5 Rivers to Visit in Tamil Nadu

In ancient times, many kingdoms of South India flourished, thanks to the lush plains blessed with the water of River Kaveri. Even today, the river is a source of water for many South Indian states, including Tamil Nadu. What better way to start our trip to the rivers of Tamil Nadu than visiting this noble and biggest river in TamilNadu! In the highland of Kodagu district (of Karnataka), River Kaveri begins its long journey. After snaking through Karnataka, the river enters Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district through the Hogenakkal falls. And then it crosses the districts of Erode, Karur, Tiruchi and Thanjavur. The river flows all through the year and graces many agricultural lands on its way! And thus it has become the primary water source of agriculture in the state!

What makes a trip to River Kaveri more fun is the many tourist spots located nearby that you can visit. If you follow the river on its course, you will first get to visit Srirangam in Erode, which is a huge temple town complex. Later, you will also get the chance to visit Kallanai Dam, Gangai Konda Cholapuram temple and Thanjavur temple. As you reach the town of Poompuhar, you will see the river slowly plunge into the Bay of Bengal!

After River Kaveri, the river we must mention on our list next is River Bhavani. Don’t be surprised if we say that River Bhavani is a tributary of River Kaveri. To tell the story of River Bhavani merging into River Kaveri, we must begin from the very beginning! That beginning takes us to the Nilgiri Hills on the Western Ghats. From here originates River Bhavini. Just imagine, the river rushing through amid lush greenery, with magnificent mountains in the backdrop! It is simply breathtaking! From Niligiri to Silent Valley National Park in Kerala and finally, to Tamil Nadu, this is the road map the river takes. Once it enters Tamil Nadu, it mainly flows through Erode and Coimbatore. After spending some time in the said cities, River Bhavani makes its way to Mukoodal town, where River Kaveri awaits! This town is a holy place and you can certainly spend some time here soaking in the holiness.

Then what? Then, the two rivers continue their further journey together till the Bay of Bengal! Much like Kaveri, Bhavani flows throughout the year, credits to the southwest and northeast monsoon! Well, the people of Tamil Nadu are definitely grateful for that as Bhavani acts as a major water source! While the complete route of Bhavani is beautiful and worth your visit, make sure to keep two spots on your travel guide. These are the two dams built on the river, Bhavanisagar and Kodiveri.

A sacred name in the history of Tamil Nadu, the Noyyal River is the next river that we would like to mention on this list. Coincidently, this is also a tributary of River Kaveri. Noyyal meets Kaveri at the former’s namesake, the Noyyal Village. But before meeting up with Kaveri and proceeding to the Bay of Bengal, here is how River Noyyal spends its time!

The river originates at the Velliangiri Mountains of the Western Ghats. Then it enters Coimbatore and from there it travels to Tirupur and finally, it reaches the village of Noyyal. At this village, there is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Sellandiyamman. You can pay a visit there! Many dams and reservoirs have been built on the river. The two major ones that you can visit are the Orathuppalayam Dam and the Aathupalayam Dam.

For this one, we have to start from Karnataka. There, in the Chikkaballapura district, originates River Palar from the Nandi Hills. From Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh and then to Tamil Nadu, the river travels for a long time before it falls in the Bay of Bengal. On its journey, it touches many cities, towns and villages of Tamil Nadu. Ramanaickenpet, Ambur, Melpatti, Pallikonda, Melmonavoor, Vellore, Katpadi, Arcot, Ranipet, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Lattur, the list goes on!

Add Chennai to the list as well. In fact, the river is a major source of drinking water for Chennai. Moving on, as you explore the river, you will get plenty of sightseeing opportunities too. How? The towns, villages and cities that we named earlier, many of them are dotted with tourist spots!

Unlike the previous four rivers on our list, this remains in Tamil Nadu all throughout its journey. It starts its journey in the Western Ghats. To be more specific, from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills. After that, it flows through two districts of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi. Here are a few more interesting facts about the river.

It flows all throughout the year and is home to a rich aquatic life. Also, traces of copper were found in the river, thus it got its name, Thamirabharani, similar to the word ‘tamiran’ meaning copper! Other than copper, the river has many medicinal properties, courtesy of the abundance of medicinal plants and herbs on the Pothigai hills!

These were the 5 most important rivers of TamilNadu. And now you know all about their routes. So, whenever you are in a spot in Tamil Nadu nearby any of these rivers, do pay a visit!