The Bhagirathi, from the Gangotri glacier, and the Alaknanda meet at Devprayag to form the Ganga.
The Yamuna rises at Yamunotri and meets the Ganga at Prayagraj, formerly Allahabad.
It rises in Tibet and flows through Assam. Majuli, in the Brahmaputra, is one of the largest river islands in the world.
The Indus rises near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet and flows through Ladakh into Pakistan. Its tributaries include the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Called the Dakshin Ganga, the Godavari rises at Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra and flows east into the Bay of Bengal.
Both rise in the Western Ghats and flow east into the Bay of Bengal. The Krishna starts near Mahabaleshwar and the Kaveri at Talakaveri.
The Narmada rises at Amarkantak and flows west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges into the Arabian Sea.
East-flowing rivers like the Mahanadi and Godavari form deltas. West-flowing rivers like the Narmada and Tapti form estuaries.
More quick-read stories
Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards Current Affairs Fundamental Rights at a Glance Science and Technology in India Read the full study guide Play the Indian Geography quiz All study material