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The Kaveri river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows in a south-easterly direction for 765 km through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.

 After passing through a narrow gorge and tumbling about 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 metres) in the rapids of Chunchankatte, the river widens about 900 to 1,200 feet (275 to 365 metres) across the Karnataka Plateau.

At the Krishnaraja Sagara, the Kaveri is joined by two tributaries, the Hemavati and Lakshmantirtha, and dammed for irrigation, forming a 31-square-km reservoir.

In Karnataka the river bifurcates twice, forming the sacred islands of Srirangapatnam and Sivasamudram, 80 km apart. Around Sivasamudram are the scenic Sivasamudram Falls, comprising two series of rapids, Bhar Chukki and Gagana Chukki, plunging a total of 320 feet (100 metres) and reaching a width of 1,000 feet (300 metres) in the rainy season.

The falls supply hydroelectric power to Mysore, Bangalore, and the Kolar Gold Fields, more than 100 miles (160 km) away.

The Hydro electric power stations was the first of its kind in Asia in 1902, and is still functional. It was commissioned by the Diwan of Mysore, Sir K Seshadri Iyer. The first town to receive the electricity from this station was Kolar Gold Fields. Hence Kolar became the first town in Asia to get hydro electricity. Kolar was also the third city in India to get electricity after Darjeeling (1897) and Calcutta (1898).

Upon entering Tamil Nadu, the Kaveri continues through a series of twisted wild gorges until it reaches Hogenakal Falls and flows through a straight, narrow gorge near Salem. There the Mettur Dam, 5,300 feet (1,620 metres) long and 176 feet (54 metres) high, impounds a lake (Stanley Reservoir) of 155 square km.

The Mettur Project, completed in 1934, created an important agricultural and industrial area by improving irrigation and providing hydropower.

After sweeping past the historic rock of Tiruchchirappalli, the Kaveri breaks at Srirangam Island, a major pilgrimage centre. There, in eastern Tamil Nadu, its braided and extensively irrigated deltaic region of about 10,360 square km begins.