The Mahanadi River is a major
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in East
Central India
Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the
Hirakud Dam
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. It is the longest Embankment dam, earthen dam in the world. Behind the dam extends a long lake, Hirakud Reservoir. It is one of the first maj ...
which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence in 1947. The river flows through the states of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
and
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
, before finally ending in the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
.
Etymology
The word Mahanadi is a compound of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
words ''maha'' ("great") and ''nadi'' ("river").
Course
Source and Upper Course
Like many other
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
al Indian rivers, the Mahanadi too is a combination of many mountain streams and thus its precise source is impossible to pinpoint. However its farthest
headwaters
The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...
lie from Pharsiya village in Nagri Sihawa above sea level about 11 km, in a dense patch of forest, south of Sihawa town in
Dhamtari district
Dhamtari is a district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This district is situated at 20°42' N latitude and 81°33' E longitude. Dhamtari district was officially formed on 6 July 1998 by trifurcating Raipur district into Raipur, Dhamtari and ...
of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
.
The hills here are an extension of the
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
and are a source of many other streams which then go on to join the Mahanadi.
For the first of its course, the Mahanadi flows in a northerly direction and drains the
Raipur district
Raipur district is a district in the Chhattisgarh state of India. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Raipur. The district is rich in mineral resources and there are many wildlife sanctuaries. With a population of 2 million, it is the ...
and touches eastern portions of
Raipur
Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chh ...
city. It is a rather narrow river at this stage and the total width of its valley does not exceed 500–600 metres.
Middle course
After being joined by the
Shivnath, the river flows in an easterly direction through the remaining part of its journey. It is joined by the Jonk and
Hasdeo rivers here before entering into
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
after covering about half of its total length. Near the city of
Sambalpur
Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...
, it is dammed by the longest
earthen dam
An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface ...
in the world, the
Hirakud Dam
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. It is the longest Embankment dam, earthen dam in the world. Behind the dam extends a long lake, Hirakud Reservoir. It is one of the first maj ...
. A composite structure of the earth, concrete and masonry, the dam measures including the Dykes. It spans two hills; the Lamdungri on the left and the Chandili Dunguri on the right. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, with a reservoir holding at full capacity, with a shoreline of over .
After the formation of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
State, the major portion of Mahanadi basin now lies in Chhattisgarh. Presently, only basin area of Hasdeo River in Anuppur District lies in
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
.
Before the construction of the dam in 1953, the Mahanadi was about a mile wide at Sambalpur and carried massive amounts of silt, especially during the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
. Today, it is a rather tame river after the construction of the dam and is joined by the Ib, Ong, Tel and other minor streams. It then skirts the boundaries of the
Baudh district and forces a tortuous way between
ridge
A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
s and ledges in a series of
rapids
Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...
until it reaches Dholpur,
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. The rapids end here and the river rolls towards the
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
, forcing its way through them via the long
Satkosia Gorge. The Satakosia Gorge ends at Badamul of Nayagarh. Dense forests cover the hills flanking the river here. The river enters the
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
plains at Naraj, about from
Cuttack
Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...
, where it pours down between two hills that are a mile apart. A barrage has been constructed here to regulate the river's flow into
Cuttack
Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...
.
Lower Course

