List of rivers of India facts for kids

India is a huge country with many important rivers! These rivers are like the lifelines of the land, providing water for drinking, farming, and even electricity. They flow from high mountains and across vast plains, eventually reaching the sea. This list will help you learn about some of India's most famous rivers, starting from the west coast and moving south, then north along the east coast.

India's rivers carry a lot of water. You can find more details about how much water they carry in the List of rivers of India by discharge article.

Here are some of the main rivers in India:

Some rivers, like the Sutlej, Vyas, Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelam, flow together into the Arabian Sea. They pass through a region called Punjab, which is shared by India and Pakistan. The Sindhu River, also known as the Indus, flows by itself from the Himalayas.

Meghna River Basin

The Meghna River system is found in both India and Bangladesh. It's a big network of rivers that connect.

Ganges River Basin

Map showing the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna river basins.

Map of the Yamuna River's drainage basin.

The Ganges River, also known as the Ganga, is one of the most important rivers in India. It's considered very sacred by many people.

Brahmaputra River Basin

The Brahmaputra River is another major river, especially important in northeastern India.

• Beki River
• Bhogdoi River
• Dhansiri River
• Dibang River
• Dihing River
• Dikhow River
• Kameng River
• Kolong River
• Kopili River
• Lohit River
• Manas River
• Raidāk River
• Sankosh River
• Subansiri River
• Teesta River

West Bengal Coastal Rivers

These rivers flow through the state of West Bengal and into the Bay of Bengal.

Odisha Coastal Rivers

Odisha is a state on the eastern coast of India, and it has several important rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal.

• Baitarani
• Bhargavi
• Brahmani
• Daya
• Devi
• Hasdeo
• Ib
• Jonk
• Kathajodi
• Koina
• Kuakhai
• Kushabhadra
• Mand
• Ong
• Pairi
• Sankh
• Shivnath
• Sondur
• Tel River

Six major rivers are often called the "Gift Of Six Rivers" in Odisha:

• Subarnarekha
• Budhabalanga
• Baitarni
• Brahmani
• Mahanadi
• Rushikulya

Godavari River Basin

The Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, one of India's widest rivers.

The Godavari River flows through several states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Krishna River Basin

The Krishna River starts in Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and flows through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

Main tributary rivers in Maharashtra:

• Right side tributary:
  • Koyna
  • Venna River
  • Warana River
  • Panch ganga (Kumbhi, Kasari, Bhogawati, Saraswati)
  • Vedganga river
  • Tillari
• Left side tributary:
  • Bhima
  • Agrani
  • Yerala
• Main tributary rivers in Karnataka:
  • Varada River
  • Tungabhadra River
    • Tunga River
    • Bhadra River
    • Vedavathi River
  • Bhima River (in Maharashtra and Karnataka)
    • Sina River
    • Nira River
    • Mula-Mutha River
      • Mula River
      • Mutha River
    • Indrayani River
      • Kundali River
    • Ghod River
    • Pavna River
  • Malaprabha River
  • Ghataprabha River
  • Koyna River (in Satara district of Maharashtra state)

Main tributary rivers in Telangana:

• Musi River (at Hyderabad)

Pennar River Basin

• Panner River

Kaveri River Basin

Hogenakkal Falls, a beautiful waterfall on the Kaveri River.

The Kaveri River, also known as Cauvery, is a very important river in Southern India.

• Kaveri River (Cauvery)
  • Kollidam (a branch of the Kaveri)
  • Amaravati River
  • Arkavathy River
  • Bhavani River
  • Noyyal River
  • Hemavati River
  • Kabini River
  • Lakshmana Tirtha River

Tamil Nadu Coastal Rivers

These rivers flow through the state of Tamil Nadu and into the Bay of Bengal.

