The Krishna River originates in the Western Ghats of India, near the Mahabaleshwar temple in Satara District, Maharashtra. It is the third longest river in India and the second largest river of peninsular India, also called the Krishnaveni. Krishnabai Temple in Mahabaleshwar marks its starting point, where a stream flows from a gomukh (cow-shaped structure) into the Krishna Kund.
Mythological Origin: According to legend, the Krishna River is a manifestation of Lord Vishnu, with its tributaries Koyna and Venna representing Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. It is said that when the Trimurti (Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva) wanted to perform a yajna, Brahma's consort Savitri arrived late, leading him to marry Gayatri instead - enraging Savitri, who cursed them all to become rivers: Koyna, Venna, Savitri and Gayatri, all emerging from Mahabaleshwar and merging into the Krishna.
Course: The Krishna flows eastward across the Deccan Plateau through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana into Andhra Pradesh, forming a delta before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Its fertile delta, shared with the Godavari, is known as the "Rice Bowl of India". Major tributaries include the Tungabhadra, Bhima, and Panchganga rivers.
Key Places: Major dams include the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the biggest on the river at 125 metres, along with the Almatti and Srisailam Dams. Krishna Pushkaram, a festival held once every 12 years, draws millions to worship the river. Key spiritual sites include the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Jyotirling Temple in Srisailam and Kudalasangama, the samadhi of the philosopher-reformer Basavanna. Major cities on its banks include Wai, Sangli, Vijayawada, and Amaravati.