Thamirabarani River
Encyclopedia
The Thamirabarani River originates from the famous Agastyarkoodam peak in the hills of the Western Ghats
above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram
taluk and flows through Tirunelveli
& Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu
state of southern India
. It was called the Tamraparni
River in olden days and it is also associated with Sri Lanka
.The old Tamil name of the river is பொருணை (spelt Porunai)
, hence its name (Thamiram means copper in Tamil
). The copper content gives it a distinct reddish shade. The river has also been historically known as Porunai. Thamaraparani in Tamil is ThAn Marantha Para Nir means the river which spreads forgetting itself.
It originates 1,500 metres above sea-level on a part of the Annamalai range on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats
in the Tirunelveli District
of Tamil Nadu
, near the peaks of Aduppukkal Mottai, Agastya Malai and Cherumunji Mottai. The headwaters of the Thamirabarani River are at 8°35′32"N 77°16′12"E. It flows generally east and enters the Gulf of Mannar
of the Bay of Bengal
near Punnaikayal
.
The 40 metre panatheertham waterfalls are located close to the origin of the main river. The Papanasam Reservoir is 16 km downstream. It is fed both by monsoons and by its tributaries.
In the year 1992, there was an unexpected flood in Thamirabarani, which claimed hundreds of lives.
The river is mentioned in existing ancient Sangam
and Tamil
texts. There is an ancient script written as Thamirabarani mahathmiyam
poetic literature. It gets recognition and is referred to as the renowned one in Sanskrit literature references to which are as old as that of the Puranas and Epics.
In Mahabharatha (3:88) the river is mentioned as "Listen, O son of Kunti, I shall now describe Tamraparni. In that asylum the gods had undergone penances impelled by the desire of obtaining salvation".
The meaning and origin of the name Tamiraparani is reasoned out differently. Bishop R. Caldwell, in his book, A History of Tinnevelly discussed the various interpretations of the word ‘Tamiraparani’ at length. According to him the meaning of the name Tamiraparani in itself is sufficiently clear, but its application in this connection is far from being self-evident. Tamara means, red, parani means parana, a tree which has leaves. Tamiraparani might, therefore mean a tree with red leaves, but, this is a strange derivation for, the name of a river and the ideas naturally suggest itself that some events or legends capable of explaining the name lies beyond. He further discussed the similarity of the name Tamiraparani and of the old name of the present Sri Lanka which was called in olden days as Tambrabane and tried to find out the political, cultural and anthropological intercourse of the land of the river with that island. He concludes that it seems more natural that Tamiraparani, the tree with the red leaves should have been first the name of a tree, then of a town, then of a district and then of a river (it being not uncommon in India for villages to adopt their names from remarkable trees).
Some scholars interpret the name Tamiraparani as Tamiram (Copper) + Varuni (stream or river). They ascribe this origin as the bed of the river is of red soil and when the water flows on the red soil it gives a copper like appearance. The Greeks of the Ptolemy’s time refer to this river as Solen.
hills of the Western Ghats
above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram
taluk. The great river like the Cauvery, but unlike most of the other Indian rivers, is fed by both the monsoons – the south west and the north-eastern and is seen in full spate twice a year if the monsoons do not fail.
Prior to the bifurcation of the Tirunelveli
district, the Tamiraparani was the only major river in Tamil Nadu which had its source and end in the same district. After bifurcation, the river traverses the two districts of Tirunelveli
and Tuticorin before joining the Gulf of Mannar
of the Bay of Bengal
at Punnaikayal in Tiruchendur
taluk of Tuticorin district.
s and reservoirs on the Thamirabarani river, along with those on the Manimuthar River
, provide a large proportion of the water for irrigation and power generation for Tirunelveli
District.
The river drains with its tributaries an area of about 4400 km2. As most of its extensive catchments areas lay in the Western ghats, the river enjoys the full benefit of both the monsoons which make the river perennial. Since all its tributaries are arising from the Western ghats, the river is prone to heavy floods especially during the northeast monsoon.
List of dams across Thamirabarani river:
List of channels:
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is a taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The taluk is named for the principal town with the same name...
taluk and flows through Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
& Tuticorin districts of the Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
state of southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was called the Tamraparni
Tamraparni
Tamraparni or Tambapanni is an old name of Sri Lanka. Tamraparniya is a name given to the Theravada school lineage in Sri Lanka...
River in olden days and it is also associated with Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.The old Tamil name of the river is பொருணை (spelt Porunai)
Etymology
The Thamirabarani contains traces of copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, hence its name (Thamiram means copper in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
). The copper content gives it a distinct reddish shade. The river has also been historically known as Porunai. Thamaraparani in Tamil is ThAn Marantha Para Nir means the river which spreads forgetting itself.
