Subarnarekha River

The Subarnarekha River (also called the Swarnarekha River[3]) flows through the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

As per tradition, gold was mined near the origin of the river at a village named Piska near Ranchi. This is why it was named Subarnarekha, meaning “streak of gold”.[4][5] Legend has it that traces of gold were found in the river bed. Even now, people look for traces of gold particles in its sandy beds. The name is a combination of two words meaning gold and line/ streak in Indian languages.[6][7]

After originating near piska/nagri, near Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand,[8][9] the Subarnarekha traverses a long distance through Ranchi[10]Seraikela Kharsawan[11] and East Singhbhum[12] districts in the state. Thereafter, it flows for shorter distances through Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal for 83 kilometres (52 mi) and Balasore district of Odisha. There, it flows for 79 kilometres (49 mi) and joins the Bay of Bengal near Talsari. The total length of the river is 395 kilometres (245 mi).[1]

The basin of the Subarnarekha is smaller than most multi-state river basins in India. The rain-fed river covers a drainage area of 18,951 square kilometres (7,317 sq mi)[1]