Manjalar Dam is located in Theni district of Tamil Nadu. It is built on Manjalar River. The dam is a tiny reservoir that caters to the water needs of the Madurai district. The reservoir chiefly serves as a breeding spot for tilapia fishery. The place contributes to more than 80 per cent of fishery production in Tamil Nadu.

History

Manjalar Dam was built in 1967 for irrigation purpose.

Hydrography

The origin of Manjalar River is from Palani Hills. It flows towards east and converges at the Vaigai River located near Koottathu. There are nine tanks and nine anicuta in this sub basin.

Manjalar Dam has been constructed across Manjalar River at about 10 kilometers from Batlagundu bust stand, which is located in Dindigul district. The dam lies at the end of Manjalar Road, which is about 5.5 kilometer north from the State Highway 36 at the town of Devadanapatti. This is at the beginning along Kamatchi Amman temple road.

The dam is 1043 meters long and 28.33 meters high. Dam type is earthen.

Tourism

The dam is surrounded by mango farms and serves as a marvelous tourist spot. Tourists can go hiking at Manjalar Dam. They can proceed along the path of potato fields and mango orchards that surround Manjalar reservoir. They can then go up along the course of water and reach a small shrine of Goddess Kamakshi.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby places include Kodai Lake, Vadamadurai, Vedasandur, Sirumalai, and Anjanevar Temple.

The Kodai Lake is an artificial lake shaped like a star. It is spread around 24 hectares. The lake was created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge. A 5-km long road surrounds the lake. A boat club exists here that lets tourists go boating.

Other popular tourist attractions include Berijam Lake, Dolphin’s Nose, Dindigul Rock Fort, Chettiar Park and more.

Dolphin’s Nose lies around 8 km from Berijam Lake. This is actually a flat rock that appears like the nose of a dolphin. The rock is 6600 feet deep.

Best Time to Visit

The best months to visit Manjalar Dam are from October to March. In case, the monsoon sets properly, tourists can have a good time at this place.

How to Reach

Manjalar Dam is approximately 8-10 km from Batlagundu bus stand. Kodaikanal, Theni, and Theni-Allinagaram are the nearby cities. Tourists can glance at the dam from Kodai Ghat road while driving on the road to Kodaikanal, around 19 kilometers from Vattalkundu.