• Adyar River
• Agniyar River
• Cooum River
• Kaveri River
• Kosasthalaiyar River
• Palar River
• Ponnaiyar River
• Swetha River
• Thamirabarani River
• Vaigai River
• Vaippar River
• Vasishta Nadi
• Vellar River (Northern Tamil Nadu)
• Vellar River (Southern Tamil Nadu)

Rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea

Indus Basin

Map showing the Indus River Basin.

The Indus River is one of the longest rivers in Asia. It flows through China, India, and Pakistan.

• Indus River
  • Panjnad River (in Pakistan)
    • Sutlej River (in China, India and Pakistan)
      • Spiti River
      • Beas River

* Parbati River

• • • Chenab River (in India and Pakistan)
      • Chandra River
      • Bhaga River
      • Ravi River (in India and Pakistan)
      • Jhelum River (in India and Pakistan)

* Lidder River * Sind River * Kishanganga River (in India and Pakistan)

• • Suru River (in India and Pakistan)
    • Dras River
  • Shyok River (in India and Pakistan)
    • Nubra River
  • Zanskar River
    • Markha River
    • Tsarap River

Narmada River Basin

The Narmada River is a very important river that flows westwards into the Arabian Sea. Here are some of its main tributaries:

• Kharmer River
• Burhner River
• Banjar River
• Hiran River
• Sher River
• Shakkar
• Dudhi River
• Tendoni River
• Barna
• Tawa
• Kolar
• Ganjal River
• Chhota Tawa River
• Kaveri
• Choral
• Kunda River
• Man River
• Uri River
• Goi River
• Hathni River
• Orsang
• Karjan River

Mahi River Basin

The Mahi River starts in Madhya Pradesh and flows into the Arabian Sea.

• Mahi River
  • Som River
    • Gomati River

Sabarmati River Basin

• Sabarmati river
  • Wakal River
  • Sei River
  • Harnav River

Tapi River Basin

The Tapi River (also spelled Tapti) flows through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

• Tapi River and its tributaries
  • Gomai River
  • Arunavati River
  • Panzara River
    • Kaan River
  • Aner River
  • Girna River
  • Waghur River
  • Purna River
    • Nalganga River
    • Vaan River
    • Morna River
    • Katepurna River
  • Sangiya River

Maharashtra Coastal Rivers

These rivers flow along the coast of Maharashtra and into the Arabian Sea.

• Shastri River
• Gad River
• Vashishti River
• Savitri River
• Kundalika River
• Patalganga River
• Ulhas River
  • Thane Creek (a branch)
  • Vasai Creek (a branch)
• Mithi River or Mahim River
• Oshiwara River
• Dahisar River
• Tansa River
• Vaitarna River
• Surya River

Coastal rivers of Goa

Goa, a small state on India's west coast, has several rivers that meet the Arabian Sea.

• Terekhol
• Chapora
• Baga
• Mapusa
• Mandovi

The Mandovi River, also known as Mahadayi, starts in the Western Ghats mountains. It has a few sources, but the main one is a spring in the Bavtyacho Dongor hills in Karnataka. The Mandovi is the longest river in Goa, about 105 km long.

• Zuari
• Sal
• Talpona
• Galgibag

Karnataka Coastal Rivers

The rivers in the coastal districts of Karnataka also flow into the Arabian Sea.

• Kali River
• Netravati River
• Sharavathi River
• Aghanashini River
• Gangavalli River

Kerala Coastal Rivers

Kerala is a state on the southwestern coast of India, known for its many rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea.

• Periyar River
• Bharathapuzha River
• Pamba River
• Chaliyar River
• Chandragiri River
• Kariangode River

Rivers flowing into the inner part of India

Some rivers in India don't flow into the sea but end within the land.

• Ghaggar River (in Haryana, Rajasthan)
• Luni River (in Rajasthan)

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot to guide you.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Ríos de India para niños

• Indian rivers interlinking project
• Irrigation in India
• List of dams and reservoirs in India
• List of rivers in India by discharge
• Major rivers of India