Kallanai Dam

2021-07-07T03:35:23Z

2401:4900:605B:C8AA:C5B6:6AAF:F94D:5490:

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox dam
| name = Kallanai Dam
| country = India
| image = Grand Anicut, Kallanai (11876067114).jpg
| construction_began = 100 BC - 100 AD
| location = [[Thanjavur District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| image_caption = Kallanai Dam with its floodgates open
| purpose = [[Irrigation]]
| status = Operational
| builder = ''[[Karikala|Karikala cholan]]'' of [[Chola dynasty]]
| dam_type = [[Barrage (dam)|Barrage]]
| dam_crosses = [[Kaveri| River]]
| dam_height_foundation = {{convert|5.4|m|ft}}
| dam_length = {{convert|329|m|ft}}
| dam_width_base = {{convert|20|m|ft}}
| operator = [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
}}

'''Kallanai''' (also known as the '''Grand Anicut''') is an ancient [[dam]]. It is built (in running water) across the [[Kaveri]] river flowing from [[Tiruchirapalli District]] to [[Thanjavur district]]. The dam located in [[Tiruchirapalli district|Thanjavur District]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Flowing waters for fertile fields|url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kids/article2408778.ece|newspaper=The Hindu|date=29 August 2011|location=India}}</ref><ref name="kallanai_googlebook">{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Vijay P.|author2=Ram Narayan Yadava|title=Water Resources System Operation: Proceedings of the International Conference on Water and Environment|publisher=Allied Publishers|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/?id=Bge-0XX6ip8C&pg=PA508&dq=kallanai#PPA508,M1|isbn=81-7764-548-X|page=508}}</ref> Located at a distance of 15 km from [[Tiruchirapalli]], 45 km from [[Tanjavur]], the dam was originally constructed during the reign of [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] king [[Karikala|Karikalan]] in {{Circa|100 BC|100 AD}}.<ref name="Saqaf" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/incredible-india-2000-year-old-functional-dam-india-today-175057-2013-08-26|title=Incredible India! A 2,000-year-old functional dam|last=DelhiAugust 26|first=India Today Online New|last2=August 26|first2=2013UPDATED|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2019-02-15|last3=Ist|first3=2013 16:49}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/Karikalan-cholan-memorial-inaugurated/articleshow/30300318.cms|title=Karikalan cholan memorial inaugurated - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-02-15}}</ref> It is the fourth oldest water diversion or water-regulator structures in the world and the oldest in India that is still in use.<ref name="Hill2008">{{cite book|author=Christopher V. Hill|title=South Asia: An Environmental History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9D4Ob1YcJgC&pg=PA33|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-925-2|pages=33–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kallanai Dam {{!}}{{!}} Thanjavur Tourism |url=http://www.thanjavurtourism.com/kallanai-dam.html |website=www.thanjavurtourism.com |access-date=2 November 2018}}</ref> Because of its spectacular architecture, it is one of the prime tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.

==History==
The dam was originally built by King [[Karikalan]] of the Chola Dynasty in {{Circa|100 BC|100 AD}}. It is located on the River in [[Thanjavur district|Tiruchirappalli District]], approximately 15km from the city of [[Tiruchirappalli]] and 45km from the city of Tanjavur. The idea behind the construction of the dam was to divert the river to the [[Cauvery Delta|delta districts]] thereby boosting irrigation.<ref name="Saqaf">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/a-rock-solid-dam-that-has-survived-1800-years/article4494161.ece|title=A rock solid dam that has survived 2000 years|author=Syed Muthahar Saqaf|date=10 March 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=13 November 2013}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> This dam was re-modeled by the [[British Raj|British]] during the 19th century. In 1804, Captain Caldwell, a military engineer, was appointed by the British to make a study on the Kaveri river and promote irrigation for the delta region.{{Sfn|Skempton|2002|p=114}} He found that a large amount of water passed onto the Kollidam leaving behind a small volume for irrigation purposes.{{Sfn|Skempton|2002|p=114}} Caldwell initially proposed a solution by raising the dam and hence raised the dam stones to a height of {{convert|69|cm|in}}, thus increasing the capacity of the dam.<ref name=Saqaf /> Following this, Major Sim proposed the idea of [[Sluice|undersluices]] across the river with outlets leading to the [[Kollidam River]] (Coleroon) thus preventing formation of silt.<ref name=Saqaf /> The [[Lower Anaicut]] built by [[Sir Arthur Cotton]] in the 19th century CE across Coleroon, the major tributary of Cauvery is said to be a replicated structure of Kallanai.<ref name=Saqaf />

