The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through Orissa to reach the Bay of Bengal. The length of the river is about 860 km. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa.The Mahanadi River is a river in eastern India. It's one of the longest rivers in India and drains a substantial part of peninsular India.

Near the city of Sambalpur, a large dam - the Hirakud Dam - is built on the river. It has a high Gandhi Minar (tower) for inspection of the dam.

The Mahanadi rises in Dhamtari District of Chhattisgarh. The fertile plains of the Mahanadi valley are home to intensive rice cultivation. The Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers together form a large delta where they meet the Bay of Bengal. The city of Cuttack lies at the head of this delta. This delta houses one of the largest mangrove forests in peninsular India, and is a major rice producing area of the eastern coast of India.

The Mahanadi River irrigates a fertile valley where crops of rice, oilseed, and sugarcane are grown.

Source:-wikipedia