The Godavari River is a major waterway in India, next in importance to the
Ganges and
Indus rivers. It ascends at Triambak which is situated near
Nasik in the
Western Ghats northeast of
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in
Maharashtra. The Godavari flows some 1400 km southeast across south-central India into Andhra Pradesh, and drains into the
Bay of Bengal through its seven mouths. Its major tributaries are the Manjra and Indravati rivers. The Godavari River is sacred to all religious people. It has several places of pilgrimage on its banks. Every twelve years, Pushkaram, a major bathing festival, is held on the banks of the river. It is sometimes called the 'Ganga of the South,' a term that is also applied to the
Cauvery.