Guwahati city in Assam is situated on the banks of which major Indian river?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Brahmaputra River

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Guwahati is the largest city in the north eastern region of India and acts as a key gateway to the entire area. This question tests your basic map awareness by asking you to connect Guwahati with the correct river that flows beside it. Such questions are common in competitive examinations because city river pairings are an essential part of Indian geography.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The city named in the question is Guwahati, located in the state of Assam.
  • The options list four well known rivers of India Teesta, Brahmaputra, Hooghly and Sone.
  • You are expected to know which river passes by Guwahati and shapes its location and development.
  • No numerical calculation is involved this is a direct factual recall question.


Concept / Approach:
Guwahati is located on the southern bank of the mighty Brahmaputra River where the plains of Assam meet the Shillong Plateau. The correct approach is to remember that the Brahmaputra is the dominant river system in Assam and that Guwahati is built along its bank. Recognising this connection helps you to immediately select the correct river from the list of options.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Assam is famous for the Brahmaputra River, which flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh and then through Assam before entering Bangladesh.Step 2: Remember that Guwahati is described in many sources as a riverfront city on the Brahmaputra, with ghats, bridges and islands such as Umananda in the river channel.Step 3: Compare this with the other rivers Teesta flows mainly through Sikkim and northern West Bengal, Hooghly flows through southern West Bengal near Kolkata and Sone is a tributary of the Ganga in central and eastern India.Step 4: Since only the Brahmaputra River is closely associated with Guwahati, choose that option as the correct answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to look at a political map of Assam that shows major rivers and cities. You will see Guwahati marked on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. In addition, descriptions of Guwahati in guidebooks or encyclopedias often mention its location on the Brahmaputra, which confirms that this pairing is widely accepted and correct.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Teesta River is wrong because it primarily drains Sikkim and parts of West Bengal and does not flow past Guwahati in Assam. Hooghly River is incorrect as it is a distributary of the Ganga flowing mainly through West Bengal around Kolkata and Howrah, far away from Guwahati. Sone River is also not correct since it is a tributary that flows through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar before joining the Ganga and has no direct connection with Guwahati.


Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse the Brahmaputra and Teesta because both rivers are prominent in the eastern Himalaya, but Teesta is associated with Sikkim rather than Assam. Others may vaguely remember that Hooghly flows in eastern India and mistakenly extend that association to Guwahati without checking the exact state. Careful map study that links each major city with its correct river prevents such mix ups.


Final Answer:
Guwahati in Assam is situated on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent.

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