Tamil Nadu Geography for UPSC: Interactive Map, Rivers and Protected Areas

Cauvery

Rises Talakaveri, Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka; flows to Bay of Bengal, via the Kaveri delta near Poompuhar · 347 km

Subject of the long-running Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Kaveri

Rises Talakaveri, Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka; flows to Bay of Bengal, via the Kaveri delta near Poompuhar · 70 km

Subject of the long-running Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Kollidam

Rises Distributary of the Cauvery branching at the Grand Anicut (Srirangam); flows to Bay of Bengal near Chidambaram · 198 km

The Cauvery's northern distributary, carrying flood flows east of the delta.

Palar

Rises Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka; flows to Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur · 291 km

Runs dry on the surface for much of the year but sustains major groundwater aquifers along its basin.

Ponnaiyar

Rises Nandi hills, Karnataka; flows to Bay of Bengal near Cuddalore · 317 km

Ponnaiyar (South Pennar) drains northern Tamil Nadu; the Sathanur dam is on it.

Thamirabarani

Rises Agasthyamalai Hills, Western Ghats (Tirunelveli district); flows to Gulf of Mannar, Bay of Bengal · 115 km

One of the few rivers in India that flows entirely within a single state and stays perennial, unlike most other Tamil Nadu rivers.

Vaigai

Rises Western Ghats (Varusanadu Hills), Theni district; flows to Palk Strait coast, Ramanathapuram district · 306 km

Central to Madurai's water supply; heavily utilized upstream, so it rarely carries a strong flow to the coast.

Amaravati

Rises Anamalai hills, Western Ghats; flows to joins the Cauvery near Karur · 183 km

A major right-bank tributary of the Cauvery, shared with Kerala's Chinnar catchment.

Arani

Rises Near Ponneri, north of Chennai; flows to Pulicat Lake · 68 km

The Arani drains into the Pulicat lagoon system north of Chennai.

Bhavani

Rises Nilgiri hills; flows to joins the Cauvery at Bhavani (the Kooduthurai confluence) · 73 km

The Cauvery's second-largest tributary; the Bhavani Sagar reservoir is on it.

Cheyyar

Rises Eastern Ghats (Javadi hills); flows to joins the Palar near Walajabad · 338 km

A Palar tributary draining the Javadi-hill country of north Tamil Nadu.

Gundar

Rises Eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, Madurai district; flows to Inland drainage of the Vaigai basin · 8 km

A seasonal river of the rain-shadow Madurai region.

Manimuthar

Rises Agastyamalai hills, Western Ghats; flows to joins the Tamraparni near Ambasamudram · 31 km

A Tamraparni tributary of the southern Western Ghats (Kalakkad-Mundanthurai reserve).

Moyar

Rises Nilgiri hills near Pykara; flows to joins the Bhavani in the Sathyamangalam forests · 91 km

The Moyar gorge forms part of the Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam tiger landscape.

Nambiyar

Rises Western Ghats near Kanyakumari; flows to Arabian Sea near Nagercoil · 36 km

A short west-flowing river of Kanyakumari district.

Noyyal

Rises Vellingiri hills of the Western Ghats; flows to joins the Cauvery near Kodumudi · 160 km

A seasonal Cauvery tributary through the industrial Coimbatore, Tiruppur belt.

Pambar

Rises Kodaikanal hills (Palani hills); flows to joins the Vaippar system · 57 km

A rain-shadow stream of the Palani hills.

Vellar

Rises Shevaroy hills (Eastern Ghats); flows to Bay of Bengal near Parangipettai · 333 km

Drains the Salem, Cuddalore corridor; its mouth adjoins the Pichavaram mangroves.

Adyar

Rises Chennai's western suburbs (Chembarambakkam catchment); flows to Bay of Bengal at Chennai · 48 km

One of Chennai's two urban rivers; its estuary holds the Adyar eco-park.

Cooum

Rises Poonamallee, west of Chennai; flows to Bay of Bengal at Chennai · 62 km

Chennai's heavily urbanised river, the subject of long-running restoration plans.

Point Calimere

A Ramsar site (2002) on the Vedaranyam coast, tidal flats, mangroves and the Point Calimere WLS, a major wintering ground for migratory shorebirds and flamingos, and historically for the blackbuck.

Ramsar (2002); Vedaranyam tidal flats for wintering shorebirds.

Gulf of Mannar Marine

A marine Ramsar site (2022) in the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve, with coral reefs, seagrass beds and the dugong.

Ramsar (2022); marine reserve of corals and dugong.

Karikili Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary wetland in Kanchipuram district designated Ramsar in 2024, hosting wintering waterfowl.

Ramsar (2024); bird wetland of Kanchipuram.

Pallikaranai Marsh

A freshwater marsh on Chennai's southern edge designated Ramsar in 2022, the city's only surviving large wetland, filtering stormwater and hosting wintering birds.

Ramsar (2022); Chennai's last large marsh.

Pichavaram Mangrove

A Ramsar site (2022) near Chidambaram, one of India's largest mangrove forests, a maze of backwaters and channels that shielded villages during the 2004 tsunami.

Ramsar (2022); mangrove maze that blunted the 2004 tsunami.

