| Kalingarayan Anicut | |
|---|---|
  Kalingarayan Anicut Location of Kalingarayan Anicut in Tamil Nadu | |
| Official name | Kalingarayan Dam |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 11°26′31.8″N77°40′35.5″E / 11.442167°N 77.676528°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1283 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment and Barrage |
| Length | 902.5 m (2,961 ft) |
Kalingarayan Anicut is a barrage on the Bhavani River in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. It is located before Kooduthurai where Bhavani meets with Kaveri in Bhavani, Erode. [1]
The dam was constructed by Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan Gounder. [2] It is one of the ancient River linking projects in Tamil Nadu and was undertaken to establish a link between Bhavani River and Noyyal River. The project including construction of the dam and canal started in 1271 and was completed in 1283. [3]
This irrigation project involved the construction of a barrage to divert the water to Kalingarayan Canal. The dam and the canal irrigates approximately 15,743 acres (6,371 ha) of agricultural land. [4] In 2016, Government of Tamil Nadu undertook development works to strengthen the dam's embankments by concrete plugging. [5]
In 2017, Government of Tamil Nadu planned to convert the dam into a tourist attraction. [6] [7] In 2017, a children's park along with a memorial hall and statue of Kalingarayan was inaugurated by then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Palaniswami. [8]