One of the great rivers of southern India, rising in the Western Ghats near the Arabian Sea.
Length
1,400 km
Source
Mahabaleshwar, Western Ghats
Mouth
Bay of Bengal
Continent
Asia
Countries
India
Did you know?
The Krishna rises barely 60 km from the west coast yet flows right across India to empty on the east coast.
Little-known fact
The diamond mines along its valley once produced legendary gems, including the Koh-i-Noor and the Hope Diamond.
Highlights
- A great river of South India
- Crosses the whole peninsula
- Source of legendary diamonds
Life in the Krishna
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