#5 Kallanai Dam (THE GRAND ANICUT)

An Astonishing Engineering marvels of Tamil Nadu.

Hey buddies, Hope u all stunned last week by knowing the incredible architecture of Brihadeeshwara temple. Oops!! I don’t allow you to take breath!! Here I am back with one more fantastic history of TAMIL NADU.

Name : Kallanai

Alias : Grand Anaicut

Age : 2000 years

Location : The River Kaveri, Tiruchirapalli district.

Constructed by : King Karikala Chola (Chola Dynasty)

Aim : To encourage irrigation.

KING KARIKALA CHOLAN

Old  is gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Kallanai dam is the fourth oldest dam in the world, and first in India
• A rock solid project that has survived 2,000 years.

It’s very stunning that a dam that was constructed in the 2^nd century AD is still functioning today!!.

Front View – Shows the current state of the dam

Significance of architecture

• The Kallanai dam across the Kaveri River is 329 meters long, 20 meters wide and 5.4 meters high and is constructed from unhewn (not given a finished form by or as if by hewing : rough, unpolished) stones.
• The anicut was constructed on inter-locking technology without cementing material
• The initial area that was irrigated by the ancient system of canals was 69,000 acres which were increased to a Million (400,000 ha) by the turn of the 20th century.

The unique structure of the Kallanai dam involves large stones sunk in the kaveri river to divert the water flow to the fertile delta.

Inside view

History of kallanai

• It is a sad reality that when the British took over Thanjavur from the Marathas in 1800, irrigation work was neglected but the supply realized in the Cauvery was inadequate.
• In 1804, Captain Coldwell repaired the Grand Anicut and provided dam stones 0.69 metre in height on its crest and at the same time, raised the river embankment above, ensuring additional water to the Cauvery.

Study about Dam Construction

• In 1829, Major Sim proposed undersluices in the Cauvery with outlets into the Coleroon to prevent the accumulation of silt in the upper reaches.
• Since the English arrived in the eighteenth century, the Kallanai has been tampered with and other hydraulic structures have been added nearby.
• Improvements were made to the dam in the 19th century by Arthur Cottons, a British general and irrigation engineer. The Lower Anicut built by Sir Arthur Cotton in 19th century AD across Coleroon (Kollidam), the major tributary of Cauvery, is said to be a replicated structure of Kallanai.

Sir Arthur Cotton Memorial statue

Benefits of Kallanai

• The Kallanai was built to divert floods from the Kaveri branch of the river into the Kollidam branch “via a short connecting stream” “when the water level in the river rose above its crest”. The Kollidam “was the wider (also the steeper, straighter, and hence faster) of the two [river] branches, and the flood carrier. Once the floods were diverted to the Kollidam, they flowed directly to the sea, causing minimal damage to agriculture”.

Kallanai project.

• The word, `Kollidam’, means a place that can contain or fit things. It can fit 3 to 4 lakhs Cusec’s of water.
• The construction of dam proved to be beneficial for the farmers of the delta region.

Delta region

• The dam is fast emerging as a tourist spot in the region.
• It is also a home to large variety of flora and fauna. The bird lovers can observe the bird life in the basin and can take the photographs of these beautiful creatures.

Kallanai’s early morning treat for Nature lovers.

• The dam flaunts magnanimous panoramic view of the water all around. You will feel relaxed and refreshed in the cool and pleasant climate in the surroundings. People mostly visit the place and have an escape from busy urban life.

Panoramic view of Kallanai Dam (The GRAND ANICUT)

Plans are afoot to make this imposing monument a  UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You also get to see some other impressive sights in Tamil Nadu. But this Dam will definitely make you pause and think about the phenomenal achievements of the early Tamil people’s.

The Kallanai Dam is another enduring enigma from the pages of Indian history.

It is truly what something to be experienced before one leaves the earth!

Bronze statue of Kariakala Cholan

Karikala cholan is the pioneer of millennium civil engineers!! 

Karikal Cholan Manimandpam by Tamil Nadu Government

We are celebrating 2000 years old architecture, but in the meanwhile we forget about our present.

Nowadays, roads are expired within 6 months!!

Celebrating or remembering is not important!!

Following matters!!

So

Civil Engineers!!! Let’s make our future generation speaks about your work as we are speaking about our ancestors!!…

Stay tuned!!…. Next week will exclaim you more with Some other topics!!.