Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Pennar
The Gandikota gorge in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, is cut by the Pennar (Penna) river through the Erramala hills. The name itself joins the Telugu words for gorge ('gandi') and fort ('kota'), after the medieval fort perched above the canyon.
- ✓ (c) The Kadapa district administration describes the Penna river gorge, about 200 metres wide, flowing between the cliffs of the Erramala hills at Gandikota.
- ✗ (d) The Tungabhadra is a Krishna tributary flowing past Hampi in Karnataka; it does not flow through Kadapa district.
- ✗ (b) The Manjira is a tributary of the Godavari in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, far north of Gandikota.
Remember · Gandikota ('gorge fort'), Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh: canyon of the Pennar/Penna river through the Erramala hills — often called India's Grand Canyon.
Sources
- District YSR (Kadapa), Government of Andhra Pradesh: Gandikota ↗ “The viewpoint offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Penna river gorge flowing between the cliffs of Erramala hills, with a width of around 200 metres, forming one of the finest gorges in South India.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·