Manalar Dam

Manalar Dam is a small reservoir dam located in the Meghamalai hills of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, within the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. Built across the Manalar River, it stores water for irrigation and is surrounded by tea and cardamom plantations, dense forests and rolling hills of the Western Ghats. The dam is noted for its scenic setting, calm waters and views of the High Wavy Mountains, attracting nature lovers and photographers visiting Meghamalai.

Visitors can expect a calm reservoir set amid forested hills and plantation landscapes of the Western Ghats. The dam offers open water views, surrounding tea and cardamom estates, and forested slopes of the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a viewpoint area for sightseeing and photography. The setting is quiet and natural, with opportunities for nature walks and birdwatching. Facilities are basic and the area is accessed via winding ghat roads through forest check posts.

Constructed across the Manalar River in the Meghamalai hills to provide irrigation and water storage for agricultural areas in the Theni foothills, the dam later became a notable landscape feature within the Meghamalai forest region of the Western Ghats.