(Notes) Indian Drainage System | Rivers of India

India’s drainage system mainly consists of multiple larger and smaller Indian rivers. While the Brahmaputra, Ganga, and Indus river basins are part of the Himalayas drainage system, The Mahanadi, Krishna, Tapi, Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri drain the southeastern peninsula. Geography of India

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Origin and Mouth of Indus and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length (Km)
Indus Sengge Zangbo and Gar, Tibbet Plateau, China Indus river delta ( near Karachi, Pakistan mainly and some parts of Gujarat) 2880
Sutlej Lake Rakshas-tal, Tibet, China Sutlej mixes with Chenab near Unch sharif, Pakistan to form Panjnad river which in turn mixes with Indus river near Bhawalpur of Pakistan 1500
Beas Beas Kund, Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh Mixes with Sutlej river near Makhu, Firozpur of Punjab 470
Parbati Man Talai glacier near Pin Parbati Pass Mixes with Beas river at Bhuntar, near Kullu of Himachal Pradesh  
Chenab Bara Lacha Pass, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh Mixes with Sutlej near Unch Sharif, Pakistan to form Panjnad river which in turn mixes with Indus river 960
Ravi Kangra of Himachal Pradesh Chenab river, Pakistan 720
Jhelum Verinag spring, Anantnag of J& K Chenab river, Pakistan 725
Suru Panzella Glacier, Pensi La pass, Kargil Indus, Nurla, Skardu, Pakistan 185
Dras Machoi glacier, Zoji La, near Soanmarg, Jammu and Kashmir Suru River at Kharul, Kargil 86
Zanskar Doda River (First Branch), Kargyag and Tsarap River (Second Branch) Indus river near Nimmu in Laddakh  
Tsarap Pankpo La, Sarchu Zanskar river, Padum, Kargil 182
Doda Drang Drung glacier, Pensi La Zanskar river, Padum, Kargil 79

 Origin and Mouth of Brahmaputra and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length (Km)
Brahmaputra Angsi glacier, Tibbet, China Ganges Delta, Bangladesh (Bay of Bengal) 2900
Dhansiri Laisang peak, Nagaland Brahmaputra river 352
Dharla Himalayas Brahmaputra, Kurigram, Bangladesh  
Dihing Patkai Hills, North east Indian border with Burma Brahmaputra at Dihingmukh in Assam 380
Dibang Keya pass, India China border, Dibang valley district, Arunachal Pradesh River Lohit, Sadiya, Assam 195
Kameng Glacial lake, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Brahmaputra at Tezpur, Assam 264
Lohit Zayal Chu range, east Tibbet Brahmaputra  
Manas Bhutan Brahmaputra at Jogighopa, Assam 376
Sankosh Bhutan Brahmaputra, Assam  
Subansiri (largest tributary of Brahmaputra) Himalayas, China Brahmaputra at Lakhimpur, Assam 442
Teesta Pauhunri & Zemu glaciers, Cholamu & Gurudongmar lakes Brahmaputra, Fulchori, Rangpur, Bangladesh 309
Torsa Chumbi valley, Tibet, China Brahmaputra, Bangladesh 358

Origin and Mouth of Ganges and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length (Km)
Ganga Gangotri, Satopnath and Khatling glacier, Uttarakhand Ganges delta, Bay of Bengal (India & Bangladesh) 2525
Hooghly Distributary of Ganga and splits out near Farkka barage near Murshidabad, West Bengal Bay of Bengal  
Damodar Chandwa, Latehar, Jharkhand Hooghly river, West Bengal 592
Meghana Distributary of Brahmaputra Bhola district, Bangladesh, Bay of Bengal  
Padma Distributary of Ganga Meghna river near Chandpur district, Bangladesh 120
Mahananda Paglajhora falls, Darjeeling, West Bengal Ganga, Nawabganj district of Bangladesh 360
Kosi Saptkoshi tributaries (Sun Kosi, Arun, Tamur etc), Nepal Ganga near Kursela, Bihar 720
Gandak Nhubine Himal glacier, Mustang, Nepal Ganga, Sonpur, Bihar 630
Son Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh Ganga, near north of Patna 784
Ghaghra Mapchachungo glacier, Tibet, China Ganga near Doriganj, Bihar 1080
Gomti Gomat tal, Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh Ganga near Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh 900
Yamuna Yamunotri glacier, Uttarakhand Ganga at Allahabad 1376
Ramganga Namik glacier, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand Ganga, Ibrahimpur, Uttarpradesh  
Alaknanda Satopnath & Bhagirathi kharak glacier Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand 190
Bhagirathi Gaumukh, Uttarakhand Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand 205

Peninsular Indian Rivers and their Origin (Flowing to Bay of Bengal)

