One of the highest arch dams in all of Asia, the Idukki Arch Dam is a parabolic marvel that stands 550ft tall and is spread across 650ft. Located in the Idukki district, the dam stands between two mountains called the Kuravanmala and the Kurathimala. The dam supports a 780 MW hydroelectric power station and is owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board.  

The Idukki Hydroelectric Project is the largest of its kind in God’s Own Country and the third highest in India after the Bhakra Nangal Dam in Himachal Pradesh and the Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand. Located near the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, the dam is a majestic structure to behold. It was W H John who envisioned the possibility of constructing a dam at Idukki for power generation and submitted a report to the Government of Travancore recommending the same in the year 1932. The project was then commissioned by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi in 1976. It took a total of 220 lakh man days to complete the project as well as an amount of  Rs. 107.5 crores. The entire dam was built and managed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). 

The Idukki reservoir has a total capacity of a whopping 2 billion tons which is formed by the rivers Periyar and Cheruthoni. It is three dams that help hold the water in the reservoir - Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu. While the Cheruthoni and Kulamavu dams located at the lower part of the reservoir help Chanel the water to the powerhouse, it is the Idukki Dam that stores the water. An underground station located at Moolamattam is where the power is generated. The powerhouse is built in a space carved out of a massive granite. The Idukki project has led to a steep rise in the generation of power in the state. If in 1975 the total power generated was 560 MW, the Idukki project alone could generate 780 MW.

The core area of the Idukki Dam project the Kuravan and Kurathi hills were introduced to John by Chemban Kolumban who was a member of the local Oorali tribe. The wide knowledge Kolumban possessed about the dense forests became invaluable to the engineers in charge. He then became the trusted accomplice of the engineers who came for site inspection. To date, there stands a memorial to Kolumban at the site of the world renowned Idukki Dam.

The legend of the Kuravan and Kurathi Hills is in itself quite interesting. Local folklore says that Kuravan and Kurathi were two locals who were turned into stone by Lord Rama for they saw his consort Sita bathing in the river. The two begged for forgiveness as they had never been apart before. As a blessing, Lord Rama assured them that they would remain together and put the said stone mountains on either side of the Periyar River. 

The river, the artificial lake formed by the dams, the surrounding natural beauty, the facilities available for taking boat rides on the waters of the reservoir, the magnificent sight of the dam all make for an unforgettable experience for visitors to the dam. 

Visiting Time: 10:00 A.M. - 05:30 P.M.