- Bharani means river or way. "Kalingathu Bharani" is an ancient Tamil literature meaning "the way to Kalinga". Most rivers end in a similar suffix with vari, veri, varni etc. Kaveri is a mutated form of similar root word. Yazhpanam or Jaffna is a variation of similar type of name. The Hindi word Pani means water. Zambwezi is another variation of veri suffix.
Geography
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in the Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Tirunelveli is the district headquarters. A unique feature of this district is that it encompasses all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature; kurinji , mullai , marudham , neithal and palai...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, near the peaks of Aduppukkal Mottai, Agastya Malai and Cherumunji Mottai. The headwaters of the Thamirabarani River are at 8°35′32"N 77°16′12"E. It flows generally east and enters the Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka. A chain of low islands and reefs known as Adam's Bridge, also called Ramsethu, which includes Mannar Island, separates the...
of the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
near Punnaikayal
Punnaikayal
Punnaikayal , anciently Punicale for the Portuguese, is a harbour city in Tamil Nadu, India.Punnaikayal seems to have been the main Portuguese possession on the southern Coast of India for a period of 50 years after their arrival from 1551, when they established 2 hospitals, a seminary, and the...
.
The 40 metre panatheertham waterfalls are located close to the origin of the main river. The Papanasam Reservoir is 16 km downstream. It is fed both by monsoons and by its tributaries.
In the year 1992, there was an unexpected flood in Thamirabarani, which claimed hundreds of lives.
The river is mentioned in existing ancient Sangam
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
and Tamil
Tamil script
The Tamil script is a script that is used to write the Tamil language as well as other minority languages such as Badaga, Irulas, and Paniya...
texts. There is an ancient script written as Thamirabarani mahathmiyam
Ancient history
Spelt differently as Tampraparani, Tamraparni, Tamiravaruni, etc., the river is mentioned as the Porunai nathi in TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
poetic literature. It gets recognition and is referred to as the renowned one in Sanskrit literature references to which are as old as that of the Puranas and Epics.
In Mahabharatha (3:88) the river is mentioned as "Listen, O son of Kunti, I shall now describe Tamraparni. In that asylum the gods had undergone penances impelled by the desire of obtaining salvation".
The meaning and origin of the name Tamiraparani is reasoned out differently. Bishop R. Caldwell, in his book, A History of Tinnevelly discussed the various interpretations of the word ‘Tamiraparani’ at length. According to him the meaning of the name Tamiraparani in itself is sufficiently clear, but its application in this connection is far from being self-evident. Tamara means, red, parani means parana, a tree which has leaves. Tamiraparani might, therefore mean a tree with red leaves, but, this is a strange derivation for, the name of a river and the ideas naturally suggest itself that some events or legends capable of explaining the name lies beyond. He further discussed the similarity of the name Tamiraparani and of the old name of the present Sri Lanka which was called in olden days as Tambrabane and tried to find out the political, cultural and anthropological intercourse of the land of the river with that island. He concludes that it seems more natural that Tamiraparani, the tree with the red leaves should have been first the name of a tree, then of a town, then of a district and then of a river (it being not uncommon in India for villages to adopt their names from remarkable trees).
Some scholars interpret the name Tamiraparani as Tamiram (Copper) + Varuni (stream or river). They ascribe this origin as the bed of the river is of red soil and when the water flows on the red soil it gives a copper like appearance. The Greeks of the Ptolemy’s time refer to this river as Solen.
Origin of Tamiraparani
The Tamiraparani originates from the peak of the Periya PothigaiPothigai
The Pothigai Malai , also known as the Agasthiyar Malai, is in the Ashambu hills, part of the Annamalai Hills in the southern part of the Western Ghats of Southern India. Legend says that Sage Agastya created the Tamil language here.-Geography:The Pothigai hills is in the Thiruvananthapuram...
hills of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is a taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The taluk is named for the principal town with the same name...
taluk. The great river like the Cauvery, but unlike most of the other Indian rivers, is fed by both the monsoons – the south west and the north-eastern and is seen in full spate twice a year if the monsoons do not fail.
Prior to the bifurcation of the Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
district, the Tamiraparani was the only major river in Tamil Nadu which had its source and end in the same district. After bifurcation, the river traverses the two districts of Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
and Tuticorin before joining the Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka. A chain of low islands and reefs known as Adam's Bridge, also called Ramsethu, which includes Mannar Island, separates the...
of the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
at Punnaikayal in Tiruchendur
Tiruchendur
Thiruchendur is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This town has a different name called Thirucheer Alaiwai.-Demographics:...
taluk of Tuticorin district.
Tributaries
Distances indicate approximate distance along the main river where the tributaries join.- The Peyar, Ullar, Karaiar, Pambar Rivers all join upstream of the Papanasam Reservoir.
- Servalar River (22 km).
- Manimuthar RiverManimuthar RiverManimuthar River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a major tributary of the Tambaraparani River....
(36 km) originates in the Agathimalai Ranges and joins near Aladiyoor Village, AmbasamudramAmbasamudramAmbasamudram is a taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The taluk is named for the principal town with the same name...
. - Gadana River (43 km), itself fed by the Jambunadhi and Ramanadhi Rivers. The Gadana has 6 anicuts and a reservoir of 9,970,000 m³, and irrigates 38.87 km² of wetlands. The Ramanadhi has 7 anicuts, a reservoir of 4,300,000 m³, and irrigates 20.23 km² of wetlands.
- Pachaiyar RiverPachaiyar RiverPachaiyar River originates on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats approximately 1000 m above sea level in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It then converges with the Tambaraparani River...
(61 km) joins near GopalasamudramGopalasamudramGopalasamudram is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Gopalasamsudram is situvated at bank of river tamirabarani. Gopalasamudram had a population of 10,027. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%...
. It originates from the Kalakkadu reserve forests at about 1,300 m above sea level. It has 12 anicuts and irrigates 61.51 km² of wet and dry lands. - Chittar RiverChittar RiverChittar River and its five tributaries and numerous other contributing streams originate in the Courtallam hills of Tirunelveli District in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India...
(73 km) runs almost parallel to Thamirabarani till its confluence.
Irrigation
The many anicuts, damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and reservoirs on the Thamirabarani river, along with those on the Manimuthar River
Manimuthar River
Manimuthar River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a major tributary of the Tambaraparani River....
, provide a large proportion of the water for irrigation and power generation for Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
District.
Course and tributaries
From the source to sea, the total length of the river is about 125 km, of which its course in Tirunelveli district alone is about 75 km Originating at an altitude of 1725 m above MSL at Periya Pothigai hill ranges and integral hill track of Western Ghats in Ambasamudram taluk, it passes through the taluks of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai of Tirunelveli district and Srivaikundam and Tiruchendur taluks of Thoothukkudi district. In the Ghats, the chief tributaries of the river are the Peyar, Ullar, Karaiyar, Servalar and the Pambar. These rivers join the Tamiraparani and enrich its course before it reaches the plains. The first tributary which enriches the water of the Tamiraparani in the plains on the right side is the Manimuthar. Then comes the Gadananathi, which joins the Tamiraparani at Tiruppudaimaruthur. Before the Gadananathi's entry into the Tamiraparani, the Gadananadhi is joined by the rivers Kallar, Karunaiyar and Veeranathi or Varahanathi which joins the river Gadananathi about 1.5 km north-east of Kila Ambur. The river Pachaiyar is another tributary which joins the Tamiraparani near Tharuvai village in Palayamkottai Taluk. One of the important and affluent tributaries of the Tamiraparani is the Chithar or Chitranathi which arises in the Courtalam hills and receives supply from the rivers Gundar, Hanumanathi and Karuppanathi. The Chithar empities itself into the Tamiraparani in Sivalapperi Village.The river drains with its tributaries an area of about 4400 km2. As most of its extensive catchments areas lay in the Western ghats, the river enjoys the full benefit of both the monsoons which make the river perennial. Since all its tributaries are arising from the Western ghats, the river is prone to heavy floods especially during the northeast monsoon.
Tamirabarani river system
The important irrigation channels branching off from both the banks of the river Tamiraparani are, South Kodaimelalagian channel, North Kodaimelalagian channel (Kodaimelalagian anaicut), Nathiyunni channel (Nathiyunni anaicut), Kannadian channel (Kannadian anaicut), Kodagan channel (Ariyanayagipuram anaicut), Palayam (Palavur anaicut) channel, Tirunelveli channel (Suthamalli anaicut), Marudur Melakkal, Marudur Keelakkal (Marudur anaicut), South Main Channel and North Main Channel (Srivaikundam anaicut). Of these the first seven anaicuts were constructed during the period of ancient and medieval rulers and the last anaicut namely the Srivaikundam anaicut was constructed and completed by the British in 1869.List of dams across Thamirabarani river:
- Kodaimelaalagain anaicut 1281.67Hectares
- Nathiyunni anaicut 1049.37 Hectares
- Kannadian anaicut 2266.69 Hectares
- Ariyanayagipuram anaicut 4767.30Hectares
- Palavur anaicut 3557.26Hectares
- Suthamalli anaicut 2559.69Hectares
- Marudur anaicut 7175.64Hectares
List of channels:
- South Kodaimelalagain channel
- North Kodaimelalagain channel
- Nathiyunni channel
- Kannadian channel
- Kodagan channel
- Palayam channel
- Tirunelveli channel
- Marudur Melakkal
- Marudur Keelakal