Origin and Mouth of Godavari and its Tributaries 

River Origin Mouth Length
Godavari Brahmagiri mountains, Trayambakeshwar, Nashik Bay of Bengal, near East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh 1464
Indravati Dandkaranya range, Kalahandi district, Odisha Godavari near border of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana 535
Pranahita confluence of Wardha and Wainganga, near Sirpur Kagaznagar Godavari, near Kaleshwaram, Telangana 113
Wardha Satpura range, Multai, Betul district of Madhya Pradesh Pranhita river 528
Kolab (Sabari) Sinkaran hiils, Koraput, Odisha Godavari 200
Mnjira Balaghat hills Godavari, near Kandhakurthi, Karnataka 724
Wainganga Satpura Range, Mundara, Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh Pranhita river 579
Painganga Ajanta range, Aurangabad, Maharashtra Wardha river, Chandrapura district, Maharashtra 676

Origin and Mouth of Krishna and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length (Km)
Krishna Near Mahabaleshwar, Satara district, Maharashtra Bay of Bengal, near Hamsaladeevi, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh 1400
Tungabhadhra Confluence of Tunga and Bhadhra near Koodli, Karnataka Krishna river, near Alampur, Mahbubnagar, Telangana 531
Vedavathi Confluence of Veda and Avathi near Pura Tungnhadhra river, near Siruguppa  
Bhima Bhimashankar, Maharashtra Krishna river, near Raichur 861
Indrayani Lonavla, Maharashtra Bhima river  
Pavana Sahyadri range, Lonavla Maharashtra Mula river 58
Mula-Mutha confluence of Mula and Mutha rivers near Pune Bhima river  
Malaprabha Western ghats, near Belgaum, Karnataka Krishna river, near Kudalasangama, Bagalkot, Karnataka  
Ghataprabha Western ghats, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra Krishna river, Almatti 283
Venna Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra Krishna river, Satara, Maharashtra 130
Koyna Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra Krishan river, near Karad, Satara 130

Origin and Mouth of Kaveri and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length
cauvery Talakaveri, Kodagu district, Karnataka Kaveri delta, Bay of Bengal 765
Amaravati Anamalai hills, Pambar, Chinnar rivers Kaveri river at Karur, Tamil Nadu 282
Bhavani Silent valley National Park, Kerala Kaveri river at Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu 135
Hemavati Western ghats, Chikmagalur, Karnataka Kveri river near Krishnarajasagara, Karnataka 245

Other Important East Flowing Rivers

River Origin Mouth Length
Mahanadi Dhamtari, Dandkaranya, Chhattisgarh Bay of Bengal, near False Point, Kendrapada, Odisha 858
Subarnarekha Chota Nagpur plateau, near Ranchi, Jharkhand Kirtania Port, near Talsari, Bay of Bengal 395
Kangsabati Chota Nagpur plateau, Purulia district, West Bengal Bay of Bengal near Haldia 465
Penner (Penna) Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka Bay of Bengal, near Nellore, Andhra Pradesh 597
Palar Nandi Hills, Kolar district Karnataka Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur, Tamil Nadu 348
Vaigai Varusanadu Hills, Tamil Nadu Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu 258
Vellar Shevarpy Hills Bay of Bengal, near Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu 150
Ponnaiyar Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur, Karnataka Bay of Bengal 400
Noyyal Vellingiri Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu Kaveri river 180

Peninsular Indian Rivers Flowing to Arabian Sea

Origin and Mouth of Tapti (or Tapi) and its Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length (Km)
Tapti (or Tapi) Satpura Range, Multai, near Betul, Madhya Pradesh Gulf of Khambhat, Arabian sea, neat Surat, Gujarat 724
Purna Satpura Range, Baitul, Madhya Pradesh Tapti river, near Changdev  
Panzara near Pimpalner, Dhule, Maharashtra Tapti river  
Gomai Satpura Range Tapti river near Prakasha, Nandurbar, Maharashtra  

Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati and their Tributaries

River Origin Mouth Length
Narmada Narmada Kund, Amarkantak Hills, shahdol, Madhya Pradesh Gulf of Khambhat, Surat, Gujarat 1315
Kolar Vindhya Range, near Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh Narmada, near Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh 101
Tawa Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh Narmada near Hoshangabad district 172
Mahi Vindhya Range, Madhya Pradesh Gulf of Khambhat, near Bharuch district 580
Sabarmati Dhebar lake, Aravali range, near Udaipur, Rajasthan Gulf of Khambhat 371

Other Important West Flowing Rivers

River Origin Mouth Length
Zuari Hemad-Barshem in western ghats Arabian sea 34
Ulhas near Rajmachi hills, Sahyadri range Vasai creek, Mumbai 122
Mithi Vihar lake and Powai lake Arabian sea, Mahim creek, Mumbai 15
Mandovi Bhimgad, Karnataka Arabian sea 77
Kali Kushavali, Karnataka Arabian sea 184
Netravati Kudremukh, Chikamangaluru, Karnataka Arabian sea, near Mangalore, Karnataka  
Sharavati Western Ghats, Tirthahalli, Karnataka Arabian sea, near Honnavar, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka 128
Periyar Sivagiri hills, Sundaramala, Tamil Nadu Lakshdweep sea, Kerala 244
Bharathapuzha Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu Lakshdweep sea, Ponnani, Kerala 209
Pamba Pulachimalai Hills, Western Ghats Vembanad Lake 176
Chaliyar Elambaleri Hills, Western Ghats, Wayanad, Kerala Lakshdweep sea, Kerala 169

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