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

One of India's oldest bird sanctuaries (protected since 1798), designated Ramsar in 2022, a heronry lake in Chengalpattu district with large breeding colonies.

Ramsar (2022); among India's oldest bird sanctuaries (1798).

Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex

A wetland complex near Kanyakumari designated Ramsar in 2022, part of the southernmost bird migration route into India.

Ramsar (2022); southernmost wetland complex near Kanyakumari.

Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary lake in Thiruvarur district designated Ramsar in 2024, wintering ground for migratory waterfowl.

Ramsar (2024); birding lake of Thiruvarur.

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary lake in Ariyalur district designated Ramsar in 2024, hosting large congregations of wintering birds.

Ramsar (2024); wintering bird lake of Ariyalur.

Longwood Shola Reserve Forest

A shola forest wetland near Kodaikanal designated Ramsar in 2024, a rare high-altitude shola-grassland mosaic.

Ramsar (2024); shola wetland near Kodaikanal.

Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary lake near Tiruppur designated Ramsar in 2024, supporting resident and migratory waterbirds.

Ramsar (2024); bird lake near Tiruppur.

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary

A village-managed bird sanctuary in Tirunelveli district designated Ramsar in 2021, famed for painted stork and pelican nesting colonies.

Ramsar (2021); village-protected stork and pelican heronry.

Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary wetland in Ramanathapuram district designated Ramsar in 2021, wintering ground for migratory waterfowl.

Ramsar (2021); bird wetland of Ramanathapuram.

Vembannur Wetland Complex

A wetland complex near Kanyakumari designated Ramsar in 2024, an Important Bird Area for migratory waterfowl.

Ramsar (2024); wetland complex near Kanyakumari.

Vellode Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary lake in Erode district designated Ramsar in 2024, hosting wintering waterbirds.

Ramsar (2024); birding lake of Erode.

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary in Tiruvarur district designated Ramsar in 2024, wintering ground for migratory birds.

Ramsar (2024); bird sanctuary of Tiruvarur.

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary near Mudukulathur in Ramanathapuram district designated Ramsar in 2022, a tank sanctuary for spot-billed pelicans and wintering waterfowl.

Ramsar (2022); tank sanctuary near Mudukulathur.

Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary

A brackish lagoon in Villupuram district (Vanur-Marakkanam) designated Ramsar in 2024, one of the largest wetlands on the Coromandel coast, a stopover for migratory birds.

Ramsar (2024); large Coromandel lagoon of Villupuram.

Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district designated Ramsar in 2024, supporting wintering waterfowl.

Ramsar (2024); Ramanathapuram bird wetland.

Therthangal Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district designated Ramsar in 2024, wintering ground for migratory waterbirds.

Ramsar (2024); Ramanathapuram wintering wetland.

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere

India's first marine biosphere reserve, in the Gulf of Mannar between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, with 21 islands, coral reefs, seagrass beds and the dugong, one of the world's richest marine biodiversity regions.

India's first marine biosphere reserve; 21 islands and dugong.

Agasthyamalai Biosphere

The Tamil Nadu portion of the Agasthyamalai reserve in the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai hills, a biodiversity hotspot with endemic flora and the lion-tailed macaque.

TN share of the Agasthyamalai reserve; Kalakkad-Mundanthurai.

Nilgiri Biosphere

The Tamil Nadu portion of India's first biosphere reserve, covering Mudumalai and the Nilgiri upper slopes, part of the tiger-elephant landscape with UNESCO hotspot status.

TN share of the first biosphere reserve; Mudumalai-Nilgiris.

Mudumalai NP

A park in the Nilgiris district, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and contiguous with Bandipur and Wayanad. Known for elephants, tigers, and one of India's oldest elephant corridors.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; contiguous with Bandipur, classic elephant country.

Gulf of Mannar Marine NP

A marine national park off the Ramanathapuram coast with 21 islands and fringing coral reefs, part of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. Home to the dugong (sea cow), one of its flagship species.

21 islands and coral reefs; habitat of the dugong (sea cow).

Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP

A park in Coimbatore district on the Anamalai hills, part of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, known for the lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri tahr in its upper reaches.

Part of Anamalai Tiger Reserve; lion-tailed macaque country.

Mukurthi NP

A park in the Nilgiris protecting the high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystem around Mukurthi peak, created mainly for the Nilgiri tahr.

Created to protect the Nilgiri tahr in its shola-grassland habitat.

Guindy NP

A small urban national park inside Chennai, among the smallest national parks in India, home to blackbuck, spotted deer and jackals within the city.

One of India's smallest national parks, inside Chennai city.

Kalakkad Mundanthurai WLS

A sanctuary in Tirunelveli district on the Agasthyamalai hills, part of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve and a Project Tiger reserve. Rich in endemic plants, the lion-tailed macaque and the Nilgiri langur.

Part of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve; a biodiversity hotspot sanctuary.

Sathyamangalam WLS

A sanctuary in Erode district linking the Eastern and Western Ghats, a tiger reserve with one of India's largest tiger populations and a critical elephant corridor.

Links Eastern and Western Ghats; among India's largest tiger populations.