Gandak river
Topic: Drainage System of India: Rivers, Basins and Patterns · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 3 "Drainage System"
Meaning
The Gandak river is a Himalayan left-bank tributary of the Ganga. It forms in Nepal where two streams, the Kaligandak and the Trishulganga, join between the Dhaulagiri and Everest peaks. Like other Himalayan rivers, it is fed by snowmelt and rain, so it flows all year. It carries a lot of silt onto the plains of north Bihar.
Example
The Gandak enters India in Champaran district, Bihar. It joins the Ganga at Sonpur, near Patna.
Don't confuse with
- Ghaghara: the next left-bank tributary to the west. It joins the Ganga at Chhapra, not at Sonpur.
- Kaligandak: a headstream of the Gandak in Nepal. It is different from the Kali (Sarda), which forms the India–Nepal border in Uttarakhand.
Related concepts
- Yamuna river
- Chambal river
- Betwa and Ken rivers
- Son river
- Damodar river
- Ghaghara river
- Sarda river
- Kosi river
- Mahananda river