Top 10 Most Popular Dams in India

Dams were ideally constructed to hold water in which could otherwise turn destructive, and aid in purposes like irrigation. But over time they have evolved into full blown tourist spots which afford opportunities like photography, natural beauty, walking places, watching birds and many others. Nowadays most tours to areas with major rivers are incomplete without a visit to the dams. As India is a country with a lot of rivers, it is only natural that a lot of dams follow. Here we list the top 10 dams in India, all of which are definitely worth visiting. Plan a tour to these dam sites to catch a glimpse of beauty that is also high on utility, helps numerous people in need while being eco friendly at the same time.

1. Indira Sagar Dam, Madhya Pradesh

Indira Sagar Dam, Madhya Pradesh
Photo by LRBurdak, CC BY-SA 3.0

Located along the banks of the Narmada river, one of the most prominent rivers in India in terms of both size, presence and utility, it is located in the Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh and stores the largest amount of water for any dam in India. Indira Sagar Dam is also involved in power generation and irrigation and has become very popular with tourists.

2. Krishnarajasagar Dam, Karnataka

Krishnarajasagar Dam, Karnataka
Photo by Alok567gupta, CC BY-SA 3.0

Krishnarajasagar Dam is a masonry dam built on the banks of the Kaveri river in Mysore, Karnataka. This has close to it the birthplace and childhood hometown of the eponymous Hindu Lord Krishna, the Brindavans. It has a garden within which is popular in its own right as a garden park and tourist spot. It also is located in Mysore, one of the most beautiful spots of India featured often in media.

3. Cheruthoni Dam, Kerala

Cheruthoni Dam, Kerala
Photo by http://www.kseb.in/, CC BY-SA 2.5 IN

This dam is located in Kerala and is a concrete gravity kind of dam. Cheruthoni Dam provides a multitude of experience types for tourists. It has Idukki close by, a spot on top of hills where you can go for a daytime brunch or outdoor picnic or watch the panoramic vista from the top which is very high. It also has wildlife reserves, exotic species of fauna that’s also a tourist attraction.

4. Mettur Dam, Tamil Nadu

Mettur Dam, Tamil Nadu
Nandhi statue & Jalagandeswarar temple deep inside dam, Photo (Cropped) by Emjgopi, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mettur Dam is a concrete dam and is one of the most remarkable and famous ones in India. Besides being a site for water conservation, power generation and irrigation help, it is also a site of natural beauty where you can rejuvenate yourself or indulge in photography. It is also the oldest of its kind in India, one of, and is located along the Kaveri banks.

5. Bisalpur Dam, Rajasthan

Bisalpur Dam, Rajasthan
Photo by Siddharth Tiwari, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bisalpur Dam is located in Rajasthan, so it must possess something that is very attractive to tourists- and it does! This dam is famous for providing on display a number of birds of many species that are natural visitors to it. It is located in Tonks, Rajasthan along the Banas River.

6. Maithon Dam, Jharkhand

Maithon Dam, Jharkhand
Photo by Jaiprakashsingh, CC BY-SA 3.0

Currently located in the Damodar Valley, it shares origins with prestigious projects like the DVC. Maithon Dam is a huge hit with tourists from West Bengal. It has tribal ethnicity on display and is a prominent power generator.

7. Koyna Dam, Maharashtra

Koyna Dam, Maharashtra
Photo by Nichalp, CC BY-SA 2.5

Located against the backdrop of majestic mountains and its beautiful indigenous lake, the Shivaji, Koyna Dam is one of the most beautiful spots and dams of India and is the largest of its kind in Maharashtra.

8. Rihand Dam, Uttar Pradesh

Rihand Dam, Uttar Pradesh
Photo by Kartik Tiwary, CC BY-SA 2.0

Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam in Sonbhadra of Uttar Pradesh. It is very important from storage points of view as it is part of the Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Project. It has amazing aerial views of both greenery and water bodies for photography and aestheticism.

9. Tungabhadra Dam, Karnataka

Tungabhadra Dam, Karnataka
Photo by Ashwin Kumar, CC BY-SA 2.0

Located along an offshoot of one of India’s most iconic rivers, the Krishna, Tungabhadra Dam is Earthen Gravity type and features a very cosmopolitan set of attractions- it has a garden that is Japanese in style and also a hill range nearby that produces melodious sound.

10. Bhavanisagar Dam, Tamil Nadu

Bhavanisagar Dam, Tamil Nadu
Photo by Pratheept2000, CC BY 3.0

With architecture that looks like ancient Greek buildings, Bhavanisagar Dam tops the list of a different kind- it is the grandest masonry dam on the planet. It is located off Coimbatore and is a major crowd puller.

India is an agricultural economy and as such, water goes hand in hand with development and production. Dams are central to this structure and nowadays, they are major tourist attractions too. Head over to one and return with stories to tell!

About Rohit

An architect by profession, Rohit Agarwal is a curious traveller, seeking out the minutest detail about the places he travels to, and that’s what one will find in his writings. His writings have appeared in various blogs, he’s currently trying to bring forth as many different places a traveller who shares the same level of curiosity like him would like to visit through his writings.

8 thoughts on “Top 10 Most Popular Dams in India”

  1. This is something Different I have seen online today, As being a nomad I love wandering places and Came across many Holiday Destination, but this is something which I need to add in my bucket list. Anyway thanks for sharing the such a wonderful article, really I was looking forward to visiting such places in India.

    Reply
  2. This article has really nice locations to visit in a holiday trip.

    Reply
  3. This article helps people who want to visit different places and enjoy the tour

    Reply
  4. Hello Team,

    It’s a good article for information purpose. Should have also listed more dams throughout India. Would have been more useful information. Most of the images are also clearly seen with loads of information in it.

    Keep the good work!

    Reply
  5. Very nice, informative article for all.

    Reply
  6. One most popular dam is missing Tehri Dam Uttarakhand

    Reply
  7. Sir apka ye submenu rectangular pattern mein show kaise hota hai मुझे bhi batado main bhi apne website ka submenu rectangular pattern mein show karwana chahta hoon

    Reply

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