5 Beautiful Dams Of India
With India being an agricultural economy and a land of many rivers, it comes as no surprise that India has many dams. Traditionally built to store excess water and serve irrigation purposes, dams today have become tourist hotspots presenting good opportunities for photography and nature walks. We’ve covered 5 of these beautiful dams of India from the tallest to the largest to the longest.
Tehri Dam, Uttarakhand: It is the tallest dam in India at a height of just above 850 feet. It is a regular dam built between two large hills. The surrounding mountains and the valley filled with backwaters of the dam add more beauty quotient to the location. Built across the Bhagirathi river in 2006, the massive dam serves the purpose of generating electricity and also other purposes like irrigation and water supply. Water sports activities are conducted on the backwaters and it is one of the developing tourist areas of the state. The highlight of the dam is the use of rock and earth fill in its construction.
Arched Dam at Idukki, Kerala: This uniquely styled dam is located about 4 kilometres away on the outskirts of Idukki township. The 554 feet tall dam is built between two hills towering above 920 feet and 830 feet respectively. The dam was built in 1976, across the Periyar river which was flowing between the above-mentioned two rocky hills. The arch-shaped concrete wall looks impressive, and along with the two colossal hills, it is a frightening sight when viewed from the front. In fact, the main dam, known as Cheruthoni dam, is facing northwards and this arched dam facing eastwards plays the role of plugging a gap in the reservoir. At certain locations of the backwaters water sports activities are conducted.
Sardar Sarovar Dam, Gujarat: Built across the Narmada River, it is one of the largest dams in India. With the installation of a nearly 600 feet tall statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel in front of the dam, and the creation of various amusement and entertainment facilities, the dam takes the top position among all dams, as the number one tourist location in the country. This concrete behemoth was the vision of the country’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, and hence named after him. The dam is 534 feet in height and the length is 3970 feet.
Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, Karnataka: The construction of this dam was started in the year 1911 by the then king of Mysuru, Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV. To put an end to the famine and loss of crop the people of his kingdom were suffering from, the king built this dam just ahead of the site where the rivers Hemavathi and Lakshmanateertha merge with Kaveri. It took nearly 25 years to complete the dam but the great foresight of the king has helped the farmers of the region to reap the benefits even after a century. The architecture and style of the dam are reminiscent of vintage values. A closer look at the dam, the canals, sluice gates, crest gates, bridges around, and the architectural style would impress the visitors and it is a tribute to the skills of Sir M Vishweshwarayya, the engineer in charge of the construction of this dam. The garden maintained in front of the dam is probably the best in India, with the laser show arranged every evening being the main attraction that draws thousands of tourists to the dam.
Hirakud Dam, Odisha: The foundation stone for this world’s longest earthen bridge was laid about a year before independence and it was completed ten years after independence. Built across Mahanadi river, it is about 185 feet in height, and the length goes beyond an astonishing 4.8 kilometres! If the dikes built on either side are added, then it goes beyond 25 kilometres! Built between two hills, the sunrise and sunset times cast their own hues around the dam. The large backwaters of the dam submerged more than 200 temples, among them many ancient ones. Boating and other facilities attract tourists to the dam site.
