About the Narmada
The Narmada is one of India's seven sacred rivers and the longest west-flowing river on the Indian peninsula, unique in flowing along a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges rather than over them. The river rises at Amarkantak — one of India's most sacred hydrological sites, also the source of the Son and Johilla rivers — and flows west for 1312 kilometres to the Gulf of Khambhat. The Narmada Parikrama — a sacred circumambulation of the entire river on both banks — is a 2,600-kilometre pilgrimage undertaken by thousands annually.
The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada in Gujarat is India's most controversial dam project, fought in one of India's longest environmental and human rights campaigns led by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). The NBA's struggle — involving tribal communities facing displacement, courts, sit-ins, and international advocacy over three decades — became a global case study in development, democracy, and the rights of forest-dependent people. The Dhuandhar Falls at Bhedaghat, where the Narmada squeezes through white marble gorges, is one of India's most celebrated natural spectacles.
Burhner · Banjar · Sher · Shakkar · Dudhi · Hiran · Orsang