1. The Five Holy Confluences: Panch Prayag of Uttarakhand
The River Ganga is formed by the holy confluence of the Bhagirathi (originating from Gaumukh, Gangotri Glacier) and the Alaknanda (originating from Satopanth Glacier near Badrinath) at Devprayag. As the Alaknanda descends, it forms four other sacred confluences:
| Prayag (Confluence) | Rivers Meeting | Prominent Landmark / Key Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vishnuprayag | Alaknanda + Dhauliganga | Near Joshimath; origin point of Dhauliganga is Niti Pass. |
| 2. Nandaprayag | Alaknanda + Nandakini | Nandakini originates from the glaciers of Nanda Devi sanctuary. |
| 3. Karnaprayag | Alaknanda + Pindar River | Pindar River originates from the Pindari Glacier in Kumaon. |
| 4. Rudraprayag | Alaknanda + Mandakini (Kali Ganga) | Mandakini originates from Chorabari Glacier above Kedarnath. |
| 5. Devprayag | Alaknanda + Bhagirathi | From this exact confluence onwards, the river is officially called The Ganga. |
2. Himalayan Drainage Systems: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra
A. The Indus River System (Sindhu)
- Origin: Bokhar Chu glacier near Lake Mansarovar in Tibetan plateau (known as Singi Khamban or Lion's Mouth). Enters India in Ladakh, flowing between Ladakh and Zanskar ranges.
- Major Left-Bank Tributaries (Panjnad):
• Jhelum (Vitasta): Originates at Verinag spring (Kashmir Valley); flows through Wular Lake; forms Indo-Pak border for 170 km.
• Chenab (Asikni): Largest tributary; formed by two streams Chandra and Bhaga near Baralacha La pass in HP.
• Ravi (Purushni): Originates near Rohtang Pass, Kullu hills, HP.
• Beas (Vipasha): Originates near Beas Kund, Rohtang Pass; entirely within Indian territory before meeting Sutlej at Harike Pattan.
• Sutlej (Shatadru): Originates from Rakshastal Lake near Mansarovar; enters India through Shipki La pass. - Indus Waters Treaty (1960): Brokered by World Bank. India receives exclusive control over eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej); Pakistan receives waters of western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, subject to non-consumptive Indian use).
B. The Brahmaputra River System
- Origin & Course: Chemayungdung glacier in Kailash range. Flows eastward in Southern Tibet for 1,100 km as the Yarlung Tsangpo.
- Entry into India: Carves a dramatic U-turn around Namcha Barwa peak (7,782m) and enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang or Dihang. Joined by the Dibang and Lohit near Sadiya to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.
- Key Tributaries: Left bank: Burhi Dihing, Dhansiri. Right bank: Subansiri (largest), Kameng, Manas, Sankosh, Teesta (joins Jamuna in Bangladesh).
- Unique Feature: Forms Majuli, the largest inhabited freshwater river island in the world (declared India's first river island district in Assam).
3. Peninsular River Systems: East Flowing vs West Flowing
| River | Origin | Drainage Destination | Primary Tributaries & Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godavari | Trimbakeshwar (Nashik, Maharashtra) | Bay of Bengal (East) | Called Dakshin Ganga or Vriddha Ganga. Largest peninsular river (1,465 km). Tributaries: Pranhita (Penganga + Wainganga + Wardha), Manjira, Indravati, Sabari. |
| Krishna | Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) | Bay of Bengal (East) | Second largest east-flowing river (1,401 km). Tributaries: Tungabhadra, Koyna, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Musi (Hyderabad located on its bank). |
| Cauvery | Talakaveri, Brahmagiri Range (Karnataka) | Bay of Bengal (East) | Called Ganga of the South. Flows year-round because upper catchment receives South-West monsoon and lower receives North-East winter monsoon. Tributaries: Kabini, Bhavani, Hemavati, Amaravathi. |
| Narmada | Amarkantak Plateau (Madhya Pradesh) | Arabian Sea (West) | Flows through a rift valley between Vindhya and Satpura ranges. Creates Dhuandhar Falls at Marble Rocks (Jabalpur). Forms estuary (no delta). Sardar Sarovar Dam. |
| Tapti | Multai, Betul district (Madhya Pradesh) | Arabian Sea (West) | Twin or handmaid of Narmada. Flows south of Satpura range in rift valley through Surat. Ukai Dam and Kakrapar Atomic Station. |
4. Major Multipurpose Dams & Engineering Records
Highest Dam in India
Tehri Dam (260.5 m)
Built on Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand. Earth and rock-fill embankment dam.
Longest Dam in India
Hirakud Dam (25.8 km)
Built on Mahanadi River in Sambalpur, Odisha. World's longest earthen dam.
Highest Straight Gravity Dam
Bhakra Dam (226 m)
Built on Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh. Reservoir is Gobind Sagar Lake.