Peacock Island, one of the smallest inhabited river islands in the world, in the Brahmaputra at Guwahati, is also known as:

Peacock Island, also known as Umananda Island, is a tiny island in the middle of the Brahmaputra river at Guwahati, Assam. It is often described as the smallest inhabited river island in the world.

The Umananda Temple:

• The island is famous for the Umananda Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva, built in 1694 by Bar Phukan Garhganya Handique, under the orders of the Ahom king Gadadhar Singha.
• Shivaratri is the most important festival celebrated here.
• According to legend, Lord Shiva created the island for his consort Parvati (Uma); hence the name Umananda ("joy of Uma").

Why it is called Peacock Island:

The British officer Sir Edward Gait, a historian, is said to have given it the name "Peacock Island" because of its peacock-like shape or because of the peacocks once seen there.

Golden langurs:

The island was once known for a small population of golden langurs, a rare and endangered primate found mainly in western Assam and Bhutan, which had been introduced there.

Access:

The island can be reached by ferry from the Umananda Ghat and Kachari Ghat in Guwahati.

Majuli:

In contrast, Majuli, also in the Brahmaputra in upper Assam, is one of the largest river islands in the world. It is famous for its Vaishnava satras (monasteries) and became India's first island district in 2016.

Guwahati:

• Guwahati, the largest city of north-east India, lies on the south bank of the Brahmaputra.
• It is home to the Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, one of the most important Shakti Peethas.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Majuli is one of the largest river islands, not the smallest.
• ✗Bhavani Island is a river island in the Krishna at Vijayawada.
• ✗Srirangam is a river island in the Kaveri in Tamil Nadu, famous for its Ranganathaswamy temple.