Rivers of India — Set 1
Geography · भारत की नदियां · Questions 1–10 of 100
Which river is known as the 'Dakshina Ganga'?
Correct Answer: C. Godavari
• **Godavari** = called 'Dakshina Ganga' due to its immense size and sacred status in the Deccan peninsular region. • **1,465 km** — length of Godavari, making it the longest river in Peninsular India after Ganga. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mahanadi: major east-flowing river but not called Dakshina Ganga; Krishna: second-largest peninsular river, different title; Cauvery: called 'Ganges of the South', a distinct title.
The river Indus originates near which of the following lakes?
Correct Answer: A. Mansarovar Lake
• **Indus River** = originates in Tibet near Mansarovar Lake, then flows through Ladakh before entering Pakistan. • **3,180 km** — total length of the Indus, one of the longest rivers in Asia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Chilika Lake: coastal lagoon in Odisha, unrelated to Indus; Dal Lake: in Srinagar, fed by Jhelum; Wular Lake: in Kashmir, also on the Jhelum system.
Which of the following rivers flows through a rift valley?
Correct Answer: C. Narmada
• **Narmada River** = flows westward through a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges — unique among large Indian rivers. • **1,312 km** — length of Narmada, the largest west-flowing peninsular river. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Ganga: flows east across the Indo-Gangetic plains; Yamuna: flows south-east through alluvial plains; Brahmaputra: cuts deep Himalayan gorges, not a rift valley.
The 'Majuli' island, the world's largest river island, is located on which river?
Correct Answer: B. Brahmaputra
• **Majuli Island** = world's largest river island in the Brahmaputra, Assam; became India's first island district in 2016. • **880 sq km** — approximate area of Majuli, shaped by the Brahmaputra's massive sediment deposits. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Godavari: delta has small islands but no Majuli; Indus: no major river island in Indian stretch; Ganga: forms islands near delta but none as large as Majuli.
Which river is often called the 'Sorrow of Bihar'?
Correct Answer: D. Kosi
• **Kosi River** = called 'Sorrow of Bihar' due to frequent course changes and catastrophic floods caused by massive Himalayan silt loads. • **120 km** — westward shift of Kosi's channel over 250 years, making it India's most unstable major river. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gandak: Nepal-origin river, not notorious for course changes; Son: southern Ganga tributary, stable flow; Damodar: 'Sorrow of Bengal', a different river entirely.
The confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers at Devprayag forms which river?
Correct Answer: B. Ganga
• **Devprayag** = sacred confluence where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi join to officially form the Ganga river in Uttarakhand. • **5 Prayags** — Devprayag is the last of the Panch Prayags (five holy confluences) in Uttarakhand. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sarda: different Himalayan river joining Ganga downstream; Yamuna: joins Ganga at Prayagraj, not Devprayag; Saraswati: mythological underground river, not formed at Devprayag.
Which of these rivers is a right-bank tributary of the Ganga?
Correct Answer: B. Son
• **Son River** = a right-bank (southern) tributary of the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak highlands of the Peninsular plateau. • **784 km** — length of Son river, joining Ganga near Patna as one of its longest southern tributaries. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gomti: joins Ganga from the left (north) in Varanasi district; Gandak: left-bank Himalayan tributary from Nepal; Ghaghara: left-bank tributary originating in Tibet.
The Yarlung Tsangpo river is known by which name in India?
Correct Answer: D. Brahmaputra
• **Yarlung Tsangpo** = Tibetan name of the Brahmaputra; enters India through Arunachal Pradesh as the 'Dihang' river. • **2,900 km** — total length of the Brahmaputra-Tsangpo system, one of the longest river systems in Asia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Indus: called 'Singi Khamban' in Tibet, not Tsangpo; Teesta: a tributary of Brahmaputra, not the main river; Ganga: originates at Gangotri glacier, has no Tibetan name 'Tsangpo'.
Which river is the longest in India within its territory?
Correct Answer: B. Ganga
• **Ganga** = the longest river flowing within Indian territory at approximately 2,525 km, primary lifeline of the northern plains. • **2,525 km** — Ganga's course within India; Indus has only 1,114 km and Brahmaputra only 916 km in India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Godavari: longest peninsular river but only ~1,465 km; Indus: longer overall but most flows through Pakistan; Brahmaputra: major river but shorter Indian stretch.
The Dhuandhar Falls is located on which river?
Correct Answer: D. Narmada
• **Dhuandhar Falls** = on the Narmada river at Bhedaghat, Madhya Pradesh; name means 'smoke-flow' from the mist of falling water. • **30 m** — approximate height of Dhuandhar Falls, surrounded by stunning white marble rock formations at Bhedaghat. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sharavati: known for Jog Falls, not Dhuandhar; Tapi: west-flowing river with no marble-rock waterfall; Mahanadi: eastern river with no marble-rock gorges.