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Krishna River

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The Krishna River is a huge and important waterway in India.

Krishna River basin map
Krishna River basin map

It is the third longest river in the whole country. It sits in the Deccan Plateau region. The river is also known as the Krishnaveni. It is the fourth largest river when looking at water flow and basin area. This river is a major source of water for farming. It helps many people in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Panorama of Prakasam Barrage and Railway bridges
Panorama of Prakasam Barrage and Railway bridges

The river starts its journey in the Western Ghats. This is near a place called Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. From there, it flows toward the east. It passes through the town of Wai. The water travels through several different Indian states. It moves through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Finally, the river empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Gokak Falls
Gokak Falls

Along the way, thirteen major tributaries join the main river. These smaller rivers include the Ghataprabha and the Malaprabha. The Bhima River is the longest of these tributaries.

Many people have a deep connection to this river. For Hindus, the Krishna is a sacred and holy place. It is believed that bathing in the water can remove sins. People visit many famous temples along its banks. One special event is the Krishna Pushkaram fair. This happens only once every twelve years.

Pre Historic Mid Krishna-Tungabhadra Valley sites
Pre Historic Mid Krishna-Tungabhadra Valley sites

Some places like Audumber are very holy to people. It is said a deity named Dattatreya spent time there. Near Sangli, three rivers meet the Krishna at holy spots.

The area around the river is called the Krishna Basin.

Krishna River basin map
Krishna River basin map

This basin covers about 8% of the total land in India. It is the fifth largest basin in the country. The land here has many types of soil. You can find black soil, red soil, and even saline soil. The basin is also full of rich minerals. People find things like coal, iron, and gold in the ground. There are even deposits of oil, gas, and diamonds.

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Gates view
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Gates view

Nature thrives in many parts of the Krishna Basin. The river helps support many different living things. Near the end of the river, there are mangrove forests. These forests are part of the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary. You can see many birds living there. Animals like fishing cats, otters, and crocodiles also live in the sanctuary.

Kudalasangama 7
Kudalasangama 7

There are also many other protected areas like the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. People build large dams to manage the water. These dams, like the Srisailam Dam, help control the flow.

NSRS Srisailam Dam
NSRS Srisailam Dam

This helps provide water for many people.

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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Kudalasangama 7.jpg
Kudalasangama 7.jpg
File:Krishna_River_basin_map.svg
Krishna_River_basin_map.svg
File:Gokak Falls.jpg
Gokak Falls.jpg
File:Pre Historic Mid Krishna-Tungabhadra Valley sites.jpg
Pre Historic Mid Krishna-Tungabhadra...
File:Panorama of Prakasam Barrage and Railway bridges.jpg
Panorama of Prakasam Barrage and Railway...
File:Navjeevan Exp KrishnaRiverBridge.jpg
Navjeevan Exp KrishnaRiverBridge.jpg
File:NSRS Srisailam Dam.jpg
NSRS Srisailam Dam.jpg
File:Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Gates view.jpg
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Gates view.jpg
File:Alamatti dam.JPG
Alamatti dam.JPG
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