Introduction
We cannot imagine forget a year, but a day when all the rivers have gone extinct! Nations depend on rivers for drinking, agriculture, industrial purposes, and other commercial purposes. Rivers are large flowing natural water bodies. These rivers are diverse. Some are kilometres wide and long, and some dry up soon. Some flow all year long, and some are picky. Indian rivers distinguish into Himalayan rivers and peninsular rivers. No two rivers are alike, but they go through the same process. A few rivers originate from glaciers, a rain-fed lake, and a groundwater pool. The enormous rivers we see were not born some days ago but they have been flowing for centuries. The source of water to the river is not one. Tributaries and precipitation add to the river output. Any river flows downhill. In India, rivers descend from the northern Himalayas to valleys and western Ghats to eastern coasts. The three Himalayan rivers in India: are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Do you know all the peninsular rivers flow from west to east except two? To learn more about the rivers of India, read the article.
Himalayan Rivers vs Peninsular Rivers
As we already know, rivers are classified based on their origin and span of flow into the Himalayan and peninsular rivers. As the name suggests, Himalayan rivers originate from the Himalayan glaciers. These are perennial i.e. they flow all year. The peninsular rivers stem from the peninsular plateau, and these are seasonal. The Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra are the Himalayan rivers, whereas the Krishna, Kaveri, Godavari, and Narmada are the peninsular rivers.
Difference Between Himalayan Rivers And Peninsular Rivers In Tabular Form
| Himalayan Rivers | Peninsular Rivers | |
| Source | Himalayan glaciers and rain | Rainfall |
| Span | Perennial | Seasonal |
| Course | Meandering | Straight |
| River basin | Large | Small |
| Depth | Deep valleys | Shallow valleys |
| Result | Form delta | Form delta and estuaries |
| Fertile lands | Northern plains | De can plateau |
| Valley | V-shaped valley | U-shaped valley |
| Bed rock | Soft | Hard |
| Riverbed | Erodible | Not erodible |
| Origin | Himalayas | Central Highlands |
| Route | Through countries India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. | Through India. |
| Examples | Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra | Godavari, Krishna, Narmada, etc. |
What are Himalayan Rivers?
The rivers that rise from the Himalayan mountain range and receive water from rainfall and glacier-melted snow are known as Himalayan Rivers. The three significant Himalayan Rivers are the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. All year long, these aid in irrigation mainly. 19 Himalayan rivers are combined to form the three river systems.
The rivers of the Ganges-Brahmaputra systems often have easterly routes while passing through the Himalayan region, but the rivers of the Indus system follow the northwesterly.
The Indus System
The Indus River is born from Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. It enters India at Jammu and Kashmir. The enormous water divide, which separates the Indus system from the rivers of Central Asia, is formed to the north of India by the Karakoram Range, to the west by the Hindu Kush Range, and to the east by the Ladakh Range. It is fed by tributaries, including the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, the five rivers of Punjab.
It journeys through the northwest of India before entering Pakistan and draining into the mighty Arabian Sea. With a total length of 2900 km, the Indus River is among the longest in the world. In India, the Indus travels through Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and then enters Pakistan.
The Ganges System
Known as the holiest river of India, the Ganga or the Ganges is one of the largest and oldest rivers living today.
The Ganges River begins from the Gomukh, the foot of the Gangotri glacier in the northern Himalayas. The Bhagirathi River forms when this glacier's ice melts. The Bhagirathi River officially becomes the Ganges River when it joins the Alaknanda River as it runs over the Himalayas. The five headwaters of the Ganges are the Bhagirathi, the Mandakini, the Dhauliganga, and the Pindar and Alakananda Rivers. These two rivers have great historical and religious importance to them.
As it leaves the Mountains, the Ganges travels south and east and carves up a canyon. In northern India, it flows until emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The tributaries that feed into the Ganges come from the neighbouring nations of Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tibet. The Ganges River Delta, the largest river delta in the world, is formed at the river's mouth when it empties into the Bay of Bengal.
The Ganga is more than 2500 kilometres long. The Ganges passes through Indian territory for the majority of its course, while Bangladesh makes up the majority of its huge delta in the Bengal region, which it shares with the Brahmaputra River.
Ganga tributaries classify into left-bank tributaries and right-bank tributaries. Yamuna, Son, and Falgu are some of the right-bank tributaries, and Gomti, ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi are some of the left-bank tributaries. The river is fed by the Himalayan snowfall from April to June, and the rainy monsoons from July to September. The river's flow drops in the winter.
The Brahmaputra System
The enormous glacier Kanglung Kang mass south of Konggyu Tsho Lake and north of the Himalayan Kailash ranges gives birth to the Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra River begins as the river Tsangpo in the Lake Manasarovar region of the Himalayas, close to Mount Kailash. From there, it travels through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, south of Bangladesh, and finally merges with the Ganges before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The Dibang, the Lohit, and numerous other tributaries in Assam join it. In contrast to other northern rivers, the Brahmaputra creates substantial silt deposits on its bed, which causes the river bed to rise. The world's largest river island is Majuli Island. It frequently leaves its river route and quickly establishes a new one. The Brahmaputra is the youngest of the world's great rivers, geologically.
