The Kabini River is one of the major tributaries of the river
Cauvery
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu d ...
in southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. It originates near
Kavilumpara
Kavilumpara is an agricultural village in northeastern Kozhikode district in Kerala. It shares a border with Wayanad District.
Geography
The village is surrounded by mountains and forest reserves and it is near the origin of the Kuttiady Rive ...
in
Kozhikode district
Kozhikode (), or Calicut district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its Southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 67.15% urbanised. ...
of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
state by the confluence of the
Panamaram River and the
Mananthavady River. It flows eastward through
Wayanad district
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...
, entering
Mysore district
Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the origi ...
of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
, to join the
Kaveri River
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu d ...
in
Mysore district
Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the origi ...
of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
Close to the town of
Sargur
Sargur (also known as Saragur pronounced Saraguru in the Kannada language, as Kannada words end in vowels, which are lost in their Anglicization), is a small town located about 80 km from the town of Chamarajanagar And a Taluk of Mysore d ...
it forms the huge
Kabini Reservoir.
The
backwaters of the Kabini reservoir are very rich in wildlife especially in summer when the water level recedes to form rich grassy meadows. The Kabini dam is in length with an original gross storage of 19.52 tmcft. The Kabini Dam is situated between villages Bichanahalli and Bidarahalli having distance of 6 km away from
Sargur
Sargur (also known as Saragur pronounced Saraguru in the Kannada language, as Kannada words end in vowels, which are lost in their Anglicization), is a small town located about 80 km from the town of Chamarajanagar And a Taluk of Mysore d ...
town in Heggadadevana kote taluk,
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude o ...
district, Karnataka.
Wildlife
The Kabini Forest Reserve is one of the most popular
wildlife
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...
destinations of Karnataka, probably because of its accessibility, lush green landscape surrounding a large lake, and sightings of herds of elephants, tigers. It is away from Mysuru and from
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
, and comprises the south-eastern part of
Nagarahole National Park. Situated on the banks of the kabini River, the reserve is spread over of forestland, steep valleys, and water bodies. Once a private hunting lodge of the
Maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
of Mysore, kabini was a popular
shikar hotspot for
British Viceroys and Indian royalty. Now it is considered to be one of the best Wildlife National Parks in India, famous for its spectacular wildlife and bird life. There are around 120 tigers, 100+ leopards, four types of deer, Sloth bear, Indian Gaurs and elephants in the Nagarahole National Park.
Course
The river originates in the Pakramthalam hills at
Kuttiady
Kuttiady is one of the Major towns situated in the north-eastern part of Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. It is located from Vadakara and from Kozhikode. Kuttiady is situated in the slopes of the Western Ghats.
The four-sided junction ...
-
Mananthavady
Mananthavady is a municipality and '' taluk'' in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India.
Etymology
The popular view on the etymology is that the word is derived from "Maane Eytha Vady" (English: "The place where an arrow was shot at the deer") ...
road. Makkiyad river and Periya river join it near Korome and Valad respectively. After flowing through
Mananthavady
Mananthavady is a municipality and '' taluk'' in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India.
Etymology
The popular view on the etymology is that the word is derived from "Maane Eytha Vady" (English: "The place where an arrow was shot at the deer") ...
town,
Panamaram
Panamaram is a village in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India.
Demographics
India census, Panamaram had a population of 11651 with 5891 males and 5760 females.
Panamaram River
Panamaram River is a tributary of the Kabani Rive ...
river joins Kabini near Payyampally. One branch of the Panamaram river starts from the
Banasura Sagar reservoir near Padinjarethara and the other branch of the river start from
Lakkidi hills. After traversing from the confluence of Panamaram river kabini forms an island called
Kuruva Island, spreading over with diverse flora and fauna. Within it reaches the kabini reservoir bordering
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
and
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...
for some distance. Between kabini reservoir and Kuruva island Kalindi river joins kabini. Kalindi river originates from
Brahmagiri hills which on reaching near
Thirunelli Temple the rivulet
Papanasini joins it. Taraka and Nugu are the two small rivers in Heggadadevana kote taluk that join the Kapila (Kabini river)..
Kabini dam
The
Kabini dam is built on the River Kapila in the district of
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude o ...
. The dam is 696 meters in length and was built in 1974. The exact location of the dam is near village Beechanahally, in Taluk
Heggadadevanakote
Heggadadevanakote or H.D.Kote is a town and a taluk headquarters in Mysore district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Kakana kote forest lies in Heggadadevana kote taluk. H.D Kote city is divided into 13 wards for which elections are held eve ...
. The catchment area of the dam is 2,141.90 km
2. It caters to the needs of around 22 villages and 14 hamlets and also a prominent source of drinking water to Mysuru and
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. Further significant amount of water is discharged to the
Mettur reservoir in
Tamilnadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language— ...
to fulfill the state's needs.
This dam also provides water to the combined system of Sagaredoddakere and Upper Nugu Dams. There is an arrangement of lifting and transfer of 28.00 TMC of water during the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
s months from the kabini dam to the other two smaller dams. The dam is spread over an area of 55 hectares covering forests, rivers, lakes and
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
s.
Kabini Bridge
The
Kabini Bridge on this river is a
Heritage monument.
Image gallery
File:Indian coracle.jpg, Indian coracles are used on the Kabini river
File:Kabini reservoir.jpg, Kabini reservoir
File:Elephant family.jpg, Elephant family on the Kabini river bank
File:The Kapila river in Nanjangud.jpg, The river Kabini in Nanjangud
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Karnataka
Dams in Karnataka
Rivers of Palakkad district
Tributaries of the Kaveri River
Rivers of Wayanad district
Rivers of India