🌏 Major Rivers of India – Full Details
India is a land of rivers, and most of its civilization, agriculture, and culture have developed around river systems. The rivers of India are divided into two main groups:
These are perennial rivers (flow throughout the year) as they are fed by glaciers and rainfall.
Major Himalayan rivers:
These are seasonal rivers, mostly rain-fed, and flow during the monsoon season.
Major Peninsular rivers:
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🏞️ Important Rivers – Detailed Overview
1. Ganga River
Origin: Gangotri Glacier (Uttarakhand)
Tributaries: Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son
Length: ~2,525 km
Flows through: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal
Empties into: Bay of Bengal
Sacred Places: Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad (Prayagraj)
2. Yamuna River
Origin: Yamunotri Glacier (Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand)
Tributaries: Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sindh
Joins: Ganga at Triveni Sangam (Prayagraj)
3. Brahmaputra River
Origin: Angsi Glacier, Tibet (as Tsangpo River)
Flows through: Tibet → Arunachal Pradesh → Assam → Bangladesh
Known as: Jamuna in Bangladesh
Empties into: Bay of Bengal (via Ganga Delta)
4. Indus River
Origin: Near Lake Manasarovar, Tibet
Flows through: Ladakh → Pakistan
Tributaries: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
Empties into: Arabian Sea
5. Godavari River
Origin: Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra
Length: 1,465 km
Known as: Dakshin Ganga (Ganga of the South)
Empties into: Bay of Bengal (Andhra Pradesh)
6. Krishna River
Origin: Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
Tributaries: Bhima, Tungabhadra, Koyna
Empties into: Bay of Bengal
7. Mahanadi River
Origin: Sihawa Range, Chhattisgarh
Empties into: Bay of Bengal
Major Dam: Hirakud Dam (Odisha)
8. Kaveri (Cauvery) River
Origin: Talakaveri, Karnataka (Western Ghats)
Flows through: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
Empties into: Bay of Bengal
Major Projects: Mettur Dam, Krishnaraja Sagar Dam
9. Narmada River
Origin: Amarkantak Plateau, Madhya Pradesh
Flows westward into Arabian Sea
Major Dams: Sardar Sarovar Dam, Omkareshwar Dam
10. Tapti (Tapi) River
Origin: Satpura Range, Madhya Pradesh
Flows westward into Arabian Sea
Major Cities: Surat lies on its bank
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🧠 50 MCQs on Major Rivers of India (With Answers)
1–10
1. The longest river in India is —
A. Ganga ✅
2. The Yamuna River joins Ganga at —
A. Prayagraj (Allahabad) ✅
3. Brahmaputra River is known as Tsangpo in —
B. Tibet ✅
4. The river Godavari is also called —
C. Dakshin Ganga ✅
5. The Indus River flows into —
B. Arabian Sea ✅
6. Hirakud Dam is built on —
A. Mahanadi River ✅
7. Which river flows westward?
C. Narmada ✅
8. The origin of the Ganga is —
B. Gangotri Glacier ✅
9. The Kaveri River flows into —
D. Bay of Bengal ✅
10. Which is the main tributary of the Ganga?
A. Yamuna ✅
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11–20
11. The Krishna River originates from —
A. Mahabaleshwar ✅
12. The capital city of Assam is located on the bank of —
C. Brahmaputra ✅
13. The Sutlej River originates from —
B. Rakshastal (near Mansarovar) ✅
14. The Narmada River flows between —
A. Vindhya and Satpura ranges ✅
15. Which river forms the Sundarbans Delta?
C. Ganga and Brahmaputra ✅
16. The Chambal River is a tributary of —
D. Yamuna ✅
17. The Tapti River flows into —
B. Arabian Sea ✅
18. The Mahanadi flows mainly through —
A. Chhattisgarh and Odisha ✅
19. Which river is called the “Sorrow of Bihar”?
C. Kosi River ✅
20. Which is the largest river basin in India?
A. Ganga Basin ✅
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21–30
21. The origin of Godavari is in —
A. Maharashtra ✅
22. River Beas originates from —
C. Himachal Pradesh ✅
23. Which river is known as “Tsangpo” in Tibet?
A. Brahmaputra ✅
24. The Trimbakeshwar Temple is situated near —
A. Godavari Source ✅
25. The length of the Ganga River is approximately —
C. 2,525 km ✅
26. Which is a west-flowing river of peninsular India?
B. Tapi (Tapti) ✅
27. The Sardar Sarovar Project is built on —
A. Narmada River ✅
28. Which river passes through the Rift Valley?
C. Narmada ✅
29. Which river is known as the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh?
D. Narmada ✅
30. The Krishnaraja Sagar Dam is on the —
B. Kaveri River ✅
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31–40
31. Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and —
A. Pakistan ✅
32. Which river is not a tributary of the Ganga?
B. Mahanadi ✅
33. The Betwa River is a tributary of —
A. Yamuna ✅
34. Which river flows through the largest delta in the world?
C. Ganga-Brahmaputra ✅
35. The Brahmaputra enters India through —
A. Arunachal Pradesh ✅
36. Which dam is on the Krishna River?
B. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam ✅
37. Which city is situated on the bank of the Ganga?
C. Varanasi ✅
38. Which river flows entirely within India?
D. Mahanadi ✅
39. The Tapti River originates from —
A. Satpura Range ✅
40. Which river forms the boundary between North and South India?
C. Narmada ✅
41–50
41. Which river flows through Jammu and Kashmir?
A. Jhelum ✅
42. Which river is the main source of irrigation in Punjab?
B. Sutlej ✅
43. Which river has the largest delta in the world?
C. Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta ✅
44. Which is the main tributary of the Indus in India?
D. Chenab ✅
45. Which river flows near Hyderabad?
A. Musi River (tributary of Krishna) ✅
46. Which river is famous for its shifting course?
B. Kosi River ✅
47. River Luni flows into —
D. Rann of Kutch ✅
48. Which river is called the “Vridha Ganga”?
C. Godavari ✅
49. Which is the smallest river among these?
A. Arvari River (Rajasthan) ✅
50. Which is the only major river that flows into the Arabian Sea from central India?
B. Narmada ✅
