Kaveripakkam Lake with 10 Sluice Gates and 2 overflow gutters, Kaveripakkam, Ranipet District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Kaveripakkam Lake at Kaveripakkam was a part of the Shiva Vishnu Temples and Heritage sites at Thirumalaicherry, Gudimallur, and Kaveripakkam. I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Ramesh Krishnamurthy for taking me to all these places. 

The Kaveripakkam Lake gets its inlet water from the Palar River, and overflow water flows as the Kosathalai River, which splits at the Kesavaram Dam and continues as the Kosathalai River and joins the Bay of Bengal. The diverted water from Kesavaram flows as the Cooum River. The Kaveripakkam lake was excavated during Nadhivarma Pallava-III in the 8^th Century. The banks were raised and strengthened at various stages. It was said that the stones of the dilapidated Shiva and Vishnu temples of Kaveripakkam were used for strengthening the banks of this lake during the  British period.

Kaveripakkam Lake holds 1474 million cubic feet of water. The height of the lake is 30.65 feet, the bank length is 8.35 km, and it covers an area of 6.2 square miles (3968 acres). The lake water irrigates about 19500 acres of land. The lake has 10 sluices and 2 overflow structures. 14 villages benefit from this lake's water. In addition to this, the overflow water feeds about 55 small lakes / eris. The overflow water is regulated through 58 big sluices. The 10 sluices that feed water for irrigation are named Nari (Fox) Sluice, Lion Sluice, Palla Sluice, Moola Sluice, etc. The common inscription of all sluices is as follows.

Built by order of the

Board of Revenue 1837

C M Oglive Esqre Principal Collector

Lieu – W.I.Bird wood Civil Engineer 2^nd Dn

Mt Geo. Oliver Surveyor

C. Appoo Moodelly Huzzoor Maistry

 

The sad part is that this Lake is 50% encroached, and the capacity also shrinks due to poor maintenance of the lake and the accumulation of vandalized earth.

HOW TO REACH
This temple at Kaveripakkam is about a km from the Madras – Bombay trunk Road / Chennai to Vellore Road / Mumbai Hwy.
The temple is about 10 km from Walaja Toll Gate, 11.6 km from Walajahpet, 15 km from Sholinghur, 17.4 km from Arcot, 17 km from Ranipet,  38 km from Vellore, and 95 km from Chennai.
The nearest Railway Station is Sholinghur

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Overflow shutters 

Sluice 

An encroached banana plantain farm, now submerged underwater

Durga Shrine near Lion Sluice

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---