India is known for two types of rivers: the one originating from the Himalayas and the second, the peninsular rivers flowing from east to west or vice-versa.India is a sacred land where people value and pray to nature, believing it to be their God. Rivers in India are also worshipped for many holy reasons according to the religion of Hinduism, the Ganga River being the major river along with being sacred.India has many rivers flowing through its different states. In India, there is only one union territory that has no river flowing through it: Chandigarh. That does not mean that Chandigarh does not have lakes. Chandigarh is well known for its Sukhna Lake. Sukhna Lake is basically a reservoir that is created at the foothills of the great Himalayas of North India. The Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers are known to be some of the major rivers, along with being in the category of the longest rivers. The longest river in India is the Ganga when it comes to inland rivers, while the Indus is the longest river in India in general. Hirakud Dam is the longest earthen dam in the world and is built on the river Mahanadi in Sambalpur, Odisha, while Bhakra Nangal Dam, built on the Sutlej River, is the second tallest dam in Asia. If you enjoyed reading this article about important rivers and the river Ganga, one of the sacred rivers, then do read some other interesting and surprising fun facts about major rivers of India and the longest rivers in India. List Of Rivers In IndiaIndia has many rivers originating from the Himalayas and meeting the Indian Ocean.Indian rivers either fall into the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. The important rivers of India which fall into the Arabian sea are Narmada River, Sindhu River, Tapti River, Sabarmati River, Mahi River, and Purna River, while the Rivers falling into the Bay of Bengal are Brahmaputra River, Yamuna River, Ganga River, Mahanadi River, Krishna River, Godavari River, Kaveri River, and Meghna River. Chambal River, Son River, Ramganga RIver, Kali or Sharda River, Gomti River, Betwa River, Ken River, Tons River, Ghaghara River, Gandaki River, Burhi River, Gandak River, Tamsa River, Baghmati River, Mahananda River, and Koshi River are also major tributaries of the Brahmaputra, Yamuna, and Ganga rivers.The Ganga River originates in the north of India from the Great Himalayas and is also considered the sacred river of India. In the peninsular part, also called the Deccan Plateau, India has two Ghats: the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats; while the northern and central parts of India have the Gangetic Plain and the Central highlands.Apart from the above rivers, some of the other rivers flowing in North India are the Sutlej River, Beas River, Ravi River, Chenab River, and Jhelum River. These five rivers are known to flow through the state of Punjab, and hence the name of the state also means five rivers. There are many small streams whose scenic beauty can be enjoyed by the people, specifically the Himalayan rivers.Famous River Tours In IndiaThe famous rivers of India are the Ganga River, Brahmaputra River, Yamuna River, and Indus River which are the Himalayan rivers, while Mahanadi River, Kaveri River, Cauvery River, and Godavari River are the Peninsular rivers.The above rivers are some of the most famous and major rivers that can also be enjoyed on a tour in India. Apart from them, if you want to go on a cruise, then Kerala backwater cruise, Ganga heritage cruise, Sunderbans cruise, Brahmaputra River cruise, Goa cruise, Mangalore cruise, Chilika Lake cruise, Andaman Islands cruise, Mandovi River cruise, and Dibru-Saikhowa River cruise are some of the famous cruises in India.The Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna River Basin is known for being a large river system. All three rivers are known to be sacred rivers and are also major rivers. Ganga is the largest river in India, with the Godavari River being next to Ganga. The Brahmaputra River is the deepest river in India with a depth of 380 ft (115.8 m) and, according to the length of the river, the same river is as long as 12624.7 mi (3,848 km). The Narmada River, Krishna River, and Tapti River are also known for their scenic beauty in the western parts of India. One of the cleanest rivers in the world is also found in India, the Umngot. The Umngot river originates from the eastern peak of Shillong, Meghalaya, India. The river ends up in the Bangladesh plains near Dawki town, and the native people call the river by the name ‘Dawki River’.Longest Rivers In IndiaThe Indus River, Ganga River, and Brahmaputra River are the longest rivers in India and have many major tributaries.The Indus River, one of the major rivers along with being the longest river in India, originates from the Manasarovar Lake in Tibet. This major river covers three countries: Tibet, India, and Pakistan. The cities from which the river flows are Leh, Skardu, Dasu, Besham, Thakot, Swabi, Sukkur, Dera Ismail Khan, Hyderabad, and Karachi. The river travels a long distance of 1659.5 mi (3,249 km) and ends up in the Arabian Sea.This longest river was earlier named Sindhu, as per historical records, and the name was later changed to Indus. The major tributaries of the Indus River are the Sutlej River, Beas River, Jhelum River, Ravi River, and Chenab River. These are not the only tributaries, but there are many tributaries of the Indus River.If you ever study Indian history, then you will definitely encounter the Indus Valley Civilization, which included the famous Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro settlements of South East Asia during the Bronze Age civilization. The river is also known for attracting tourists all over the world. The Indus River, along with different mountain ranges and cold weather, makes the perfect tourist attraction, and people from around the world enjoy the scenic beauty and simple living style of the native people.Holy Rivers In IndiaIndia has seven sacred rivers: the Ganga River, Indus River, Kaveri River, Godavari River, Yamuna River, Saraswati River, and Narmada River.Among them all, the Ganga River, originating from Gangotri, is the holiest and one of the most sacred rivers in India. Those who follow the religion of Hinduism consider all the above rivers sacred. Most of the rivers flowing in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are considered sacred because both the northern states of India are called ’the Land of God’ (Dev Bhoomi).In the Ganga River, the devotee takes a bath so that all of their sins are forgiven and they consider themselves to be one of the luckiest people. Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand are two well-known places to visit on the Ganga Heritage tour. You may also find many temples along with the river. The Yamuna River flows into a glacier lake called Saptarishi Kund.Near the lake, there is a temple to the goddess Yamuna. According to Hindu scriptures, those who want to overcome their fear of death should take a bath in the lake. The Saraswati River is known to flow beneath the earth’s surface, and the area where it flows is revered by Hindu devotees.The Godavari River is also one of the holiest rivers, and during the Kumbh Mela festival, which is held annually in Nashik, devotees bathe in the holy water. The Narmada River has a lot to know about in the holy scriptures of Hindus. The river Narmada was known to have fallen from the sky when the god Shiva requested the goddess to descend on earth.The meaning of the name Narmada is ’the one that awakens the soft feelings in others’, while the river Kaveri is considered very sacred in South India. The Shivasamudram falls in Karnataka and is known to be one of the largest waterfalls in India and is part of the sacred river, Kaveri. The Indus River is also considered holy as ancient scriptures tell us the Aryan people used to worship the Indus River, previously known as the Sindhu River.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 19 longest and most famous rivers in India, then why not take a look at where do beans come from, or where do boogers come from!
India is known for two types of rivers: the one originating from the Himalayas and the second, the peninsular rivers flowing from east to west or vice-versa.
