Banasura Dam is the largest earth dam in India and the second largest in Asia built across Karamanathodu river, a tributary of the Kabini River. It was built in 1979 as a part of Banasurasagar project. The main motive behind this dam project was to help the public during the dry seasons for irrigation and drinking water requirements and also to support the Kakkayam Hydro electric power project.

The one who visits Wayanad would never skip this location, as Banasura dam is around 21 Km away from Kalpetta. This dam is not just popular for its construction with massive pile of boulders and stones, but also for the trekking experience its gives to the tourists those who visits the dam.

Banasura Dam is located at the foot of Banasura Hills, the third largest peak in the Western Ghats. The dam was named after Banasura, son of king Mahabali, a renowned ruler in Kerala. For the one who sees the dam, what really strikes their eyes will be the islands in the reservoir and the Banasura Hills as its background. It is said that these set of islands were formed during monsoon season as the rain water submerged the surrounding areas in the reservoir.

No dam visit is complete without enjoying a boat ride in the dam. So don’t miss out the opportunity to explore the prime spots in Banasura Dam which are only visible when you take a speed boat ride. You have both speed boat and pedal boat here. A small nature park is also there near to this boating place, which definitely can bring in some cheerful moments to your picnic. If you are to visit this place we would suggest you to visit them during November to May time. During our last visit they were under renovation works for Solar panel erection. But by August 2016 they completed the project and installed around 1,760 solar panels on top of the dam, each with a capacity of 255 watt. It is said that with this solar panels they can nearly generate five lakh units of power a year.

Image Source: Facebook, Image Courtesy: Prasanth Sasidharan, Abhijith Koovatty?, Arif Edk, Shahzad CK?, VR Krishnankutty