| Pykara Falls | |
|---|---|
| பைக்காரா ஆறு | |
 Pykara Temple | |
 Interactive map of Pykara Falls | |
| Total height | 61 metres (200 ft) |
ThePykara is a river 19 kilometres (12 mi) fromOoty in the Indian State ofTamil Nadu with a village by the same name nearby.[1] The Pykara River is considered very sacred by theTodas.[2] It rises atMukurthi peak, flows northwards, and then turns to the west after reaching the edge of the plateau.[2] The river flows through Mukurthi, Pykara andGlenmorgan dams, and forms part of an importanthydro-electric power project. It is a tributary of theMoyar river, which in turn is a tributary of theBhavani river, which itself is a tributary of theKaveri river.
The river flows over a series of waterfalls, the last two of 55 metres (180 ft) and 61 metres (200 ft) being known as Pykara Falls.[2] The falls are approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) from the bridge on the main road. There is a forest rest house at Pykara. A boat house on the Pykara reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. Pykara has well-protected, fenced sholas, Toda settlements, large grassy meadows and good wildlife habitat. The Pykara Dam, falls and reservoir attract many tourists.[1]
Pykara's climate is classified assubtropical highland climate (Cwb) under theKöppen climate classification. Pykara, due to its location in the Nilgiris, gets rain from both themonsoons. The wet season runs from April to December and the dry season from January to March.
| Climate data for Pykara | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 19.2 (66.6) | 17.4 (63.3) | 18.5 (65.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.9 (67.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) | 7.7 (45.9) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.6 (52.9) | 12.4 (54.3) | 12.5 (54.5) | 12.3 (54.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 12.0 (53.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 7.5 (45.5) | 10.5 (50.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 19.5 (0.77) | 18.3 (0.72) | 32.2 (1.27) | 104.4 (4.11) | 165.5 (6.52) | 250.2 (9.85) | 475.1 (18.70) | 313.3 (12.33) | 175.6 (6.91) | 244.7 (9.63) | 148.2 (5.83) | 76.3 (3.00) | 2,023.3 (79.64) |
| Average rainy days | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 119 |
| Source:Climate-Data.org[3] | |||||||||||||
The dam is near the main Ooty–Gudalur road and includes apower station. One of the oldest power plants in South India, the Pykara station still functions, generating about 60 megawatts. The first unit of 6.65 MW was commissioned in October 1932.[4] Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, Diwan ofTravancore, worked with theBritish regime in 1920s and 1930s in the setting up of the Pykara project. A team of engineers led by H.G. Howard, a chief engineer in the then electricity department, was responsible for carrying out the project.[4] TheBangalore-Chennai industrial region is highly dependent on the Pykarahydroelectric plant.
The Pykara Station, declared as a heritage plant in September 1997, triggered the establishment of more hydro-electric power stations in the state. Today, theNilgiris district alone boasts hydro-electric stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 837 MW. Five decades after establishment of the old plant, the Electricity Board (EB) authorities came up with a plan for the Pykara Ultimate Stage Hydro Electric Plant (PUSHEP), containing three units of 50 MW each. The construction of an underground powerhouse, 17 tunnels and thehydraulic head of 1,039 metres (3,409 ft) are the special features of the new plant. According to the EB, the hydraulic head is the highest inAsia. The access to the powerhouse is a tunnel 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) long.[4]
Aboat house on the Pykara Reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. The boat house with restaurant is maintained by theTamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. It has several motor boats which are allowed for 20 minutes and speed boats which are allowed for 10 minutes (as of 2011).[1]
Tourism inThe Nilgiris | ||
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Gardens and parks.jpg) | .svg) | |
Viewpoint | ||
Lake and waterfalls | ||
Other tourist spots | ||
Events | ||
11°27′17″N76°35′50″E / 11.4547°N 76.5972°E /11.4547; 76.5972