Tapti River is one of the major rivers in central India. It is one of the three rivers (the other two being, Narmada River and Mahi River), which flows in east to west direction. The Tapti River drains through the Gulf of Khambhat into the Arabian Sea. The river flows through the state of Surat, and is crossed by the Magdalla ONGC Bridge.

The naming of Tapti River is closely linked with its birthplace, Multapi in Madhya Pradesh. The Sanskrit name of Multai, a small town in Madhya Pradesh is Multapi, thus putting forward the origin of Tapi Mata or the Tapti River. The Tapi River in Thailand was named after India`s Tapti River in August, 1915.

History of Tapti River
History of Tapti River is deeply associated with the history of the places across which it flows. The history of this river is also known to be closely associated with the Anglo-Portuguese history. In the earlier times, the Tapti River at Surat was used as the major ports for the purpose of exports of goods and also as an important stopover destination for Muslim pilgrimage called Haj to Mecca.

Geology of Tapti River
Geology of Tapti River is more or less similar to the geology of Indian peninsula. The geology of the Tapti River can be said to be old. The river area is known to be a geologically stable region with an average elevation ranging between 300 m and 1,800 m.

Geography of Tapti River
Geography of Tapti River relates to the land and soil formations along the course of the river. Tapti River has a total length of around 724 km and drains an area of about 30,000 sq. m. The uplifting of the plateau of the central peninsula and its eastward bent had formed the vast Western Ghats Mountain Range in India, extending from Tapti River south to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The river converges with the Western Ghats at the peninsula`s southern tip. The port of Swally is located at the mouth of the river. The upper reaches of the river are deserted, owing to silting. The water of Tapti River is usually not used for irrigation.

Course of Tapti River
Origin of Tapti River is known to be in Betul district in the state of Madya Pradesh. More specifically, it originates in Multai, in the eastern Satpura Mountain Range of the southern part of Madhya Pradesh. It flows between two spurs of the Satpura Hills across the plateau of Khandesh, and thence through the plain of Surat towards the sea. More specifically, Tapti River flows westward in Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, Kandesh of Maharashtra and east Vidarbha regions in the northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and southern Gujarat. In the last 32 m of the course, the flow of Tapti River is tidal, but it is only navigable by vessels of small tonnage. The river finally empties into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea in Gujarat.

Tributaries of Tapti River
The Tapti River has many tributaries, the important tributaries of the river are Purna River, Girna River, Panzara River, Waghur River, Bori River and Aner River.

Tapti River Basin
Tapti River Basin is formed by Tapti River and its tributaries. The river basin is a vast fertile patch of land in central India. Chota Nagpur Plateau of southern Bihar forms the north eastern boundary of the Tapti River basin. It covers a vast area of about 65,145 square km, which accounts for nearly 2 percent of the total area of India. The basin lies in the Indian states of Maharashtra (around 51,504 square km), Madhya Pradesh (around 9,804 square km) and Gujarat (around 3,837 square km). More specifically, the basin mostly lies in the northern and eastern districts of Maharashtra like Amravati, Dhule, Akola, Washim, Buldhana, Nandurbar, Jalgaon and Nashik. However, the Betul and Burhanpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and the Surat district of Gujarat are the prime districts included in the Tapti River Basin. Rivers in Tapti River Basin caters to the water requirements in central India.

Religious Importance of Tapti River
Religious Importance of Tapti River is thought to be equivalent to that of the legendary Ganga River. According to Hindu values, the Tapti River is considered to be the daughter of Lord Surya. It is believed that Surya had given birth to Tapti River in order to save Himself from His own intense heat. There is an Indian Purana dedicated to the virtues of Tapti. It praises Tapti River as holier than all other rivers including the Ganges. It is mentioned in the Tapi Purana that any person can be delivered from all sins, if he bathes in the Ganges, beholding Narmada and remembering Tapti. Tapti River is also widely mentioned in the Hindu religious text of Mahabharata, which was written during the epic age in India.

Places of Interest along Tapti River
Places of Interest along Tapti River is several. These spots attract tourists and worshippers round the year. Major towns along the river include Betul, Multai and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Bhusawal in Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat. The important crossings of the Tapti River include the road bridge, Sawalde in Dhule for National Highway 3 and the railway bridge at Bhusawal for the Bhusawal - Khandwa division of the Central Railway.

Dams on Tapti River
Tapti River has several dams on it; the Hatnur Dam is located in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra. This earth fill dam has a height of about 25.5 m (84 ft) above the lowest foundation and a length of about 2,580 m (8,460 ft). Then there is the Ukai Dam located in Surat district and Tapi district in Gujarat. It is an earth-cum-masonry dam. The earth dam has a height of about 80.77 m whereas the masonry dam has a height of about 68.68 m. Some of the other dams are Nanduri Dam, Dehali Dam and Wadishewadi Dam.