Pykara#Pykara Falls
{{Short description|River in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox waterfall
| name = Pykara Falls
| native_name = பைக்காரா ஆறு
| photo =File:Pykara Temple.jpg
| photo_caption = Pykara Temple
| location =
| type =
| height = {{convert|61|m|ft}}
| height_longest =
| number_drops =
| average_flow =
| world_rank =
}}
File:Pykara Lake Boatinh in Ooty, Tamil Nadu.JPG
The Pykara is a river {{convert|19|km|mi}} from Ooty in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu with a village by the same name nearby.{{cite web | url=http://www.ooty.com/travel/pykara.htm | title=Ooty – Pykara Falls | publisher=ooty.com | access-date=19 August 2011}} The Pykara River is considered very sacred by the Todas.{{cite web | url=http://nilgiris.nic.in/ooty.htm | title=PYKARA | access-date=19 August 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721173919/http://nilgiris.nic.in/ooty.htm | archive-date=21 July 2011 | df=dmy-all }} It rises at Mukurthi peak, flows northwards, and then turns to the west after reaching the edge of the plateau. The river flows through Mukurthi, Pykara and Glenmorgan dams, and forms part of an important hydro-electric power project.
The river flows over a series of waterfalls, the last two of {{convert|55|m|ft}} and {{convert|61|m|ft}} being known as Pykara Falls. The falls are approximately {{convert|6|km|mi|0}} 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.
Climate
Pykara's climate is classified as subtropical highland climate (Cwb) under Köppen climate classification. Pykara, due to its location in the Nilgiris, gets rain from both the monsoons. The wet season runs from April to December and the dry season from January to March.
{{Weather box
|location = Pykara
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 19.7
|Feb high C = 19.9
|Mar high C = 22.4
|Apr high C = 22.5
|May high C = 22.7
|Jun high C = 19.2
|Jul high C = 17.4
|Aug high C = 18.5
|Sep high C = 19.4
|Oct high C = 19.4
|Nov high C = 19.1
|Dec high C = 19.0
|Year high C =
|Jan low C = 6.7
|Feb low C = 7.7
|Mar low C = 9.8
|Apr low C = 11.6
|May low C = 12.4
|Jun low C = 12.5
|Jul low C = 12.3
|Aug low C = 12.3
|Sep low C = 12.0
|Oct low C = 11.5
|Nov low C = 9.7
|Dec low C = 7.5
|Year low C =
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm = 19.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 18.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 32.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 104.4
|May precipitation mm = 165.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 250.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 475.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 313.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 175.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 244.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 148.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 76.3
|Jan rain days=3
|Feb rain days=2
|Mar rain days=4
|Apr rain days=8
|May rain days=11
|Jun rain days=12
|Jul rain days=17
|Aug rain days=18
|Sep rain days=11
|Oct rain days=13
|Nov rain days=12
|Dec rain days=8
|year rain days=
|date=May 2015
|source 1 = Climate-Data.org{{cite web|title=limate: Pykara - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table - Climate-Data.org|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/206977/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|access-date=2015-09-24}}}}
Dam and power station
File:53Ootacamund Pykara Waterfalls.jpg
The dam is near the main Ooty–Gudalur road and includes a power 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.{{cite news | url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/02/17/stories/2006021717590600.htm | title=Pykara power station a trendsetter | access-date=19 August 2011 | author=T, Ramakrishnan | newspaper=The Hindu | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215012541/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/02/17/stories/2006021717590600.htm | archive-date=15 December 2008 | url-status=usurped }} Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, Diwan of Travancore, worked with the British 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. The Bangalore-Chennai industrial region is highly dependent on the Pykara hydroelectric 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, the Nilgiris 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 the hydraulic head of {{convert|1039|m|ft}} are the special features of the new plant. According to the EB, the hydraulic head is the highest in Asia. The access to the powerhouse is a tunnel {{convert|1.5|km|mi|1}} long.
Boat house
A boat house on the Pykara Reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. The boat house with restaurant is maintained by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. It consists of several boats and has motor boats which are allowed for 20 minutes and speed boats which are allowed for 10 minutes.
Image gallery
File:Pykara Lake Nilgiris.jpg|Pykara Boathouse
File:Pykara.jpg|Pykara, Town
File:T.R.Bazar, Pykara.jpg|T.R.Bazar, Pykara
File:T.R (2).jpg|T.R.Bazar, Pykara
File:ஊட்டியின் அழகு.JPG|Pykara waterfalls
File:View of Pykara lake from a boat.jpg|View of Pykara lake from a boat
References
{{reflist}}
External sources
{{commons category}}
{{Tourism in The Nilgiris}}
{{Hydrology of Tamil Nadu}}
{{coord|11.4547|N|76.5972|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}
Category:Waterfalls of Tamil Nadu