Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Godavari
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
India has many important rivers that support agriculture, drinking water, transport and religious life. General knowledge exams frequently ask about relative lengths and importance of these rivers. This question asks which river is the largest among four well known Indian rivers, where largest in this context refers to length within the country. Recognising that the Godavari is the longest river among the listed options is a standard geography fact that every aspirant should know.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The task is a comparison of river lengths. One should remember the ranking of major peninsular and northern rivers by length. Among the given options, Godavari is known as the longest peninsular river of India, often called Dakshin Ganga or the Ganga of the South. While Yamuna is a very important northern river and a major tributary of the Ganga, its length is still less than that of the Godavari. Kaveri is much shorter and Krishna, though long, is again slightly shorter than Godavari. By recalling these standard facts, one can quickly select the correct option.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the approximate lengths of the four rivers from school geography or standard reference books.
Step 2: Note that Godavari flows across several states in central and southern India and is widely described as the longest river in peninsular India.
Step 3: Remember that Krishna and Yamuna are also long rivers but their total lengths within India are generally reported as slightly less than that of Godavari.
Step 4: Kaveri is recognised as a shorter east flowing river compared to the others and therefore cannot be the largest among the four.
Step 5: Conclude that Godavari is the correct answer because it has the greatest length among the options listed.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, one can cross check with typical exam oriented summaries which usually state the ranking of Indian rivers by length. They consistently identify the Ganga as the longest river of India and Godavari as the longest peninsular river. Since Ganga is not an option in this question, the focus shifts to these four rivers, and Godavari remains the longest among them. This cross reference with standard summaries confirms that selecting Godavari is accurate and aligns with commonly accepted data.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kaveri: This river is significant for southern India but its total length is much shorter than Godavari, Krishna and Yamuna, so it cannot be the largest among the four.
Yamuna: Although it is a long and important tributary of the Ganga, its length is still less than that of the Godavari and hence it is not the largest in this list.
Krishna: Krishna is also a long peninsular river, but Godavari surpasses it in length, so Krishna is not the correct choice.
Any empty option: No fifth river is considered in this comparison, so any blank option is irrelevant to the question.
Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to confuse importance with length and assume that Yamuna must be the largest because it flows through the national capital region and is frequently mentioned in news and textbooks. Another mistake is to overlook the phrase among the following and think of other rivers like the Ganga. Students should carefully read the options and remember that Godavari is especially emphasised as the longest river of peninsular India. Avoiding these confusions will help in answering similar geography questions correctly.
Final Answer:
Among the given Indian rivers, the one with the greatest length is Godavari.
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