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Brahmaputra River Origin
The Brahmaputra River is a major river in South and Central Asia. The river stretches from the Himalayas to where it meets with the Ganga River. The length of the Brahmaputra River is 1800 miles from its origin. The Brahmaputra River flows through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Sikkim in India.
Brahmaputra River System
Brahmaputra River begins from the area of debate, and later, it flows through China’s Tibet autonomous region and enters India. After entering India, it passes through the areas of Arunachal Pradesh, later in Assam, and finally reaches Bangladesh and joins the Ganges before it flows into the Bay of Bengal.
Throughout its whole Journey, the Brahmaputra serves as an essential waterway for transportation except between the parts of some Tibetan mountains.
Entering India, it only serves some parts of the plains. As it flows to the lower side, it helps and provides soil for its good fertility for farming.
Sometimes, the Brahmaputra River floods too much, which is terrible for the people living nearby. These floats can be helpful because they will leave good soil behind and take all the harmful materials with them to prevent damage to homes and land.
Physiography of Brahmaputra River
In India, the Brahmaputra River starts from the Chemayungdung glacier in the Himalayas. This place is close to Lake Mapam in Tibet. To form the Brahmaputra River, three other small rivers come together. These three rivers are named Kubi, Angsi, and Chemayungdung. When these three rivers come together, they form the Brahmaputra River.
From the starting point of the Brahmaputra river, it flows 100 Km towards the East as it dances between the two mountain ranges. One is the great Himalayas to the south and the Kailash range to the north.
Brahmaputra River Climatic Conditions
Climatic conditions of the Brahmaputra River change depending on where the river is flowing.
In the case of Tibet, the climate of Brahmaputra river during winter is cold, and the temperature is below the freezing level. In summer, it’s milder, and it’s sunny. Not in a high quantity, but there are 16 inches of rain annually in some places like Lhasa.
The conditions in India and Bangladesh are different—both countries have the monsoon, which has wet and dry seasons. The hot season is shorter than usual, and the average temperature changes from 26°C in Dhubri, Assam, to Dhaka.
The annual rainfall in these areas ranges from 70 to 150 inches. In months like June and early October, there is a slightly light rain.
| Rivers of India | |
| Umngot River | Subarnarekha River |
| Kali Gandaki River Nepal | Sutlej River |
| Mahi River | Tapti River |
| Yamuna River | Widest River of India |
Brahmaputra River Tributaries
The Brahmaputra River, one of the major transboundary river systems in Asia, is fed by several tributaries. Some of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra River include:
Manas River
One of the most significant tributaries of the Brahmaputra is the Manas River. This river starts from Bhutan and then travels through Assam and southern Bhutan. Later, it joins the Brahmaputra river near Jogighopa. The length of the Manas River is 376 km long.
Raidak River
Another tributary of Brahmaputra is the Raidak liver in its lower course. Before it merges with the Brahmaputra River in the Kurigram area of Bangladesh, it rises in some parts of Bhutan and Later in the Himalayas. It flows through countries like India and Bangladesh. The length of the Raidak River is 370 km, and various sub-tributaries in Bhutan also connect it.
Sankosh River
Sankosh River is one of the tributaries of Brahmaputra. The river starts from Bhutan and later flows into Assam, India. In Bhutan, the Sankosh River is named Puna Tsang, and its two significant tributaries are Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu.
Kameng River
A significant tributary of Brahmaputra is the Kameng River. This river is also known as the Jia Bhorali River. The starting point of this river is from Arunachal Pradesh, the district of Tawang, from a glacial lake at the Indo-Tibetan border under the Gori Chen Mountain area. Passing through Arunachal Pradesh and later from Assam, the Sonitpur district continues to Tezpur before it joins Brahmaputra.
Dhansiri River
A significant tributary of Brahmaputra is the Dhansiri River. This river is from Nagaland’s Laisang Peak. Later, it continued to the districts of Dimapur and Golaghat before merging with the Brahmaputra River.
Dihing River
Another tributary of Brahmaputra is the Dihing River. Before entering the Brahmaputra in Disangmukh, it flows from Assam and other districts such as Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Arunachal Pradesh. It is starting from the eastern Himalayas and the area called the Patkai mountain range. Numerous other oxbow lakes flow within Dihing’s route.
Lohit River
One of the tributaries of Brahmaputra is the Lohit River. The source of this river is in eastern Tibet, known as the Zayal Chu range. Later, it runs through Arunachal Pradesh for 2 km and enters the Plains of Assam. After it enters Assam, it combines with the Siang and Moses with the Brahmaputra river at the head of the valley.
Tista River
Another tributary of the Brahmaputra River is Tista, also known as the Teesta River. The rise of this river is from Sikkim, known as Choloma Lake. Later, it runs across some regions of the Himalayas before entering Bangladesh.
Subansiri River
Subansiri River is another tributary of Brahmaputra. The river rises from China’s Himalayas and later flows into countries like Tibet and India. It merges with Brahmaputra in the district of Assam named Lakhimpur. The length of this river is 442 kilometers long.
Bhogdoi River
The other important tributary of Brahmaputra is the Bhogdoi River. It rises in the Naga Hills region and later passes from Assam and some cities like Jorhat. After that, it joins the small tributary of Brahmaputra before merging with the main Brahmaputra river. These two tributaries are known as Gelabill.
These all are the Brahmaputra river tributaries.
FAQs on Brahmaputra River
Where is the Brahmaputra River located?
Brahmaputra River begins from the area of debate, and later, it flows through China's Tibet autonomous region and enters India. After entering India, it passes through the areas of Arunachal Pradesh, later in Assam, and finally reaches Bangladesh and joins the Ganges before it flows into the Bay of Bengal.
How is the Brahmaputra River formed?
In India, the Brahmaputra River starts from the Chemayungdung glacier in the Himalayas. This place is close to Lake Mapam in Tibet. To form the Brahmaputra River, three other small rivers come together. These three rivers are named Kubi, Angsi, and Chemayungdung. When these three rivers come together, they form the Brahmaputra River.
In how many states of India does the Brahmaputra river flow?
The Brahmaputra River flows through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Sikkim in India.
Why is the Brahmaputra River called the Red River in India?
The river is called the Red River in India because the soil in the region is a natural region, bringing red to the river. The soil also has a high concentration of red and yellow solid sediments. For these reasons, the Brahmaputra River is called the Red River.
