Monday, September 28, 2015

Sothuparai Dam

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.