Krishna (river, India) or Kistna, river, southern India, rising in the Western Ghats in Karnātaka State. It flows generally east for 1,300 km (800 mi) before emptying into the Bay of Bengal near False Divi Point. The mouth of the river forms the northern limit of the Coromandel Coast. The river is not navigable, but its waters are used for irrigation. The source of the Krishna is sacred to Hindus.