Krishna River is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself according to Hindu Mythology. The River Krishna, meaning "dark" (feminine) in Sanskrit, also called the Krishnaveni is one of the longest rivers of India, which is about 1300 km in length.

Origin of Krishna River
Krishna River starts its journey in the Western Ghats at an altitude of about 1300 metres above sea level in Mahabaleshwar. The river passes through Sangli District and enters the sea in the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaledevi in Andra Pradesh. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh.

History of Krishna River
According to the Hindu Mythology Krishna River is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a result of a curse by Savitri. The tributaries of Krishna River are believed to be Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. Traditionally this river was originated from the mouth of a statue of a cow.

Geography of Krishna River
Ecologically this river causes heavy soil erosion during the monsoon. In the months of June and July Krishna River takes fertile soil from Maharashtra, Karnataka and western Andhra Pradesh towards the delta region. The river basin extends over an area of 258,948 square kilometres that is nearly 8% of total geographical area of the country. Black soils, red soils, laterite and lateritic soils, alluvium, mixed soils, red and black soils and saline and alkaline soils are found in the basin of this river. The delta of Krishna River is one of the most fertile regions in India.

Courses of Krishna River
Krishna River starts at Mahabaleswar near the Jor village in the extreme north of Wai taluka, Satara district, Maharashtra in the west and meets the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast. It flows through the state of Karnataka. Wai is the first city on the banks of Krishna in the Satara district. Sangli is the largest city on the river Krishna in Maharashtra state while Vijayawada is the largest city on the River Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. It`s most important tributary is the Tungabhadra River, which is itself formed by the Tunga River and Bhadra River that originate in the Western Ghats Mountain Range in India. Other tributaries include the Koyna River, Bhima River, Kundali River, Malaprabha River, Ghataprabha, Yerla River, Warna River, Dindi River, Musi River and the Dudhganga River.

Places like Audumber and Narsobawadi are situated on the banks of river Krishna near Sangli in Maharashtra state as famous pilgrim spots. More pilgrim spots can be explored, especially that of Srisailam, one of the twelve jyotirlingas which also has a shrine in one of the Shakti Peethas in India on the river. Three tributaries meet Krishna River near Sangli. Warana River meets Krishna River near Sangli at Haripur. This spot is also known as Sangameshwar. These places are considered among the most sacred in Hindu mythology. It is said that Lord Dattatraya spent some of his days at Audumber on the banks of river Krishna.

Religious Significance of Krishna River
Krishna River is one of the sacred rivers of India like Ganga River and Yamuna River. This river is named upon Lord Krishna. According to the legend a ritual dip in this river can purify all the past sins and impurities of human being.

Ecological Significance of Krishna River
The mangrove forest beside the Krishna River is the home of a large number of resident and migratory birds, Fishing cat, otter, estuarine crocodile, spotted deer, sambar, black buck. This forest has been declared as Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary also nurtured rich vegetation with plants like Rhizophora, Avicennia, and Aegiceros.

A number of bridges and damps are formed on the Krishna River but now the river has become polluted.