Tributes paid to Kalingarayan as canal in Erode turns 742

Tributes to Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan on 742nd anniversary of Kalingarayan canal, recognized as World Heritage Irrigation Structure.

Tributes were paid to Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan on Saturday, marking the 742nd anniversary of the Kalingarayan canal.

The fifth day of the Tamil month of Thai is celebrated as Kalingarayan Day in honour of the chieftain who completed the construction of the 91.10-km canal in 1283 CE. The canal, which irrigates 15,743 acres in the district, was constructed over 12 years and connects the River Bhavani at Bhavani with the River Noyal at Kodumudi.

To commemorate the historic achievement, the State government built a memorial for the chieftain at the Kalingarayan anicut in Kalingarayan Palayam, Bhavani, and the day is now observed as a government function.

District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara  garlanded a statue of Kalingarayan at the memorial. Representatives of farmers’ associations and the public honoured the chieftain at Bhavani. Notably, in 2021, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) recognised the Kalingarayan Anicut and Channel System as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure.

Kalingarayan, the then king of Poondurai Nadu, a subdivision in Kongu Nadu, constructed a barrage on the River Bhavani. The barrage diverts water into a canal that runs 56.5 miles, ultimately joining the River Noyyal at Kodumudi. Construction began in 1271 CE and was completed on January 19, 1283 CE.