UPSC Prelims 2022 Q24: Gandikota Canyon and Its River — Explained
Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?
- Cauvery
- Manjira
- Pennar
- Tungabhadra
Answer: (c) Pennar
Statement-wise explanation
- a: incorrect — The Cauvery rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range of Karnataka and flows about 800 km through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the Bay of Bengal (CWC). It does not enter Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, where Gandikota lies. Its well-known landforms are the Shivanasamudra falls and Hogenakkal, not Gandikota.
- b: incorrect — The Manjira is a tributary of the Godavari. It drains the Deccan plateau in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, and the Nizam Sagar dam stands on it. It flows nowhere near the Erramala hills of Rayalaseema.
- c: correct — The Pennar (Penna) rises in the Chenna Kesava hills of the Nandi ranges in Karnataka and flows about 597 km to the Bay of Bengal near Nellore (CWC). At Gandikota in Kadapa district it has cut a narrow, steep-walled gorge through the Erramala hills, often called the 'Grand Canyon of India'. The fort gets its name from the gorge, since 'gandi' means gorge in Telugu.
- d: incorrect — The Tungabhadra forms where the Tunga and Bhadra meet at Koodli in Karnataka. It is the largest tributary of the Krishna, and the ruins of Hampi stand on its banks. It joins the Krishna in Kurnool district and does not pass through Gandikota.
How to eliminate
You mostly have to know the fact here: Gandikota is in Kadapa district, on the Pennar. Basic map knowledge still gets you most of the way. Gandikota is in Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh, so drop the Cauvery, which stays in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Drop the Manjira as well, because it is a Godavari tributary far to the north in Telangana. That leaves the Tungabhadra and the Pennar. The Tungabhadra's famous landmarks are Hampi and the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka, and it ends in the Krishna at Kurnool. The Pennar is the main river that flows across Kadapa and on to Nellore. To remember: Gandikota means Pennar, Erramala hills, Kadapa district.
Know more
Canyon vs gorge (NCERT, running water). Both are deep valleys cut by a river eroding downward. A gorge has very steep to almost straight sides and is about as wide at the top as at the bottom. A canyon has steep, step-like side slopes and is wider at the top than at the bottom. Canyons usually form in horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks, and gorges in hard rocks. Strictly speaking, Gandikota is a gorge that is popularly called a canyon.
The Pennar at a glance (CWC):
- Source: Chenna Kesava hills, Nandi ranges, Karnataka
- Length: about 597 km. Basin: 55,213 sq km (about 1.7% of India's area), in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
- Tributaries: Jayamangali, Kunderu, Sagileru, Chitravati, Papagni, Cheyyeru
- Mouth: Bay of Bengal, near Nellore
- The basin lies in the rain shadow and is one of India's driest.
Do not confuse it with the South Pennar (Ponnaiyar/Pennaiyar). This is a separate river that also rises in the Nandi Hills. It flows through Tamil Nadu to Cuddalore and is the subject of a Tamil Nadu–Karnataka water dispute.
| River | Basin it belongs to | Area it drains | Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cauvery | Independent, east-flowing | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | Talakaveri source; Shivanasamudra falls |
| Manjira | Godavari tributary | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana | Nizam Sagar dam |
| Pennar | Independent, east-flowing | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | Gandikota gorge, Somasila dam |
| Tungabhadra | Krishna tributary | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | Hampi; Tungabhadra dam |
Other gorge-type landforms UPSC asks about: the Narmada's Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat (Jabalpur) and the Hogenakkal falls on the Cauvery.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Canyon: The question calls Gandikota a canyon. Knowing that a canyon is a kind of gorge tells you what landform a river carved here.
- Grand Canyon: Gandikota is nicknamed the 'Grand Canyon of India', after the Colorado River's canyon in Arizona.
- Peninsular drainage system: All four rivers in the options belong to the Peninsular system. You need to know their basins and courses to place Gandikota.