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Labelled map of Bharathapuzha
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Annamalai hills
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Arabian Sea
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India
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209 km (130 mi)
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2,461 m
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161 m³/s
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6,186 km² (2,420 mi²)
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The , also known as the '''Ponnani''' or '''Nila''', is a river in
India in the
State of
Kerala . At 209 km, it is the second-longest river in Kerala after the
Periyar .
The headwaters of main tributary of Bharathapuzha originates in the
Anna Malai hills in the
Western Ghats in
Tamil Nadu , and flows westward through
Palakkad and
Malappuram districts of Kerala, with many
Tributaries joining it. For the first 40 kilometre or so, the Bharathapuzha follows an almost northerly course till
Pollachi . After that it takes a turn towards west and follows a westerly course until it empties into the
Arabian Sea at
Ponnani .
in 1867 which goes to disuse with the construction of new bridges.]]The river is not navigable along most of its course except the small stretch where it joins the sea. With a
Watershed of 6,186 km&
2, Bharathapuzha basin is the largest among all the river basins in Kerala. A little more than two-thirds of this area (4400 km&
2) is within Kerala and the remaining area (1786 km&
2) is in Tamil Nadu. Though Bharathapuzha has a large basin, the water flow is relatively less compared to other long
Rivers In Kerala because a large portion of the basin is located in the comparatively drier regions (Tamil Nadu and
Palakkad Gap ). The construction of number of dams after the
Independence has also reduced the river flow. In fact in the
Summer months there is almost no flow in most part of the river.
The Bharathapuzha is the lifeline of many cities and villages, including
Palakkad ,
Ottappalam ,
Shoranur ,
Pattambi ,
Thrithala ,
Thiruvegappura ,
Kudallur ,
Pallipuram and
Kumbidi . The village of
Parudur , including the town of
Pallipuram , stands on the confluence of this river and the
River Tootha or, simply,
Thuthapuzha .
The Bharathapuzha is extensively dammed and there are six dam, Meenkara dam and Chuliyar dam. Most of these reservoirs serve the purpose of irrigation only. A total area of 773
Km&2 is irrigated by these irrigation projects. Two more dams , Kanjirapuzha dam and Chittur dam are under construction. The construction of these two dams will increase the area irrigated by another 542 km².
Kerala Kalamandalam a centre of excellence in Kerala's
Performing Arts is located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. Many of Kerala's popular
Malayalam writers were born along its banks, namely
M. T. Vasudevan Nair ,
M. Govindan ,
V. K. N. etc.
Ivor madhom,on the banks of Bharathapuzha near
Thiruvilwamala is a sacred
Funeral place for the
Hindus . The local legend says that those cremated on the banks of the Bharathapuzha achieve salvation.. It is also one of the important place in the state where the sons pay homage to their late fathers by conducting a ''Pithru Tharpanam'' ritual on the ''Karkidaka Vavu'' day.. Some of the famous persons cremated here include literary personalities like
O V Vijayan and V. K. N.
Sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream.
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Abraham
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Vinu
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2004
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The way to the Maker
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The Week
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http://wwwthe-weekcom/24jul11/statescan_article4htm
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February 10 , 2006
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Newindpress
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2005
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Thousands offer Pithru Tharpanam
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The New Indian Express
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http://wwwnewindpresscom/NewsItemsaspID=IER20050805045520&Topic=0&Title=Kerala&Page=R
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February 10 , 2006
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