About Thamirabarani River:
- The Thamirabarani River – also known as the Tamraparni River or Porunai River, a rare perennial river in southern India flowing entirely through the Tamil Nadu
- The river’s name is derived from “Thamiram” (copper) and “Barani” (vessel) in Tamil, referring to the copper-like hue of its waters—believed to result from dissolved minerals.
- Porunai is its classical name in Sangam literature, where it has extensive literary references.
- Course:
- It originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of the Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats.
- It flows through the Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts of the Tamil Nadu state into the Gulf of Mannar of the Bay of Bengal.
- Major Tributaries: Gadananathi River, the Manimuthar River, and the Pachaiyar
- Prominent dams include:
- Papanasam Dam
- Karaiyar Dam
- Manimuthar Dam
- Servalar Dam
- Gadananathi Dam
- Major Waterfalls:
- Banatheertham Falls
- Agasthiyar Falls
- Kalyana Theertham
- Biodiversity:
- It is one of the richest rivers in the world with fish and is dominated by species of native snakehead fish.
- All the three species of otters in India, the Eurasian otter, the smooth-coated otter, and the Asian small-clawed otter, inhabit the Thamirabarani River.
