List of rivers in Kerala

There are 44 rivers in Kerala, all but three originating in the Western Ghats. 41 of them flow westward and 3 eastward. The rivers of Kerala are small, in terms of length, breadth and water discharge. The rivers flow faster, owing to the hilly terrain and as the short distance between the Western Ghats and the sea. All the rivers are entirely monsoon-fed and many of them shrink into rivulets or dry up completely during summer.

West flowing rivers in Kerala

This is a list of the westward-flowing rivers of Kerala, in order of length, and their tributaries. These rivers all originate in the Western Ghats range and flow westward into the Kerala Backwaters or into the Arabian Sea.
  1. Periyar River (Length : 244 km) - It is called 'Life Line of Kerala' - Longest & Largest River in Kerala 
    • Edamala River
    • Cheruthoni River
    • Mullayar River
    • Muthirapuzha River
    • Perinjankutti River
  2. Bharatapuzha River (Length : 209 km) - Also known as 'River Nila' - 2nd Longest River in Kerala
    • Thuthapuzha River
    • Gayathripuzha River
    • Kalpathipuzha River
    • Kannadipuzha River
  3. Pamba River (Length :176 km) - Also known as 'Dakshina Bhageerathi' and 'River Baris' - 3rd Longest River in Kerala
    • Azhuthayar
    • Kakkiyar
    • Kakkattar
    • Kallar
    • Perunthenaruvi
    • Madatharuvi
    • Thanungattilthodu
    • Kozhithodu
    • Varattar
    • Kuttemperoor
  4. Chaliyar River (Length : 169 km) - Also known as 'Chulika River' or 'Beypore River'
    • Cherupuzha (Mavoor)
    • Iruvanjippuzha
    • Cherupuzha (Areekode)
    • Kuthirappuzha
    • Kuruvanpuzha
    • Kanjirappuzha
    • Karimpuzha
    • Pandippuzha
    • Neerppuzha
  5. Chalakudy River (Length : 169 km)
    • Parambikulam River
  6. Kadalundy River
  7. Achankoil River
  8. Kallada River
  9. Muvattupuzha River
  10. Valapattanam River
  11. Chandragiri River
  12. Manimala River
  13. Vamanapuram River
  14. Kuppam River
  15. Meenachil River
  16. Kuttiyadi River
  17. Karamana River
  18. Shiriya River
  19. Kariangode River
  20. Ithikkara River
  21. Neyyar River
  22. Mahé River
  23. Kechery River
  24. Perumba River
  25. Uppala River
  26. Karuvannur River
    • Kurumali River
  27. Anjarakandy River
  28. Tirur River
  29. Neeleshwaram River
  30. Pallikkal River
  31. Kallayi River
  32. Korapuzha River
  33. Mogral River
  34. Kavvai puzha River
  35. Thanikkudam River
  36. Mamam River
  37. Thalassery River
  38. Chithari River
  39. Ramapuram River
  40. Ayiroor River (Length: 17 km)
  41. Manjeswaram River (Length: 16 km)

East flowing rivers in Kerala

There are three rivers rise in Kerala and flow eastwards, Kabini into Karnataka and the other two into Tamil Nadu.
  1. Kabani (Length : 57 km in Kerala) - Also known as 'Kabini' or 'Kapila'
  2. Bhavani  (Length : 38 km in Kerala) - Second longest river in Tamil Nadu (Length : 215km)
  3. Pambar (Length : 25 km in Kerala) - Also known as 'Sarpanadi' River