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Religious significance
The Kaveri river is considered sacred by devout Hindus
and is often referred to as Dakshin Ganga or the ‘Ganges
of the South’. The river is personified as the Goddess Kaveri Amman,
who is worshipped at several shrines along the course of the river.
According to Hindu mythology, Vishnumaya or
Lopamudra, daughter of Lord Brahma, was born on the earth as the child
of the Kavera Muni. She got married to Sage Agasthaya. Later, she became
the river Kaveri in order to serve mankind.
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Thala Cauvery
Cauveri Kundike
(Photo Courtesy:
http://kodagu.nic.in)
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Ecological
significance
The river basin supports a wide spectrum of organisms,
many of which are endemic. It is the natural habitat many fish varieties
including the Mahseer, one of the popular game varieties.
The Kaveri river is one of the important rivers in our
country. The river along with its major tributaries (Kabini, Noyyal,
Bhavani, Amaravathy, Lokapavani, Kapila, Hemavathi etc.) pass through
important urban centres including Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Trichy and
Erode and acts as a lifeline to the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Large-scale water extraction and other activities in
the river have adversely affected the water quantity and quality.
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