250-km long, the Mayurakshi River originates from the Trikut hill, Jharkhand, and flows through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal in India. It is one of the major rivers of Jharkhand and West Bengal, known for devastating floods in monsoon seasons.
Despite devastating floods in monsoon seasons, the Mayurakshi River is compared to the beautiful feathers of a peacock’s tail due to its clear water and peaceful ambiance during the dry seasons. Therefore, the name Mayurakshi exactly means “peacock eyes,” where Mayur/mor=peacock and akshi=eye. The other name of the Mayurakshi River is Mor River.
There have been numerous cases of floods in the Mayurakshi river that are devastating and brought havoc upon the people. Between 1960 to 2000 (40 years), there are only five years considered flood-free years.
The major reason behind the devastating floods in the Mayurakshi River is heavy rainfall. Almost 765 mm to 1,607 mm of annual rainfall is observed over the basin area. 80% of this rainfall happens between June and September, during the monsoon season.
Mayurakshi River
Location of Mayurakshi River
| Country | India |
| State | Jharkhand West Bengal |
| Districts | Dumka Suri Sainthia |
Physical Characteristics of the Mayurakshi River
| Source / Origin | Trikut Hill Location: Deoghar, Jharkhand Coordinates: 24°29′00″N 86°42′0″E |
| Mouth | Location: Hooghly River |
| Length | 250 km (160 mi) |
| Discharge | Location: Hooghly River |
| Dam | Massanjore Dam |
Basin Features of the Mayurakshi River
Tributaries of Mayurakshi River
| Left Tributaries | – |
| Right Tributaries | Kopai Brahmani Dwaraka Bakreshwar |
Life Cycle / Course the Mayurakshi River
Originated at Trikut hill (located at approximately 16 kilometers or 10 miles from Deoghar in Jharkhand), the river flows through Jharkhand and enters West Bengal through Murshidabad and Birbhum district. Afterward Mayurakshi river flows into the Hooghly river.
The total length of Mayurakshi River: 250 km
List of Bridges on the Mayurakshi River
- Mahishbathan-Hathjura bridge – 5.9 km
- Tilpara Barrage on Near Suri, District Birbhum
- Massanjore near Suri, District Birbhum
Dam and barrage on Mayurakshi river
Massanjore Dam
Massanjore dam is one of the most popular damns across India, built on the Mayurakshi river. The dam is 38 km upriver from Siuri in West Bengal.
- Dam height from its base: 47 meters
- Length of the dam: 2,710 feet
- Water storage capacity of the Massanjore dam: 620,000,000 cubic meters
Tilpara Barrage
Apart from the Massanjore dam, the Tilpara barrage is also built on Mayurakshi with a length of 1,013 feet.
Despite the construction of the Massanjore dam, the Mayurakshi river still unleashes its wrath upon the valleys and washes away the embankments with the flood.
FAQs on Mayurakshi River
The tributaries of the Mayurakshi river are Dwaraka, Brahmani, Kopai, and Bakreshwar.
The Mayurakshi Project or Mayurakshi Reservoir Project is located in the Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Burdwan districts of West Bengal.
Mayurakshi River flows through Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Mayurakshi means the “eyes of peacock” where ‘Mayur’ means peacock and ‘Akshi’ means eye.
If you have any queries on the Mayurakshi River, write within the comment box below.
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