Video narration
Why do some Indian rivers flow through the year, while others rise and fall with the seasons? Think of rainwater crossing a schoolyard: it follows the slope, gathering in lower paths rather than moving at random. India's rivers do something similar. The shape and height of the land guide where water can travel, from higher ground toward lower ground. Across India, higher and lower regions create slopes that steer rivers in different directions. As smaller streams join, they follow those natural slopes into larger river courses. But routes aren't the whole story: a river's source helps explain how steadily it flows. Himalayan rivers receive melting snow as well as rain. Most Peninsular rivers rely mainly on rainfall, which varies by season. So Himalayan rivers are often supplied through the year, while most Peninsular rivers rise and fall with seasonal rain.