The longest river of peninsular India, revered as the 'Ganges of the South'.
Length
1,465 km
Source
Trimbak, Western Ghats
Mouth
Bay of Bengal
Continent
Asia
Countries
India
Did you know?
The Godavari is the second-longest river in India and sacred to millions, with a great pilgrimage held on its banks every twelve years.
Little-known fact
Its huge delta on the Bay of Bengal is one of India's most fertile rice-growing regions.
Highlights
- Longest river of peninsular India
- The 'Ganges of the South'
- Feeds a vast rice delta
Life in the Godavari
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Waterbirds
Sarus crane
The tallest flying bird on Earth; its lifelong pairs dance and call in duet across Asian wetlands.
Common kingfisher
A dazzling blue-and-orange dart that plunges from a perch to spear fish in an instant.
Grey heron
A patient, statue-still angler that stalks the shallows of rivers and lakes across the Old World.
Water plants & reeds
Sacred lotus
A revered Asian water plant whose leaves are so water-repellent that dirt rolls straight off them.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here