The Lakshmana Tirtha (Lakshmantīrtha River) is a river of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency It rises in

Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies ...

district and flows eastward. It joins the

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri (hill), Karnataka, Brahmagiri range in th ...

in the

Krishna Raja Sagara Krishna Raja Sagara, also popularly known as KRS, is a lake and the dam that creates it. They are close to the settlement of Krishna Raja Sagara in the Indian State of Karnataka. The gravity dam made of ''surki'' mortar is below the confluence o ...

lake. The river originates at a height of 1450 metres in the Brahmagiri range of Kodagu district. Unlike

, Lakshmana Tirtha flows in relatively flat-terrain region of south coorg. Increase in the water level during

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

, results in flooding of adjacent paddy fields. The river meanders throughout its course and enters Mysore district through

Nagarahole National Park Nagarahole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India. This park was declared the 37th Tiger Reserve of India in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Western Ghats Nilg ...

Hunsur Hunsur is a city in Mysore district in the States and territories of India, Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Hunsur Taluk administrative division. Geography Hunsur is located at . Hunsur is situated on the western sid ...

is located on the banks of this river and is the source of drinking water for the people of Hunsur. The river finally meets Kaveri at

reservoir at an elevation of 750 metres above MSL, after traversing a length of about 210 kilometres.

Threats

* The river generally runs dry few months after monsoon, due to ground water depletion and its constant exposure to direct sunlight and lack of shade from coffee estate;privilage that Kaveri enjoys during its course in Kodagu. * Pollution of its tributaries is a major concern. Waste is dumped into steams of Kuranthoad flowing near

Ponnampet Ponnampet is a town which is also the taluk headquarters of Ponnampet taluk which is in the southern part of the district of Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. ...

and

Gonikoppal Gonikoppal is a census town in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Demographics According to 2011 census,Gonikoppal had a population of 8,306. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Gonikoppal has an average li ...

. Coffee wastewater from de-pulping coffee cherries is also a serious threat to the river. *

Illegal sand mining Sand theft or unauthorised or illegal sand mining leads to a widely unknown global example of natural and non-renewable resource depletion problem comparable in extent to global water scarcity. Beach theft is illegal removal of large quantities ...

has been a major headache for the district administration.

Notes

Rivers of Karnataka Tributaries of the Kaveri River Geography of Mandya district Geography of Kodagu district Rivers of India {{India-river-stub