==Geography==
The [[Kaveri]] river splits into two at a point {{Convert|20|mi|km}} west of Kallanai. The two rivers form the [[Srirangam Island|island of Srirangam]] before joining at Kallanai. The northern channel is called the [[Kollidam River|Kollidam]] (Coleroon); the other retains the name Kaveri, and empties into the [[Bay of Bengal]] at [[Poompuhar]]. On the seaward face of its delta are the seaports of [[Nagapattinam]] and [[Karaikal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=14861 |title=Dikes and Dams, Thick with Politics |author=Wiebe E. Bijker |date=19 September 2006 |publisher=Maastricht University |access-date=7 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425145013/http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=14861 |archive-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Description==
The purpose of the Kallanai was to divert the waters of the Kaveri across the fertile [[River delta|delta]] region for irrigation via canals and to its northern delta branch Kollidam/Coleroon. Downstream of the barrage, the river Kaveri splits into four streams known as Kollidam Aru, Kaveri, Vennaru and Puthu Aru. However, the flood waters can be allowed, by opening the barrage/anaicut gates, to pass through the other three delta branches also to join the sea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Grand_Anicut_A00677 |title=Grand Anicut A00677 |publisher=WRIS, India|access-date=7 November 2016}}</ref> It is constructed from unhewn stone spanning the Kaveri and is {{convert|329|m|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|5.4|m|abbr=on}} high.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iimtrichy.ac.in/home/students/places_to_visit |title=Places to visit |publisher=IIM-Trichy, India |access-date=7 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219124955/http://www.iimtrichy.ac.in/home/students/places_to_visit/ |archive-date=19 December 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The dam is still in excellent condition, and supplied a model to later engineers, including Sir [[Arthur Cotton]]'s 19th-century dam across the Kollidam, the major distributary of the Kaveri.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lawlibrary.unm.edu/nrj/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_indian.pdf |title=The Check-Dam Route to Mitigate India's Water Shortages |author1=Govindasamy Agoramoorthy |author2=Sunitha chaudhary |author3=Minna J. HSU |publisher=Law library — University of New Mexico |access-date=7 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720143611/http://lawlibrary.unm.edu/nrj/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_indian.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2013 }}</ref> The area irrigated by the ancient irrigation network is about {{convert|69000|acre|abbr=on|lk=out}}. By the early 20th century, the irrigated area had been increased to about one million acres (400,000 ha).<ref>{{cite news|title=Fit case for World Heritage status|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/10/stories/2007091058970400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914051504/http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/10/stories/2007091058970400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 September 2007|date=10 September 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Trichy, India}}</ref>

The delta farmers of Tamil Nadu have demanded the Tamil Nadu government to honor [[Karikala Chola]]n, who built this dam.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kallanai Name Inscription.jpg
File:Kallanai.jpg|Engineering wonder of Karikalan's period
File:Fishing Kallanai.jpg|Fishing in the sluices, Kallanai dam, Tiruchirappalli
File:Kallanai 2.jpg|Another view, Kallanai dam
File:Kallanai 3.jpg|Kallanai dam
File:Water flowing out of grand anaicut.webm|Water being discharged from Kallanai in August 2018 witnessing beauty of kallanai in river Kauvery
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Tamil language]]
* [[Tamil literature]]
* [[Sangam period]]
* [[Lemuria (continent)|Lemuria]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Commons category|Grand Anicut}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last=Skempton|first=A. W.|title=A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: 1500-1830|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jeOMfpYMOtYC|year=2002|publisher=Thomas Telford|isbn=978-0-7277-2939-2}}
*{{cite book|author=Rita|title=Inventive Indians|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKssaSLqBBsC|year=2011|publisher=Westland|isbn=978-93-80658-03-2|ref={{harvid|Rita|2011}}}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Rahman|first1=Abdur|author2=Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy, and Culture|title=History of Indian Science, Technology and Culture: Ad 1000-1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bnaAAAAMAAJ|year=1999|publisher=Oxford University Press India|isbn=978-0-19-564652-8}}
{{refend}}

{{Kaveri River}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century]]
[[Category:Dams in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Chola Empire]]
[[Category:Dams on the Kaveri River]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:Multiple-arch dams]]
[[Category:Chola architecture]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Tiruchirappalli]]

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Kallanai Dam