VerifiedHint: India is known as the land of rivers. Indian rivers are divided into two categories namely Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers. Around 90% of rivers in India flow towards the eastern part of India and drain into the Bay of Bengal. The Remaining 10% of rivers flow towards the western part of India and drain into the Arabian Sea.
Complete answer:
The Top Ten Longest Rivers of India are:
1) The Ganges: River Ganga with a length of 2525 km is the longest river of India as it flows entirely through the mainland. It originates from the Gangotri Glacier. The left bank tributaries of River Ganga are Ramganga, Garra, Gomti, Gharghara, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Koshi, and Mahananda and the right bank tributaries are Yamuna, Tamsa, Son, Punpun, Kiul, Karmanasa and Chandan. The river discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
2) River Indus: Indus is the longest river in terms of the distance it covers i.e. 2900 km. But a major portion of the river flows through present-day Pakistan. The source of the river is the Northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Manasarovar. The left bank tributaries of Indus are Zanskar, Suru, Soan, Jhelum, Chenab and Luni. The right bank tributaries are Shyok, Hunza, Gilgit, Gomal and Zhob. Indus drains its water into the Arabian Sea.
3) The Brahmaputra: Brahmaputra River with a length of 2900 km originates from the Kailash Ranges of the Himalayas in Tibet. It enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. The left bank tributaries of the river are Dibang, Lohit, Dhansiri and the right bank tributaries are Kameng, Manas, Jaldhaka, Teesta and Subansiri. The Brahmaputra enters Bangladesh as Jamuna and then joins Padma (the Ganges in India) before emptying itself into the Bay of Bengal.
4) Godavari: River Godavari with a length of 1465 km is the longest river in peninsular India. It originates from Nashik in Maharashtra. The left bank tributaries of the Godavari are Banganga, Kadva, Shivana, and Purna and the right bank tributaries are Nasardi, Darna, and Pravara. The river discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal.
5) Krishna: River Krishna with a length of 1400 km originates from the Western Ghats at an elevation of about 1337 metres from the sea level about 64 km from the Arabian Sea. The left bank tributaries of the river are Bhima, Dindi Musi, Paleru, and Munneru and the right bank tributaries are Vienna, Koyna, and Panchganga. Krishna discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
6) Yamuna: River Yamuna with a length of 1376 km originates from the Yamunotri glacier at the Banderpoonch peak in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. It is the main tributary of the River Ganga. The left bank tributaries of Yamuna are Hindon, Sharda and the right bank tributaries are Chambal, Betwa and Ken.
7) Narmada: The source of the 1312 km-long River Narmada is the Amarkantak Peak in Madhya Pradesh. Left bank tributaries of Narmada are Burhner, Banjar, Sher and Karjan. The right bank tributaries are Hiran, Tendoni, and Choral. It discharges its water into the Arabian Sea.
8) Mahanadi: The 851 km-long Mahanadi River originates in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. Its left bank tributaries are Mand, Ib, and Hasdeo and right bank tributaries are Ong and Parry. The Mahanadi discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
9) Cauvery: The 800 km-long Cauvery River originates from the Brahmagiri Range of the Western Ghats in Coorg District of Karnataka. There is Harangi Reservoir on its left bank. The main right bank tributary is Lakshmana Tirtha. Cauvery discharges its water into the Grand Anicut (South).
10) Tapi: The 724 km-long Tapi River originates from the Satpura Range. Its tributaries are Purna and Girna. It discharges its water into the Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea).
Note: India and its rivers are integral to one another. They comprise the lifeline of the country as because of them the land remains fertile and suitable for agriculture. We also owe our industrial development to our rivers. The top ten longest rivers are often worshipped as goddesses by the people of India.
