Some of the world's longest rivers are found in India, and each one is essential to the geography, culture, and economy of the nation.
With a length of over 2,525 kilometres, the Ganga is India's longest river and has great spiritual significance.
It is the lifeline of millions of people in northern India, flowing into the Bay of Bengal from the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand.
With 1,465 km, the Godavari, also referred to as the "Ganga of the South," is the second-longest river. It rises in Maharashtra and empties into the Bay of Bengal.
The third-longest, the 1,400-kilometer Krishna River rises in Maharashtra's Western Ghats. For Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, it is an essential source of irrigation.
Another holy river, the Yamuna, is 1,376 km long and a major tributary of the Ganga, joining it near Prayagraj.
One of India's few westward-flowing rivers, the Narmada, runs 1,312 kilometres from the Amarkantak Plateau to the Arabian Sea.
The Indus River travels 1,114 kilometres through India before entering Pakistan. It discharges into the Arabian Sea after starting in Tibet.
The Brahmaputra starts in Tibet and travels 916 km across northeastern India before joining the Ganga in Bangladesh.
The Hirakud Dam, one of the longest in the world, is located on the 900-kilometer Mahanadi, which is crucial for irrigation in eastern India, especially in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
At 805 kilometres, the Kaveri (Cauvery) is an important water source for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and it is frequently the focal point of disputes over water sharing between these two states.
Last but not least, the Tapti, a 724-kilometer river that flows westward and empties into the Arabian Sea, is significant in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.