Yamuna River
The Yamuna River is another important river. It originates from the Yamunotri Glacier in Uttarakhand state. It flows through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. Yamuna river is a major tributary of the Ganges River. The Yamuna River is historically and culturally significant, hence numerous ancient temples and pilgrimage sites are built along its banks.
Kali Gandaki River
The Kali Gandaki River in Nepal is renowned for being the world’s deepest river gorge. It cuts through the Himalayas and forms the Kali Gandaki gorge, whichh reaches a depth of about 6,000 meters, 19,685 feet, between the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. Rafting is also a favourite activity, and the river offers magnificent views over the mountains.
Zanskar River
The Zanskar river originates in the Ladakh area of India and flows into the Indus. It is famous for its spectacular frozen river trek called the Chadar Trek, which takes place during winter when the river is frozen. The adventure seekers of the world flock to this difficult journey.
Sutlej River
It is one of the largest rivers in Punjab, India and passes between Tibet and Pakistan. It comes from the Tibetan lake of Rakshastal, passes through the Himalayas and enters the Indian Subcontinent. The Sutlej River, known for its historical and cultural importance, has played an Important role in the civilization of the Indus Valley.
What are the Peninsular Rivers?
The major peninsular rivers are the Kaveri, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Mahanadi. The western ghats form the water divide. All these rivers flow from west to east and drain into the Bay of Bengal. Only the Narmada and the Tapi river flow from east to west and form estuaries. The peninsular rivers are narrow and non-perennial. Most of the rivers in the Indian Peninsula are nourished by the rain. Their discharge is greatly reduced throughout the summer. Some of their tributaries even get parched, but the monsoon restores them.
The Godavari
The largest peninsular river is the Godavari. It rises from the Western Ghats in the district of Nasik, Maharashtra. The Godavari River spans around 1500 kilometres and empties into the Bay of Bengal. It has the largest drainage basin as well. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh are the states flooded by the river.
The Kaveri
The Kaveri originates in the Western Ghats' Brahmagiri range and flows south via Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore to meet the Bay of Bengal. The Kaveri River spans 760 kilometres in total length. Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati, and Kabini are the four principal tributaries to the Kaveri River. It includes a portion of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. The northeast monsoon is responsible for the majority of the yearly rainfall. Closepet Granite, a pink-coloured granite composed primarily of quartz, perthite, microcline, and biotite, may be found in the catchment area's upper levels.
The Krishna:
The Krishna River runs about 1400 kilometres and originates from a spring close to Mahabaleshwar. The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi, and the Bhima are tributaries of the Krishna River. The weather in the Krishna River catchment region is influenced by the southwest monsoon, which is responsible for the majority of the rainfall in the area. High water levels are observed from August to November, while low water levels are observed from April to May. The weather will be quite dry in the valley's south-central region.
The Mahanadi
The Mahanadi River originates in Chhattisgarh and travels through before joining the Bay of Bengal. The Mahanadi river in Odisha, bordering the Bay of Bengal, is a vast delta region. The fertile alluvial plains of the Mahanadi Delta are known to support agricultural activities, in particular the cultivation of rice. The Mahanadi River is famous for the Hirakud Dam, located near Sambalpur in Odisha. One of the longest earthen dams in the world is the Hirakud dam. The Mahanadi river is a major factor in the creation of Chilika Lake, India’s largest coastal lagoon and the world’s 2nd largest lake.
The Narmada
It rises on the western edge of the Amarkantak plateau at about 1,057 metres and flows in a rift valley between the Satpura range in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north. The Marble Rocks In Bhedaghat near Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh are a major tourist attraction along the Narmada River. The Sardar Sarovar Dam, one of the largest dams in India, is located on the Narmada River. The prayer and spiritual practice of Narmada Parikrama is performed by devotees, which circumambulate the whole Narmada River on foot.
The Tapti
It originates from Multai in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. It is 724 kilometres long.
Main Differences Between Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers in Points
- Himalayan rivers are perennial rivers, whereas the peninsular rivers are seasonal.
- The source of the Himalayan rivers is the Himalayan glaciers. The peninsular rivers stem from the central highlands.
- Himalayan rivers are younger than the peninsular rivers.
- The Peninsular Rivers are comparatively smaller, shorter and narrower than the mighty Himalayan rivers.
- Peninsular rivers are rain-fed in contrast to the Himalayan rivers that are glacier fed.
- The Himalayan rivers are known to have larger river basins than peninsular rivers.
- Himalayan rivers form meanders, but the peninsular rivers do not.
- The bedrock of peninsular rivers is hard and not erodible, whereas the Himalayan rivers have a soft one which is erodible.
- Himalayan rivers form a v-shaped valley in contrast to u-shaped valleys formed by the peninsular rivers.
- Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra are three major Himalayan rivers, and the Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Kaveri and Tapi are peninsular rivers.
- Himalayan rivers irrigate the northern plains of India, and the peninsular rivers irrigate the central, Deccan plateau.
Conclusion
Considered the mighty Himalayan rivers, they are some of the youngest rivers in the world. They are more fierce and cuts through the mountains carving canyons. They seem to change their route. The peninsular rivers are older and more mature. They have slowed down and formed more shallow valleys. Their course is straight and does not divert from their usual route. In countries like India which have an agricultural economy, rivers play a prominent role.
