joins the Bay of Bengal. Several rivers including Tungabhadra, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha and Musi are tributaries of Krishna River. The Tungabhadra River, which originates in Karnataka, is one of the largest tributaries of the Krishna River.

Yamuna: The Yamuna River, about 1376 km long, is the fourth largest river in India. This river originates from the Yamunotri glaciers located in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. A tributary of the Ganges, it flows through Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and joins the Ganges River at Prayagraj in UP. Prayagraj is called Sanakam Nagri because of the confluence of Ganga-Yamuna.

Narmada: Narmada river is the fifth largest river in India. It travels a distance of approximately 1,312 kilometers. It is a prominent river in Central India. Originating in the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, the river flows westward through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and empties into the Arabian Sea. Tawa, Barna, Shakkar and Hiran rivers are the main tributaries of Narmada river. Several dams and reservoirs have been built on this river for irrigation, hydropower generation and water supply. The country's famous Sardar Sarovar Dam is also located on this river in Gujarat.

Indus: The Indus River is the 7th largest river in India. Originating from Lake Mansarovar in the Tibetan Plateau, the river flows through Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir before reaching Pakistan and finally emptying into the Arabian Sea. 

Brahmaputra: The country's seventh largest river, the Brahmaputra, originates from the Chemayungdung Glacier near Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. This area is in China. The total length of the Brahmaputra River is approximately 2,900 kilometers but only 918 kilometers of this river is in India. The Brahmaputra enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. In that state it is called the Siang River. It joins the Ganges and Meghna rivers to form the Sundarbans Delta, the world's largest delta, before falling into the Bay of Bengal.

Mahanadi: It is the 8th largest river in India with a length of 858 km. Originating in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, this river flows eastwards. It flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and joins the Bay of Bengal. Shivnath, Jonk, Hastiyo, Ong and Tel are the main tributaries of Mahanadi. The river's water is extensively used for irrigation, contributing to the agricultural output of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Kaveri: Kaveri is the 9th largest river in India. It originates in the Kodagu hills of Karnataka. The Kaveri River flows eastward through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and joins the Bay of Bengal. It travels a total distance of about 800 kilometers. Rivers including Hemavati, Kabini, Arkavati, Shimsha and Amaravati are tributaries of the Kaveri River.

Tapti: The Tapti River is the tenth largest river in India. Originating from the Satpura mountain range in Madhya Pradesh, this river has a total length of about 724 km. This river passes through Maharashtra and Gujarat and joins the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea.