Vaigai River

Vaigai River
Map of Vaigai river
Etymology	…
Location
Country	India
.
Physical characteristics
Source	Varusanadu Hills
• location	Tamil Nadu, India
Mouth
• location	Palk Bay, India
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	258 km (160 mi)
Discharge
• average	36 m3/s (1,300 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	Peranai[1]
• average	28.8 m3/s (1,020 cu ft/s)

v t e Vaigai River
Megamalai ) Govinda Nagaram Check Dam Ambasamudram Check Dam Pallapatti Canal Mullaperiyar, Kottaipatti (Theni) Vaigai Dam Periyar Main Canal Varaha River Manjalar River Anai patti Check Dam Sholavandan Canal Sholavandan Check Dam Melakkal Check Dam Kiruthumaal River Vandiyur lake canal Viraganoor dam Thirupuvanam Check Dam Ladanendhal Check Dam Upparu River Manamadurai Check Dam Karisalkulam Check Dam Keezha Perungarai Check Dam Paramakudi Check Dam Urapuli Check Dam Mandhivalasai Check Dam Arasadi vandal Check Dam Moovalur Lake Thoruvalur Check Dam Ramanathapuram Great Lake Bay of Bengal

The Vaigai is a river in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India; it passes through the towns of Theni, Madurai and Ramanathapuram.^[2] It originates in Varusanadu Hills, the Periyar Plateau of the Western Ghats range, and flows northeast through the Kambam Valley, which lies between the Palani Hills to the north and the Varushanad Hills to the south. The Vattaparai Falls are located on this river. As it rounds the eastern corner of the Varushanad Hills, the river turns southeast, running through the region of Pandya Nadu. Madurai, the largest city in the Pandya Nadu region and its ancient capital, lies on the Vaigai. The river empties into the Palk Bay near Alagankulam, close to Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram District.

The Vaigai is 258 kilometres (160 mi) long, with a drainage basin 7,031 square kilometres (2,715 sq mi) large.^[3] This river flows through 5 districts namely Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram and this river Serves as a Lifeline for 6 districts namely Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram as farmers of all these districts are greatly depends on this river water.

Vaigai in literature

Sangam literature (circa 300 BCE to 300 CE^[4][5][6]) has paid many tributes to Vaigai, extolling it as 'the river that brings water when one touches it', viz the etymology Vai (Earth) + yai (sky) = Vaiyai .^[7][8]

The following story is told about the birth of the river Vaigai. Koodal Purana details the origin of Vaigai river flowing through

The main tributaries of the Vaigai are Siruliar, Theniar, Varaha Nadi, and Mangalar.[10] Vaigai Dam is the major dam in this river which is present in Theni district.^{[citation needed]}

Vaigai gets major feed from the Periyar Dam in Kumili, Kerala. Water from the Periyar River in Kerala is diverted into the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu via a tunnel through the Western Ghats. In summers, the Vaigai river ends up dry very often. The water never reaches Madurai, let alone flowing into places past Madurai.^{[citation needed]}

Dams

The Vaigai Dam is built across the river in

• Kaveri–Vaigai Link Canal

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vaigai.