Kaveri
The
Kaveri, also spelled
Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths. The Kaveri basin is estimated to be 81,155 km2 with many tributaries including the Shimsha, the Hemavati, the Arkavati, Honnuhole, Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani River, the Lokapavani, the Noyyal and the Amaravati River. The river's basin covers 4 states and Union Territories - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. Rising in southwestern Karnataka, it flows southeast some 800 km to enter the Bay of Bengal. East of Mysore it forms the island of Shivanasamudra, on either side of which are the scenic Shivanasamudra Falls that descend about 320 ft. The river is the source for an extensive irrigation system and for hydroelectric power.