River Gandak

Gandaki River (गंडक)
Narayani
नारायणी नदी (चितवन)
Countries	Tibet (China), Nepal, India
Tributaries
- left	Trishuli, Budhi Gandaki River, Marshyangdi, Madi, Seti Gandaki River
- right	Kali Gandaki River
Cities	Lo Manthang, Jomsom, Beni, Kusma, Ridi, Devgat, Narayangarh, Valmikinagar, Triveni, Nepal, Hajipur, Sonpur, Bagaha
Source	Nhubine Himal Glacier
- location	Mustang, Nepal
- elevation	6,268 m (20,564 ft)
- coordinates	29°17′0″N 85°50′5″E / 29.28333°N 85.83472°E / 29.28333; 85.83472
Mouth	Ganges
- location	Sonepur, India
- elevation	44 m (144 ft)
- coordinates	25°39′9″N 85°11′4″E / 25.65250°N 85.18444°E / 25.65250; 85.18444Coordinates: 25°39′9″N 85°11′4″E / 25.65250°N 85.18444°E / 25.65250; 85.18444
Length	630 km (391 mi)
Basin	46,300 km2 (17,877 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	1,760 m3/s (62,154 cu ft/s)
- max	30,000 m3/s (1,059,440 cu ft/s)
- min	500 m3/s (17,657 cu ft/s)
Map showing the Ghaghara and Gandaki tributaries of the Ganges

Chitwan National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Elephant safari after Indian rhinoceros

The Gandaki River (also known as the Narayani in southern Nepal and the Gandak in India) is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a tributary of the Ganges in India. In Nepal the river is notable for its deep gorge through the Himalayas and its enormous hydroelectric potential. It has a total catchment area of 46,300 square kilometers (17,900 sq mi), most of it in Nepal. The basin also contains three of the world's 14 mountains over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft), Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna I. Dhaulagiri is the highest point of the Gandaki basin. It lies between the similar Kosi system to the east and the Karnali (Ghaghara) system to the west.

The Kali Gandaki river source is at the border with Tibet at an elevation of 6,268 metres (20,564 ft) at the Nhubine Himal Glacier in the Mustang region of Nepal.

The headwaters stream on some maps is named the Chhuama Khola and then, nearing Lo Manthang, the Nhichung Khola or Choro Khola. The Kali Gandaki then flows southwest (with the name of Mustang Khola on old, outdated maps) through a sheer-sided, deep canyon before widening at the steel footbridge at Chele, where part of its flow funnels through a rock tunnel, and from this point the now wide river is called the Kali Gandaki on all maps. In Kagbeni a major tributary named Johng Khola, Kak Khola or Krishnaa descends from Muktinath.

The river then flows southward through a steep gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge, or Andha Galchi, between the mountains Dhaulagiri, elevation 8,167 metres (26,795 ft) to the west and Annapurna I, elevation 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) to the east. If one measures the depth of a canyon by the difference between the river height and the heights of the highest peaks on either side, this gorge is the world's deepest. The portion of the river directly between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I, 7 kilometres (4 mi) downstream from Tukuche), is at an elevation of 2,520 metres (8,270 ft), which is 5,571 metres (18,278 ft) lower than Annapurna I. The river is older than the Himalayas. As tectonic activity forces the mountains higher, the river has cut through the uplift.