Mayurakshi River, Deoghar

The Mayurakshi River is a large river in Jharkhand and West Bengal, India, with a long history of catastrophic flooding. It is also called Mor River.

Its source is in the Trikut Hills, approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand. The Mayurakshi runs through Jharkhand before entering the Hooghly River via the districts of Birbhum and Murshidabad in West Bengal. The river is approximately 250 kilometres (160 miles long).

Mayurakshi translates to "peacock eyes" (mayur/mor denotes peacock, akshi means eye). The similarity is to the magnificent feathers of a peacock's tail. Though called for its crystal pure water in the dry season, the Mayurakshi overflows its valley during the monsoon season. Even after the Massanjore dam was built, floodwaters continue to devastate the area, washing down embankments.