Kallanai Dam

Kallanai Dam, also known as the Grand Anicut, was built by the Chola king Karikala around 150 CE across the Kaveri River, 17 km from Srirangam. Constructed entirely of unhewn stone, it is the fourth-oldest water-diversion structure in the world and the oldest still in active use in India, irrigating over a million acres of delta farmland. The dam is 329 metres long and 20 metres wide. Arthur Cotton's 19th-century British engineers used it as the direct model for later dams. A riverside park and scenic river views make it a pleasant day-excursion from Srirangam.