Godavari:  In length and width, the Godavari is the biggest river in South India.  This 1450-kilometers-long river has its source in Triambakeshwar in the Western Ghats, near Nasik in Maharashtra. Embracing and accepting several of its tributaries, cross over to Andhra Pradesh and at Rajamundhri branches out into two and falls into the Bay of Bengal. Of the two branches, the northern one is called Gautami Godavari and the southern Vasishta Godavari. Its chief tributaries are Darna, Pravara, Mula, Purna, Majjira, Manar, Pranahita, Indravati, Sabari etc.

Godavari, worshipped as a holy river, has been the cradle for several cities in Maharashtra and Andhrapradesh like Triambakeshwar, Nasik, Koppargav, Nanded, Bhadrachala, Godavarikhani, Rajamundhri, Kovvoor, Thallapudi, and Narsapur. 12 jyotirlingas of SriParameswara, hailed in the puranas, is believed to be in the Triambakeshwar Temple. Nasik is the venue of one of the four celebrated Kumbh Melas. Nanded is the seat of Taqth Sri Husoor Saheb, one of the most important holy places of Sikhism. SriRama temple of Bhadrachala too is very famous.

Rajamundhri is one of the most important centers of Telugu culture. Aadikavi Nannayya, one of the poet ancient trinities of Telugu literature was born here, and it is the venue of the ‘Godavari Pushkaram’, the famous festival that takes place once in twelve years and taken part by hundreds of thousands of devotees. Belief is that Vyasa, the sage, composed the legendary work of Mahabharata at Basar (Vyasara), which is by the banks of Godavari, which is equal to Ganges in holyness, for the faithful Hindus.