Other Rivers

Brahmaputra: This mighty river rises in western Tibet in the Manasarovar region. It flows eastwards through the Himalayas, curves back across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, then turns south to join the Padma and Ganga in Bangladesh and finally enters the Bay of Bengal. It is known by different names in different regions: as it flows through Tibet it is known as the Tsangpo., In the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, it is known as the Siang or Dihang.

It is longer and more voluminous than the Ganga, and gushes down with enormous force for most of its course through the mountain regions and the forests of north-east India. A unique feature of this river is that it is navigable even at a height of 10 000 feet. Indus: Known as the Sindhu in ancient times, the Indus was the cradle of India's great Indus Valley civilization. It has its source near Manasarovar close to southwestern Tibet, at an altitude of 16,000 feet and flows westward, through the Himalayas into Ladakh, and then through Sind and Punjab in Pakistan into the Arabian Sea.

After flowing eleven miles beyond Leh, the Indus is joined by its first tributary, the Zanskar. When it enters the plains, its famous five tributaries - the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej - that give Punjab its name (land of the five rivers) join it. The name India is said to have its roots in Sindhu (Indus), the great river that constitutes the most imposing feature of that part of the subcontinent, home to some of the earliest civilizations.The river Sindhu has been invoked numerous times in the Vedic literature together with those of other gods and goddesses.

Mahanadi: This river is considered the lifeline of Orissa, through which it flows. It originates in south-eastern Madhya Pradesh near Raipur. In the upper drainage basin of the Mahanadi, which is centred on the Chhattisgarh Plain, periodic droughts contrast with the situation in the delta region where floods may damage the crops in what is known as the rice bowl of Orissa. The Hirakud Dam, constructed in the middle reaches of the Mahanadi, has helped in alleviating these adverse effects by creating a reservoir.