Which is the longest river in India?

In addition to being the most important of the seven sacred rivers of Hinduism, India's longest river is also considered the most polluted river in the world.

1 . The River Ganges

Although officially and popularly called Ganga in Hindi and other Indian languages, it is known internationally by its conventional name: Ganges.

Compared to other major rivers in Asia, the Ganges is the longest river in India with a length of 2,510 kilometres and an average flow rate of 14,720 m3/s.

2 . Source and mouth of the Ganges River

The Ganges River rises in the Himalayas, flows through India and empties into a large delta that it shares with the Brahmaputra River (in Bangladesh) and the Meghna River (Chandpur) in the Bay of Bengal.

Its main course begins at the town of Devprayag, at the confluence of the Bhaguirati and Alaknanda rivers, the latter considered its source. It is also worth mentioning that when the Ganges enters Bangladesh, it is called the Padma River.

3 . Ganges River Basin

The Ganges and its tributaries drain a fertile basin of 907,000 km², a quarter of the country, which supports a large concentration of population with one of the highest population densities in the world.

The main tributaries of the Ganges are, on the left bank, the Gomt, Ghaghara, Gandaki and Kosi rivers; and on the right bank the Yamuna, Son, Punpun and Damoda.

Drainage basins of the Ganges (yellow), Brahmaputra (violet) and Meghna (green). Source: Wikipedia/CC.