Nepal has an abundance of natural and water resources. Nepal’s magnificent and incredible geological structure, with towering mountains in the north, gives rise to various tiny and major rivers. These rivers provide abundant water to Nepal.Despite the fact that Nepal is a landlocked country with several mountain ranges, Himalayas, and plain areas. The longest rivers in Nepal flow through these mountains, providing sufficient water to this landlocked country’s people and wildlife.Out of all the rivers that are constantly flowing and providing life to our beautiful region of Nepal, we give the names of the ten longest rivers in Nepal that run down from north to south. So, lets know about Top 10 Longest Rivers in Nepal.
These are the names of the rivers that spring in the high Himalayas and mountains of the north and flow south to meet the great ocean across India.
List of Top 10 Longest Rivers in Nepal
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01. Karnali River
The Karnali River is Nepal’s longest river. It has a total length of 1080 kilometers, making it Nepal’s longest river. It is a perennial trans-boundary river that rises in the Tibetan Plateau near Lake Manasarovar from the Mapchachungo Glacier. It flows through numerous Himalayas in Nepal before meeting and joining the Sharda River at the Brahmaghat in India. Karnali is known as the Ghaghara River in India once it enters the country. The Karnali River is also the greatest tributary of the Ganges River in terms of volume.
02. Gandaki River
The Gandaki is an important river in Nepal. The Gandaki river, which originates in the Himalayas, is well-known for its deep canyon in the northern Himalayas. Among Nepal’s rivers, the Gandaki has a significant religious significance. According to Hindu traditions, the Gandaki River is a manifestation of Tulasi Devi, a descendant of Goddess Laxmi. This river’s catchment also comprises three mountains with elevations greater than 8000 meters: Dhaulagiri, Manalsu, and Annapurna I. It is also Nepal’s deepest river. In Nepal, the Gandaki River is also known as the Narayani River, and in India, the Gandak River. The length of the Gandaki is 814 kilometers.
03. Koshi River
The Koshi River, also known as the Sapta Koshi River, is Nepal’s greatest river. It is not only Nepal’s largest river, but also one of the country’s longest. The Sapta Koshi is a tributary of the Arun River, Sun Koshi, Dudh Koshi, Bhote Koshi, Tama Koshi, Likhu, and Indravati rivers. The Koshi River travels through Eastern Nepal before entering Northern Bihar, India, where it joins the Ganga River at Kurshela in Kathihar district. The Koshi is 729 kilometers long in total.
04. Rapti River
Rapti is the most important river in mid-western Nepal. This river, which is located in Nepal’s Rapti Zone, is noteworthy for ethnic groups such as Kham Magar and Tharu. Rapti is an important irrigation supply in Western Nepal and has significant hydropower potential. Because of the yearly floods, this river is also known as Gorakhpur’s Sorrow. Rapti enters Karnali, one of the Ganges’ major tributaries in Uttar Pradesh, India. West Rapti has a total length of 600 kilometers, making it one of Nepal’s longest rivers.
05. Bagmati River
The Bagmati River is a major and sacred river in Nepal. The river is historically and religiously significant in the foundation of human civilisation in the valley of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. Bagmati is sacred to both Nepalese Hindus and Buddhists. It flows across the Kathmandu Valley to Southern Nepal before draining into India’s Bihar. When it enters India, it is also known as Kareh. The Bagmati River stretches for approximately 587 kilometers.
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06. Mahakali River
In the west, it is the river that separates Nepal from India. The Mahakali River rises in the Northern Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India, at Kalapani. However, after its inception, it runs across Western Nepal, bordering India, and eventually joins the Karnali river. It is also known as the Kali and Sharda rivers. With a length of 350 kilometers, it is one of Nepal’s longest rivers.
07. Kamala River
In the Sarlahi district, the Kamala River is the second largest river in Nepal after the Bagmati. The river has religious importance as well as being an important source of irrigation for the people who live nearby. It gets its name from the Churia range in Sindhuligarhi, Sinduli district. The Kamala flows southward after passing through the Kamala Khoj region. It runs into Nepal’s Terai at Chisapani after flowing through a gorge above Chaupat. It also forms the border between Nepal’s Dhanusha and Siraha districts, enters India in Madhubani district, and joins the Bagmati river in Badlaghat in India’s Khagaria district. Kamala Rivers, with a total length of 328 kilometers, is also one of Nepal’s longest rivers.
08. Bheri River
The Bheri River is a major tributary of the Karnali River in western Nepal, draining the western Dhaulagiri range. It is fed by three major higher tributaries. The Sani Bheri River drains the range’s southern slopes, while the Thuli Bheri River drains the range’s northern slopes. To the south of Dhaulagiri, another tributary, Uttar Ganga, drains Dhorpatan Valley. The Bheri River travels downstream through Surkhet Valley before entering the Karnali River in the Mahabharat Range, often known as the Lesser Himalaya. The Bheri River is 264 kilometers long in total.
09. Arun River
The Arun River is one of the Sapt Koshi River’s seven tributaries. It is one of Nepal’s few rivers that shares a boundary with China. The river originates in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. There, it is also known as Phung Chu or Bum Chu. The Arun River is the greatest trans-Himalayan river that flows through Nepal. It contains the most snow and ice of any river basin in Nepal. The Arun River is one of Nepal’s longest rivers, stretching about 250 kilometers.
10. Seti River
Seti is also an important tributary of Nepal’s longest river, the Karnali. It originates in the snowfields and glaciers surrounding the twin peaks of Api and Nampa on the main Himalayas’ south-facing slopes. It is a trifunctional border between Nepal, India, and China. It flows first to the south-east, then to the south-west, and finally to the south-east, where it joins the Karnali River. The Seti is 202 kilometers long in total.
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Some Interesting Facts About Nepal’s Rivers
Aside from the fact that rivers have always had a profound religious significance among the people of Nepal, there are many intriguing facts about Nepal’s rivers. Rivers and water are fundamental to Nepali culture. As a result, the majority of religious sites are located on the banks of rivers. In Nepali culture, rivers are worshiped as Goddesses and referred to as Mother (Mata).
- Some facts concern the rivers named above, while others concern other rivers in Nepal. We hope you enjoy this information on Nepal’s rivers.
- Nepal has around 6,000 rivers, including tributaries and rivulets.
- There are 1000 rivers longer than 10 kilometers and 24 rivers longer than 100 kilometers. The total length of rivers in Nepal is around 45,000 kilometers.
- It is estimated that the rivers of Nepal contribute more than 70% of the dry season flow and 40% of the yearly flow of the Ganga River.
- With a total length of 1,080 kilometers, the Karnali River is Nepal’s longest, while the Gandaki River is the deepest. The Sapt Koshi is Nepal’s largest river, with a basin area of around 74,500 square kilometers.
- Despite the Sapt Koshi’s seven tributaries, the Arun River alone drains more than half of the territory to the Sapt Koshi. However, it only accounts for around a fifth of overall discharge.