The Narmada River is the only river in India that flows in a rift valley and is a traditional divider between North India and South India. It is one of only three major rivers in pensinsular India that run from east to west, along with the Tapti and the Mahi river. The river rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state .It traverses the first 320 kilometres (200 miles) course around the Mandla Hills, which form the head of the Satpura Range; then moves towards Jabalpur passing through the `Marble Rocks`, it enters the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and moves westwards towards the Gulf of Cambay. It flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and finally meets the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch District of Gujarat.

The Narmada river is considered extremely holy by the Hindus. It is believed that just the sight of the river cleanses one of all sins.It is closely associated with Lord Shiva believed to be descended from the sky. It is said that the mere sight of the river will make a pilgrim pure because of its sanctity. As a result, the river represents an important pilgrimage site, and one of the highest acts a pilgrim can perform is to walk from the sea to the source of the river, in the Maikal Mountains and back along the opposite bank, a process that takes approximately two years to complete. The town of Maheshwar is a particularly important pilgrimage site along the route of the river.The Narmadeeya Brahmins worship the Narmada as Mother Goddess.Reva is another name of the river.History shows that the Aryans settled on the banks of the Narmada as they expanded eastwards.

The river has beautiful ghats built on its banks in Hoshangabad. Its longest tributary is the Tawa, which joins the Narmada at Bandra Bhan in Hoshangabad District, Madhya Pradesh. After leaving Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the river widens out in the fertile district of Bharuch. Below Bharuch city it forms a 20 kilometre wide estuary where it enters the Gulf of Cambay.The water of the river is used not only for feeding the drought prone areas of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh,but also for navigation as well. In the rainy season boats of considerable size sail about 100 kilometres above Bharuch city. Seagoing vessels of about 70 tons frequent the port of Bharuch but such navigation depends on the tide.