All rivers in India are considered as holy/religious spots and they play a significant role in Indian traditions in different manners since primordial times. India’s every region is spotted with several major rivers. A river is a natural waterway of freshwater, which flows towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river.
Most of the major rivers of India flow towards the east and drain out into the Bay of Bengal. There are only five rivers in India that flow from east to west Narmada, Mahi, Tapti river, Luni and Sabarmati and drain out into the Arabian Sea.
Ganga
Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand
2,525
Bay of Bengal
Yamuna
Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
1,376
Merges with Ganga at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam - Kumbh Mela spot
Brahmaputra
Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh
1,800
Merges with Ganga and ends in Bay of Bengal
Chambal
Tributary of Yamuna river, starting at Madhya Pradesh
960
Joins Yamuna river in UP
Son
Tributary of Ganga, starting at Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
784
Joins Ganga just above Patna - also considered part of Vindhya river system
Gandak
Nepal; Ganges tributary at Indo-Nepal border (Triveni Sangam)
630
Joins Ganga near Patna
Kosi
Starts from Bihar near Indo-Nepal border
720
Joins Ganga near Katihar district of Bihar
Betwa
Tributary of Yamuna, rises at Vindhya region, MP
590
Joins Yamuna at Hamirpur in UP
Gomti
Tributary of Ganga, starting at Gomat Taal, UP
900
Joins Ganga in Varanasi district
Ghaghara
Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, tributary of Ganga
1080
Joins Ganga in Bihar
Hugli (Hooghly)
Tributary of Ganga near West Bengal
260
Merges with Ganga at Bay of Bengal
Damodar
Tributary of Hugli near Chandwara, Jharkhand
592
Merges with Hugli in West Bengal
Mahananda
Paglajhora falls, Darjeeling, West Bengal
360
Merge in Ganga
Alaknanda
Satopanth & Bhagirathi-Kharak glacier
190
Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
Bhagirathi
Gaumukh, Uttarakhand
205
Merge in Ganga, Devprayag, Uttarakhand
Indus
Originates in Tibetan plateau, Enters India in J&K
3180
Merges into Arabian sea near Sindh
Chenab
Upper Himalayas in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh
960
Merges with Indus
Jhelum
Tributary of Chenab river, Punjab
725
Merges with Chenab at Jhang (Pakistan)
Ravi
Starts from Bara Bhangal, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
720
Joins Chenab in Pakistan
Sutlej
Tributary of Indus river, originates at Rakshastal, Tibet
1500
Meets Beas river in Pakistan and ends at Arabian sea
Beas
Rises at Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh
470
Joins Sutlej river in Punjab, India
Parbati
Mantalai Glacier near Pin Prabati Pass
-
Mixes with Beas River at Bhuntar, near Kullu of Himachal Pradesh
Suru
Panzella Glacier, Pensi La Pass, Kargil
185
Indus, Nurla, Skardu, Pakistan
Dras
Machoi Glacier, Zoji La, ear Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir
86
Suru River at Kharul, Kargil
Zanskar
Doda River (First Branch), Kargyag and Tsarap River (Second Branch)
-
Indus River near Nimmu in Ladakh
Tsarap
Pankpo La, Sarchu
182
Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
Doda
Drang-Drung Glacier, Pensi La
79
Zanskar River, Padum, Kargil
Kaveri
Talakaveri in Western Ghats in Karnataka
765
Ends in Bay of Bengal
Krishna
Originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra
1400
Ends in Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh
Godavari
Starts in Maharashtra and passes through 7 Indian states
1465
Empties in Bay of Bengal
Tungabhadra
Tributary of Krishna river staring at Karnataka
531
Joins Krishna river along the border of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Tapti
Rises in Eastern Satpura Ranges, Madhya Pradesh
724
Empties into Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat
Mahi
Rises in Madhya Pradesh
580
Flows into Arabian sea from Gujarat
