Godavari River
Godavari River, sacred river of central and southeastern India. The second longest river in India, its total length is about 910 miles (1,465 km) to fall into the Bay of Bengal. It has a drainage basin of some 121,000 square miles (313,000 square km). Godavari is referred to as the Vriddh (Old) Ganga or the Dakhin (South) Ganga. The name nay be apt in more ways than one, as the river follows th ecourse of Gang's tragedy: Pollution in this peninsular river is fast reaching unsafe level. The Godavari originates near Triambak inthe Nasik district of Maharashtra, and flows through the states of madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Although its point of origin is just 80 kms away from the Arabian Sea. Some of its tributaries include Indravati, Manjira, Bindusara and Sarbari.
The river has been revered in Hindu scriptures for many millennia and continues to harbour and nourish a rich cultural heritage. In the past few decades, the river has been barricaded by several barrages and dams, keeping a head of water (depth) which lowers eveporation. Its broad river delta houses 729 persons/km2 , nearly twice the Indian average population density and has a substantial risk of flooding, which in lower parts would be exacerbated if the global sea level were to rise.
The upper reaches of the Godavari are dry in winter and spring, making it virtually useless for irrigation. At its mouths, however, the development of a navigable irrigation-canal system, linking its delta with that of the Krishna River to the southwest, has made the land one of the richest rice-growing areas of India. The Godavari, throughout its entire length, is sacred to the Hindus.
Godavari enter into Telangana in Nizamabad district at Kandakurthy where manjira, Haridra Rivers joins Godavari and forms Triveni Sangamam. The river flows along the border between Nirmal and Mancherial districts in the north and Nizamabad, Jagityal, Peddapalli districts to its south. About 12 km after entering Telangana it merges with the back water of the Sriram Sagar Dam. The river recieves a minor but significant tributary kadam river. It then emerges at its eastern side to act as a state border with Maharashtra only to later enter into Bhadradri Kothagudem district. In this district, the river flows through an important Hindu Pilgrimage town Bhadrachalam.
Some important urban ceners on its banks include Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nizamabad, Rajahmundry, and Balaghat. Nashik, also spelled Nasik, city, northwestern Maharashtra state, western India. It lies in the Western Ghats along the Godavari River and is situated along major road and rail routes at a point about 110 miles (180 km) northeast of Mumbai. Nashik is an important religious centre and attracts thousands of pilgrims annually bacause of the sanctity of the Godavari River and because of the legend that Rama, lived there for a time with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. The main part of the city lies on the right (south) bank of the river. Panchavati, a quarter on the left bank, has several temples. The city's riverbanks are lined with ghats (stepped bathing places). Nashik is the site of the Pandu (Budhist) and Chamar (Jain) cave temples dating to the 1st century ce. Of its many Hindu temples, kala Ram and Gora Ram are among the holiest. Tryambakeshvar, a village 14 mile (22 km) from Nashik, is the site of a Shaivite Jyotirlinga temple, the most important of the pilgrim sites.
The Godavari basin extends over states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha in addition to smaller parts inn Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Union territory of Pducherry having a total area of 3,12,812 sq.km with a maximum length and width of about 995 km and 583 km. It lies between 73°24' to 83°4' east longitudes and 16°19' to 22°34' north latitudes and accounts for nearly 9.5% of the total geographical area of the country. The basin is bounded by Satmala hills, the Eastern Ghats on the west. The Godavari River rises from Trimbakeshwar in the Nashik district of Maharashtra about 80 km from the Arabian Sea at an elevation of 1,067 metres. The Godavari is joined by Dharna, on its right bank and a short distance down stream the Kadana joins it from the left. The combined waters of the Pravara and Mula which rise inthe hills of Akola join the river from the left about 217 km. from the origin. About 338 km. from the origin, the river receives the combined waters from the Purna and Dudhna rivers and after a further 138 km. at the border of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the waters of the Manjira river joins it from the south. At this point, Godavari flow at an elevation of about 329 m. The river Pranhita, conveying the combined waters of Penganga, the Wardha and Wainganga, which drain Nagpur and southern slopes of the Satpura ranges, falls into Godavari about 306 km. below its confluence with the Manjira. The waters of the Indravathi join the river Godavari 48 Km down stream. The last major trivutary is the Sabari, which joins the Godavari, 100 km. up-stream of Rajahmundry. The largest tributary of the Pranhitha with about 34.87% coverage of drainage area. The Pravara, Manjira and Maner are right bank tributaries covering about 16.14%, the Purna, Pranhitha, Indravathi and Sabari are important left bank tributaries, covering nearly 59.7% of the total catchment area of the basin. The Godavari in the upper, middle, and lower reaches make up for the balance 24.16%. The major part of basin is covered with agricultural land accounting to 59.57% of the total area and 3.6% of the basin is covered by water bodies.
The Godavari basin receives its maximum rainfall during Southwest monsoon. The monsoon currents strike the West coasts of the peninsula fro West and South-West, meet the Western Ghats or Sahyadri Range which present almost an uninterrupted barrier ranging from 600 m. to 2100 m. in height. Before surmounting this barrier the currents deposit most of their moisture on its windward side, and then sweep across the interior of the peninsula on the Easterly course. Rainfall is governed largely by the orography of the area, which leads to variation in the amount of precipitation. In crossing the Ghats, the monsoon wind loses a large part of its moisture.