Manimuthar River

Manimuthar River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a major tributary of the Tambaraparani River.

The river begins in the dense forest on a mountain peak 1300 meters above sea level in Ambasamudram taluk and flows 9 km though small cataracts until it reaches the Tambaraparani River near Kallidaikurichi.

The tributaries of the Manimuthar are the Keezha River and the Varattar River. As a tributary, the Manimuther River adds a considerable amount of water to the Tamiraparani River as it seasonally is always in full.

In 1957, Manimuthar anicut was built across the river three km before its juncture with the Tamiraparani.^[1]

Pilgrims

The town of Vridhachalam on the banks of the Manimuktha River, 60 km from Cuddalore, has an ancient [Shiva] temple dedicated to Lord Vridhagirishwarar. The yearly festival of Masi Magam draws large numbers of pilgrims to bathe in the sacred waters of the river.^[2] This is Manimuktha river flows through Virudachalm. [Vritha Jalam in Sanskrit means very old-ground-water or Virutha Asalam - ancient mountain]. However, river Manimuthar, always refers to the major tributary of the perennial River Tamirabarani in Tirunelveli. There is another small river of the same name 'Manimuthar river' near Devakottai, in Sivagangai District.

Notes

1. ^ "Rivers". http://www.nellai.tn.nic.in/irrigation.html. Retrieved 2006-09-24. 
2. ^ Environment Profile for Cuddalore District, AIMS Research - Chennai 600 018, Directorate of the Environment, India, p 22.

Tirunelveli district web site