This story was first published on February 23, 2019. It has been republished today.
The Cauvery, affectionately called Ponni or the golden maid, is the giver of life for Tamil people. It flows like a garland slung across Tamil Nadu’s torso, neatly dividing its modern-day political map into north and south. Its drainage basin covers 35 per cent of the state’s geographical area. An entry less spectacular than she makes at Biligundlu—cutting through the dense forests of the Biligiri Ranga Hills and creating the breathtaking Hogenakkal falls (“smoky rocks” in Kannada), less than 10 kilometres further south-east—would be unworthy of her stature.
