Overview
The Kaveri, anglicised as Cauvery and also known as Ponni, is a major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after the Godavari and the Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin is estimated to be 81,155 km² and encompasses the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, along with the union territory of Puducherry.
The river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, at an elevation of 1,341 m in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. It flows for about 320 km through the Deccan Plateau in Karnataka before entering Tamil Nadu, where it continues eastward for 416 km before draining into the Bay of Bengal near Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district. The total length of the river is about 800 km. Its major tributaries include the Amaravati, Arkavati, Bhavani, Harangi, Hemavati, Kabini, Lakshmana Tirtha, Shimsha and Noyyal.
A number of dams along the Kaveri form part of an extensive irrigation system and are also used for the generation of hydroelectric power. The river has supported agriculture for centuries and served as the lifeline of several kingdoms in the past. The Kaveri basin is a densely populated region, with several towns and cities located on its banks. Access to the river's waters has been a long-standing matter of dispute between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In the religious traditions of Southern India, the Kaveri is regarded as sacred and is counted among the seven holy rivers of India. The river is often personified and worshipped as the goddess Kaveri, and is mentioned in various Hindu texts, including the Mahabharata and the Puranas. In ancient Tamil literature, it is referred to as Ponni, meaning "the golden one".
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on the Kaveri river.