From Ganga to Godavari : Powerful River Facts You Can’t Ignore for Exams

Important Rivers and Their Places of Origin

        Indian rivers are more than just natural water bodies — they are the lifelines of Indian civilization, agriculture, and culture. Whether it’s the sacred Ganga or the mighty Brahmaputra, rivers frequently feature in competitive exam questions due to their geographical, historical, and economic significance.

            This article brings you an exhaustive, updated, and exam-ready guide to India’s major rivers, their origin points, flowing routes, length, and states they traverse — all compiled for Railway (RRB NTPC, Group D), SSC CGL/CHSL, UPSC Prelims, State PSCs, and school-level quiz competitions.

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🗺️ List of Major Rivers in India with Origin & Length

🔢 S.No.	🏞️ River Name	🗻 Origin	📍 State / Region Covered	📏 Length (Approx.)	⭐ Importance
1	Ganga	Gangotri Glacier	Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB	2,525 km	Longest & most sacred; agricultural backbone
2	Yamuna	Yamunotri Glacier	Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, UP	1,376 km	Joins Ganga at Prayagraj; lifeline of Delhi
3	Brahmaputra	Angsi Glacier, Tibet	Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bangladesh	2,880 km	Causes floods; high hydroelectric potential
4	Indus	Mansarovar Lake, Tibet	Ladakh, J&K, Pakistan	3,180 km	Origin of Indus Valley Civilization
5	Godavari	Trimbak Plateau, Maharashtra	Maharashtra, Telangana, AP, Odisha	1,465 km	Largest river in South India (Dakshin Ganga)
6	Krishna	Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra	Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP	1,400 km	Supports major irrigation systems
7	Narmada	Amarkantak Plateau, MP	MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat	1,312 km	West-flowing; famous for Sardar Sarovar Dam
8	Tapi (Tapti)	Satpura Range, MP	MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat	724 km	Flows into Arabian Sea; industrial zone
9	Kaveri (Cauvery)	Talakaveri, Karnataka	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu	805 km	Vital for agriculture & disputes in South India
10	Mahanadi	Sihawa Hills, Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarh, Odisha	900 km	Hirakud Dam; major irrigation river in Odisha
11	Sutlej	Lake Rakshastal, Tibet	Tibet, HP, Punjab	1,450 km	Bhakra Nangal Dam built on it
12	Beas	Beas Kund, HP	Himachal Pradesh, Punjab	470 km	Joins Sutlej; rich historic significance
13	Ravi	Kangra, HP	HP, Punjab, Pakistan	720 km	One of the “Five Rivers” of Punjab
14	Chenab	Bara Lacha Pass, HP	HP, J&K, Pakistan	960 km	Deep gorges; hydropower potential
15	Ghaghara	Mapchachungo Glacier, Tibet	Tibet, UP, Bihar	1,080 km	Joins Ganga; frequent floods in eastern India
16	Gandak	Nepal (Himalayan Glaciers)	Nepal, Bihar	630 km	Tributary of Ganga; fertile plains
17	Kosi	Nepal Himalayas	Nepal, Bihar	720 km	“Sorrow of Bihar”; causes heavy floods
18	Son	Amarkantak Plateau, MP	MP, UP, Bihar	784 km	Right tributary of the Ganga
19	Gomti	Gomat Taal, UP	Uttar Pradesh	900 km	Passes through Lucknow; joins Ganga
20	Chambal	Vindhya Range, MP	MP, Rajasthan, UP	960 km	Known for ravines & wildlife sanctuary
21	Hooghly	Tributary of Ganga	West Bengal	260 km	Port cities like Kolkata developed on it
22	Damodar	Chota Nagpur Plateau, Jharkhand	Jharkhand, West Bengal	592 km	“Sorrow of Bengal”; rich in coal belt
23	Mahi	Madhya Pradesh	MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat	580 km	Unique river: flows northward then west
24	Tungabhadra	Karnataka (Tunga + Bhadra rivers)	Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh	531 km	Major Krishna tributary; historical sites nearby
25	Barak	Liyai Khullen, Manipur	Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Bangladesh	900 km	Becomes Meghna in Bangladesh

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🔁 Quick Revision Tricks   : 

Knowledge Encyclopedia Books

🧊 Glacier-Origin Rivers:

• Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Ghaghara, Indus, Sutlej, Chenab

⛰️ Plateau-Origin Rivers:

• Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Tapi, Damodar, Son

🌊 West-Flowing Rivers:

• Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi

🧠 Fun Fact:

The Ganga Basin supports over 43% of India’s population — making it the most densely populated river basin in the world!

💡 Rivers flow continuously… and so do questions in your exams. Learn them once — and you’ll never forget!

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