Which river of India passes through Tropic of Cancer Twice?

The Mahi River: India’s Twice-Kissed by the Sun

Okay, geography buffs, let’s talk about something cool: the Tropic of Cancer. It’s that imaginary line circling our planet, about 23.5 degrees north of the Equator, and it’s a pretty big deal when it comes to weather and climate. In India, it slices through eight states, shaping everything from rainfall patterns to the types of plants that grow there. Now, plenty of rivers flow through these regions, but there’s one that does something truly special, something that makes it stand out from the crowd. You see, this river doesn’t just cross the Tropic of Cancer once; it crosses it twice.

That river? It’s the Mahi.

Imagine this: the Mahi kicks off its journey way up in the Vindhya Range of Madhya Pradesh. It starts heading northwest, and as it flows into Rajasthan, bam! It crosses the Tropic of Cancer for the first time. But here’s where it gets really interesting. Instead of just continuing on its merry way, the Mahi takes a sharp turn, like it’s decided to do a U-turn. It curves back southwest, dipping into Gujarat, and guess what? It hits the Tropic of Cancer again. Finally, after this double rendezvous, it empties into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Khambhat.

I mean, how cool is that?

This double-crossing act is a geographical quirk, a little something that makes the Mahi unique. Think about other big Indian rivers like the Narmada, Tapti, or Godavari. They either stay south of the Tropic of Cancer altogether, or they just don’t have this twice-upon-a-time meeting. The Narmada and Tapti, for example, are west-flowing rivers that mostly chill south of that imaginary line. And the Godavari, a major player down south, is way below it.

The Mahi’s little dance with the Tropic of Cancer shows you how geography and river systems are all tangled up together. Its path through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat isn’t just a line on a map; it shapes the water flow and the environment of the whole area. That’s why the Mahi River is so fascinating to geographers, especially when they’re trying to figure out how the Tropic of Cancer affects India’s crazy diverse landscape. It’s a reminder that even on a map full of lines, there are always surprises waiting to be discovered.