The Nagdi River, a tributary of the much larger Banas, flows through a portion of Rajasthan's Bhilwara District and past the old market town of Jahazpur. Unlike India's major sacred waterways, such as the Ganga and the Yamuna, which have the status of goddesses, the Nagdi was never deified. However, within living memories the Nagdi displayed miraculous properties, and it figures in the origin legend of the town of Jahazpur. At present, due to a complex convergence of ecological tragedies and local conditions, the Nagdi's flow has dwindled and its waters are badly polluted. Once proud of the Nagdi's miraculous properties, Jahazpur residents are aware of having lost an important part of their environmental and cultural heritage.