Why is river Godavari known as Dakshin Ganga?

The Godavari is a peninsular river which flows in a west-east direction and forms a delta before entering into the Bay of Bengal. It drains almost half of the state of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The Godavari is joined by a number of tributaries such as the Purna, the Manjra and the Penganga. The length of the Godavari river is 1465 km.

Ganga is a Himalayan river which originates from Himalayan Mountains. Ganga is the largest river of India and northern plains likewise the Godavari is the largest river of the Peninsular plateau. The Godavari is also a second largest river of India. Ganga is considered as a sacred river in India. In the same way, the Godavari also has a long course and people of south India believes it as a sacred river of south India. People perform rituals at the bank of both of the rivers. Due to these reasons, it is known as Dakshin Ganga.