Narmada
Starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
1315
Drains into Arabian sea via Gulf of Cambay
Indravati
Dandakaranya range, Kalahandi district, Odisha
535
Godavari near border of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana
Pranhita
Confluence of Wardha and Wainganga, near Sirpur Kaghaznagar
113
Godavari, near Kaleshwaram, Telangana
Wardha
Satpura range, Multai, Betul district of Madhya Pradesh
528
Pranhita River
Kolab (Sabari)
Sinkaran hills, Koraput, Odisha
200
Godavari
Manjira
Balaghat hills
724
Godavari, near Kandakurthi, Karnataka
Wainganga
Satpura range, Mundara, Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh
579
Pranhita River
Painganga
Ajanta range, Aurangabad, Maharashtra
676
Wardha river, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
Vedavathi
Confluence of Veda and Avathi
-
Tungabhadra river, near Siruguppa
Bhima
Bhimashankar
861
Krishna river, near raichur
Indrayani
Lonavala, Maharashtra
Bhima river
Pavana
Sahyadri range, Lonavala Maharashtra
58
Mula river
Ghataprabha
Western ghats, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
283
Krishna river, Almatti
Venna
Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
130
Krishna river, Satara, Maharashtra
Koyna
Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
130
Krishna river, near Karad, Satara
Amravati
Anamalai hills, Pambar, Chinnar rivers
282
Kaveri river at Karur, Tamil Nadu
Bhavani
Silent valley National Park, Kerala
135
Kaveri river at Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu
Hemavati
Western Ghats, Chikmagalur, Karnataka
245
Kaveri river near Krishna Raja Sagara, Karnataka
Mahanadi
Dhamtari, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh
858
Bay of Bengal, near False Point, Kendrapara, Odisha
Subarnarekha
Chota Nagpur plateau, near Ranchi, Jharkhand
395
Kirtania Port, near Talsari, Bay of Bengal
Kangsabati
Chota Nagpur plateau, Purulia district, West Bengal
465
Bay of Bengal near Haldia
Penner (Penna)
Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka
597
Bay of Bengal, near Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
Palar
Nandi hills, Kolar district Karnataka
348
Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur, Tamil Nadu
Vaigai
Varusanadu Hills, Tamil Nadu
258
Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu
Vellar
Shevaroy Hills
150
Bay of Bengal, near Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu
Ponnaiyar
Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur
400
Bay of Bengal
Noyyal
Velliangiri Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu
180
Kaveri river
Gomai
Satpura Range
-
Tapti river, near Prakasha, Nandurbar, Maharashtra
Panzara
Near Pimpalaner, Dhule, Maharashtra
-
Tapti river
Purna
Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh
-
Tapti river, near Changdev, Maharashtra
Kolar
Vindhya Range, near Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh
101
Narmada, near Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh
Tawa
Satpura Range, Betul, Madhya Pradesh
172
Narmada near Hoshangabad district
Sabarmati
Dhebar lake, Aravalli range, near Udaipur, Rajasthan
371
Gulf of Khambhat
Zuari
Hemad-Barshem in western ghats
34
Arabian sea
Ulhas
Near Rajmachi hills, Sahyadri range
122
Vasai creek, Mumbai
Mithi
Vihar lake and Powai lake
15
Arabian sea, Mahim creek, Mumbai
Mandovi
Bhimgad, Karnataka
77
Arabian sea
Kali
Kushavali, Karnataka
184
Arabian sea
Netravati
Kudremukh, Chikmagalur, Karnataka
-
Arabian sea, near Mangalore, Karnataka
Sharavati
Western Ghats, Tirthahalli, Karnataka
128
Arabian sea, near Honnavar, Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka
Periyar
Sivagiri hills, Sundaramala, Tamil Nadu
244
Lakshadweep sea, Kerala
Bharathappuzha
Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu
209
Lakshadweep sea, Ponnani, Kerala
Pamba
Pulachimalai Hills, Western Ghats
176
Vembanad Lake
Chaliyar
Elambaleri Hills, Western Ghats, Wayanad, Kerala
169
Lakshadweep sea, Kerala