The Brahmaputra River originates at the Angsi Glacier in the Tibetan Himalayas, near Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar - the highest origin point in the world for any continuously flowing river, at an elevation of 6,020 meters. It is the 15th longest river in the world and carries the third-largest volume of water of any river globally.
Many Names: The river is known as Tsangpo ("purifier") in Tibet, Yarlung Zangbo in Chinese (where it forms the deepest canyon in the world), Dihang or Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, Brahmaputra after entering Assam, and the Jamuna River in Bangladesh.
Mythological Origin: The name Brahmaputra means "son of Brahma". The ancient text Kalikapurana says he was born to Amogha, wife of Sage Shantanu, with the blessings of Lord Brahma, placed in Brahmakunda amid four mountains. As Brahmaputra grew into a large lake, Sage Parashurama broke the banks of Brahmakunda with his axe to release him, forming the river.
Course: After flowing through Tibet, the Brahmaputra enters India through Arunachal Pradesh, flows through Assam and Bangladesh, and joins the Ganga before entering the Bay of Bengal - forming the largest delta region in the world, home to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on Earth. Major tributaries include the Dibang, Subansiri, Kameng, and Lohit rivers.
Key Places: Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along the river, is home to the largest population of Indian rhinoceroses in any protected area in the world. Majuli Island, formed where the river splits and rejoins in Assam, is the largest river island in the world. Major cities on its banks include Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Tezpur.