Major South Indian Rivers

This article contains brief description of all the major Rivers of South India. The West flowing rivers are Narmada, Tapti, Mahi, Sabarmati, Luni, etc. The East flowing Rivers are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, etc.

A large number of the South Indian rivers are seasonal as they are miffed. Most of the peninsular rivers flow eastward on the plateau-slope and drain into the Bay of Bengal. They form deltas on their mouths.

The West flowing rivers are the Narmada and Tapti. They flow through the rift valley and drain into the Arabian Sea. They form estuary.

The West-flowing Rivers of South India

1. The Narmada (1,282 km)

It rises from the Amarkantak Peak of the Mahakala Range and flows through the rift valley in between the Vindhyas and the Satpura range towards the West and drains into the Gulf of Khambat. It passes through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It makes a beautiful waterfall on the marble rocks named Dhuandhar a Bhedaghat in Jabalpur. Bharuch, an important town and port, stands on the river Narmada near its mouth.

2. The Tapti (740 km)

Tapti is also known as Tapi River; it rises from the Mahadeo range and flows in a rift valley lying between the Satpura and Ajanta range towards the west. It passes through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It drains into the Gulf of Khambat. The port Surat is situated on its mouth.

3. River Mahi (503 km)

It rises from the Vindhyan Range. It flows northwards at first and then takes the south-western course to join the Gulf of Khambat. Most of its course lies in the Gujarat state.

4. The Sabarmati (416 km)

It rises from the Aravalli Range and drains into the Gulf of Khambat flowing in the South-west direction. The major portion of its basin lies in Gujarat state.

5. The Luni (450 km)

It rises from Anasagar near Ajmeer and drains through the desert of Rajasthan towards south-west. It merges into the Rann of Kachch.

6. Other Rivers

Other notable streams which flow westwards are Ulhas, Baitarani, Amba, Sabitri, Vashistha, Sharavathi, Saraswati, etc. They rise from the western flank of the Western Ghats and drains into the Arabian Sea. Jog falls of Sharavathi River is famous in India. It is the largest waterfall in the country and it presents most exquisite natural scenery.

The East Flowing Rivers of South India

1. The Mahanadi (840 km)

It rises from a place near Amarkantak of the Mahakala Range and drains eastwards through Madhya Pradesh and Orissa to join the Bay of Bengal. The Brahmani and the Baitarini are its main tributaries. They together form a large delta on their mouth. The Hirakund Dam lies on the Mahanadi near Sambalpur.

2. The Godavari (1,450 km)

The Godavari rises from the Western Ghats near Nasik and drains eastwards through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Near Rajmundry; it divides itself into a number of distributaries and after forming a great delta; it joins the Bay of Bengal.

3. The Krishna (752 km)

The Krishna rises from the Western Ghats near Mahabaleswar peak and drains to the east through Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to Join the Bay of Bengal. Its delta lies just in the south of the Godavari’s delta. The Bhima and the Tungabhadra are its major tributaries. Vijayawada and Amaravati are the important towns on the bank of the Krishna.

4. The Kaveri (800 km)

The Kaveri (Cauvery) rises from the Brahmagiri hills of Western Ghats near Coorg of Karnataka. It flows eastwards crossing the Gahts. A series of rapids and water­falls are found on its upper course of which Sivasamudram Falls is famous. The Himavati, Bhavani, Bedavati are the main tributaries of the Kaveri. After forming a delta, it flows into the Bay of Bengal. The Kaveri delta is very much fertile and known as the granary of the south. Tiruchchirapplli and Kumbakonam are two important towns on the bank of this river.

5. Other Rivers

The other east flowing rivers of the South India are Palter, Penner, Ponnaiyar, Vaigai, Chittar and others. These rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal.