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. Krishna River originates in the Western Ghats at an altitude of about 1300 above sea level in Mahabaleshwar, about passes through Sangli and conjoins the sea in the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaledevi in Andhra Pradesh. It flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The tributaries of Krishna River are the main source of water in the Western Ghats.

Three tributaries meet Krishna River near Sangli. Warana River meets Krishna River near Sangli at Haripur; this place is also known as Sangameshwar. Panchaganga River meets Krishna River at Narsobawadi near Sangli. These places are thought to be one among the most sacred in Hindu mythology. It is said that Lord Dattatraya had spent some of his days at Audumber on the banks of river Krishna.

Tungabhadra River is the principal tributary of Krishna River, which is formed by the Tunga River and Bhadra River that start off in the Western Ghats. Other tributaries of Krishna river include the Koyna River, Bhima River (and its tributaries such as the Kundali River feeding into the Upper Bhima River Basin), Malaprabha River, Ghataprabha River, Yerla River, Warna River, Dindi River, Musi River and Dudhganga River.

Popular pilgrim spots like Audumber and Narsobawadi are situated on the banks of river Krishna near Sangli in Maharashtra state. The Srisailam is one of the twelve jyotirlingas, which also has a shrine for one of the shaktipeethasis on the river. Nagarjuna Konda was a Buddhist spot under Acharya Nagarjuna and once was a place for Buddhist learning. Amaravati near Guntur is also a Buddhist and a Hindu site devoted to Siva, the international Kalachakra festival was distinguished here with the existence of Dalai Lama. Vijayawada on its banks has a rich and great temple on the hill of Indrakeeladri a temple of Goddess Kanaka Durga.