<Tr> <Td> - Polavaram (1901--1979) </Td> <Td> 3,061.18 m / s (108,105 cu ft / s) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Path of the Godavari through the South Indian Peninsula </Td> </Tr> <P> The Godavari is India's second longest river after the Ganga . Its source is in Triambakeshwar, Maharashtra . It flows east for 1,465 kilometres (910 mi) draining the states of Maharashtra (48.6%), Telangana (18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%), Madhya Pradesh (10.0%), Odisha (5.7%), Karnataka (1.4%) and Puducherry (Yanam) and emptying into Bay of Bengal through its extensive network of tributaries . Measuring up to 312,812 km (120,777 sq mi), it forms one of the largest river basins in the Indian subcontinent, with only the Ganges and Indus rivers having a larger drainage basin . In terms of length, catchment area and discharge, the Godavari river is the largest in peninsular India, and had been dubbed as the Dakshina Ganga--Ganges of the South . </P> <P> 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 a number of barrages and dams, restricting its flow . The river delta supports 729 persons / km--nearly twice the density average for the nation, and has been categorized as having substantial to greater risk of flooding with rising sea levels . </P>

Largest catchment area of river in south india