At which Indian location do two important rivers, the Narmada and the Son, originate, with one river flowing westwards to the Arabian Sea and the other flowing north east to join the Ganga system that drains into the Bay of Bengal?

Introduction / Context:
Many competitive exam questions on Indian rivers test the learner's memory of important river sources and the directions in which they flow. Amarkantak, a plateau region in central India, is famous because more than one important river system originates there and then flows towards different seas, which makes it a favourite examination point.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The question asks for a place where two important Indian rivers originate. • One of these rivers flows northwards and finally joins a river that empties into the Bay of Bengal. • The other river flows westwards and ultimately reaches the Arabian Sea.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the river system of the Narmada and the Son. The Narmada originates in the Maikala ranges near Amarkantak and flows westwards through a rift valley to the Arabian Sea. The Son, also rising near Amarkantak, flows generally north east, joins the Ganga in Bihar and thereby becomes part of the Ganga–Bay of Bengal drainage system. So we must identify the common source region where both arise.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Narmada River has its source near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and flows westwards into the Arabian Sea. Step 2: Remember that the Son River also rises in the Amarkantak region and then flows north east across the plateau to meet the Ganga in Bihar. Step 3: Conclude that Amarkantak is the unique place where one river system drains to the Arabian Sea and another river system drains to the Bay of Bengal.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard Indian geography maps clearly show both Narmada and Son sources near Amarkantak, while the other places in the options are sources of different single rivers. Thus, only Amarkantak matches the condition of two important rivers with opposite drainage directions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (Badrinath) is associated with Himalayan sources of the Alaknanda, not with Narmada and Son. Option C (Mahabaleshwar) is a source region for the Krishna River and some west flowing streams, but not for the Narmada and Son pair. Option D (Nasik) is connected with the origin of the Godavari, and it does not satisfy the condition of two rivers flowing to different seas from one place.

Common Pitfalls:
• Learners may mix up various plateau towns and mark Mahabaleshwar or Nasik because they remember those as river sources. • Confusion also arises between different Himalayan pilgrim towns such as Badrinath and their river origins, so it is important to visualise the physical map of central India.

Final Answer:
The place where the Narmada and Son originate and then flow towards different seas is Amarkantak.