Sothuparai Dam
The Sothuparai
Dam is a dam across the Varaha River in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 12 km from the town of Periyakulam in Theni district. It is a beautiful picnic spot. The
vide expanse of stored water is an impressive sight
Sothuparai Dam is
9km from Periyakulam on
the foot of Kodaikanal hills or the Western Ghats of Palani Range; helps enrich
the entire area of Periyakulam and beyond by run as a perennial river
Varaganathi. The catchment of the dam is a combine of rain and small streams of
Kodaikanal hills and the release of water from Berijam Lake, Kodaikanal.
The Dam at its full
storage capacity of 2.831.m.cum might be a wonder and thriller to watch it
overflow via the high spillway. The road to the dam is enchant by the groves of
mango on both sides leaving mangoes hang out of fence, at a height of hand’s
touching and could pluck even from the moving car.
The name Sothuparai
is a combine to two Tamil words meaning ‘food and rock, and it is said to
derive from the habit of people here who once used to take food on the rock
boulders along the flow of river Varaganathi.
The water released
from the dam through an irrigation canal will run like a stream among the rocks
and boulders. This water is distillated for drinking purpose of Periyakulam on
its way.
Sothuparai is the
second highest dam in Tamil Nadu, following the Sholayar Dam of Valparai
which comes first. The dam has a small tunnel and irrigation canal and only
during the heavy inflow the shutter seems to open large.
The dam is isolated
from tourist or the general public; it has a small simple garden with beautiful
lampposts and a floor bridge to cross the dam, to get a complete front view of
the dam.
