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 contains a small amount of copper, which gives the river water a distinct reddish tinge.
- In Tamil, copper is called Thamiram and hence the river is named Thamirabarani.
- 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 entirely within Tamil Nadu before meeting the Gulf of Mannar near Tuticorin.
- Major Tributaries: Gadananathi River, the Manimuthar River, and the Pachaiyar River.
- Prominent dams include:
- Papanasam Dam
- Karaiyar Dam
- Manimuthar Dam
- Servalar Dam
- Gadananathi Dam
- Major Waterfalls:
- Banatheertham Falls
- Agasthiyar Falls
- Kalyana Theertham
- Temples like Papanasam Temple and Agasthiyar Temple are located along its banks.
- Biodiversity:
- It is one of the richest rivers in the world with 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.