The river traverses the
Cuttack district
Cuttack district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in India. It is located in the coastal part of the state and its administrative headquarters are located in the city of Cuttack. As of 2011 Census, after Ganjam district, Ganjam, it is t ...
from west to east. Just before entering Cuttack, it gives off a large
distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurc ...
called the
Kathjori. The city of Cuttack stands on the spit separating the two channels. The Kathjori then throws off many streams like the
Kuakhai, Devi and Surua which fall into the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
after entering the
Puri district
Puri district is a coastal district of the Odisha state of India. It has one Administrative subdivision, sub-division, 11 Tehsils, tahasils and 11 Block (country subdivision), blocks and comprises 1722 revenue villages. Puri is the only Nagar ...
. The Kathjori itself falls into the sea as the Jotdar. Other distributaries of Mahanadi include the Paika,
Birupa River,
Chitroptala river
The Chitrotpala River in Odisha state, India, is a distributary of the Mahanadi, situated in both Kendrapara and Cuttack districts.
Course
The river starts from Guali/Salepur, downstream towards Kendrapara. Within again it subdivides int ...
, Genguti and Lun. The Birupa then goes on to join the
Brahmani River
The Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Odisha state of eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers, and flows through the districts of Sundargarh, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, ...
at Krushnanagar and enters the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra. The Mahanadi proper enters the sea via several channels near
Paradeep
Paradeep, also spelled Paradip (originally Paradweep, also spelled Paradwip), is a major industrial seaport town and municipality, nearly 80 km from Cuttack city, in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. Paradeep was constituted as an NAC o ...
at
False Point,
Jagatsinghpur
Jagatsinghpur is a town and a municipality in Jagatsinghpur district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of Jagatsinghpur district. It got the recognition as a new district on 1 April 1993 formerly it was a sub-division ...
. The combined
delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
* D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
of the Mahanadi's numerous distributaries and the Brahmani is one of the largest in India.
Navigation
Prior to the construction of Hirakud Dam, the Mahanadi was navigable from its mouth up to
Arrang, about from its source. However numerous barrages apart from the Hirakud have put an end to that. Today, boats are restricted to the delta region and the Hirakud reservoir.
Fresh water crocodiles, Ganges and Bull sharks frequent Mahanadi.
Trade and agriculture
The Mahanadi is an important river in the state of Odisha. This river flows slowly for about and deposits more silt than any other river in the Indian subcontinent.
The cities of Cuttack and Sambalpur were prominent trading places in the ancient world and the river itself has been referred to as the Manada in Ptolemy's works.
However today the Mahanadi valley is best known for its fertile soil and flourishing agriculture.
Water

Average annual surface water potential of 66.9 km
3 has been assessed in this basin. Out of this, 50.0 km
3 is usable water. Culturable area in the basin is about , which is 4% of the total culturable area of the country.
Present use of surface water in the basin is 17.0 km
3. Live storage capacity in the basin has increased significantly since independence. From just about 0.8 km
3 in the pre-plan period, the total live storage capacity of the completed projects has increased to 8.5 km
3. In addition, a substantial storage quantity of over 5.4 km
3 would be created on completion of projects under construction. Additional storage to the tune of over 11.0 km
3 would become available on execution of projects under consideration. The
hydropower
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...
potential of the basin has been assessed as 627 MW at 60% load factor.
At its peak during the monsoon, the Mahanadi has a discharge rate of per second,
almost as much as the much larger
Ganges
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
. However owing to its seasonal nature the river is mostly a narrow channel flanked by wide sand banks for most of the year.
Floods

The Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods for much of recorded history. Thus it was called ''The sorrow of Orissa''. However the construction of the
Hirakud Dam
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. It is the longest Embankment dam, earthen dam in the world. Behind the dam extends a long lake, Hirakud Reservoir. It is one of the first maj ...
has greatly altered the situation. Today a network of canals, barrages and check dams keep the river well in control. However heavy rain can still cause large-scale flooding as evidenced in September 2008 when 16 people died as the river breached its banks.
In September 2011, heavy downpour caused flash flood and many mud dwellings in more than 25 villages above Hirakud Dam in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which were never affected before, collapsed due to back water that could not pass through the river.
See also
* The river depiction in the 1994 Tamil film
''Mahanadi''
References
Further reading
* ''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'', William Hunter, 1901
* ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'' 1911 Ed.
* ''The Columbus Encyclopedia''
External links
Rivers Network – Mahanadi river watersheds webmap*
Mahanadi RiverKayaking on River Mahanadi
{{Authority control
Rivers of Odisha
Rivers of Chhattisgarh
Rivers in Buddhism