Mathur Aqueduct – Kanyakumari
Mathur Aqueduct located in the Kalkulam Taluk of Kanyakumari District is one of the longest and highest aqueducts found in South Asia. Mathur Aqueduct also known as Mathur Hanging Trough is built over Pahrali (Parazhiyar) River.
Mathur Aqueduct was constructed in the year 1966 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Kamarajar as a drought relief measure and to provide irrigation facilities in the surrounding area (Vilavancode and Kalkulam Taluks). The bridge has been built at a total cost of around 13 lakhs.
Image Attribution : tshrinivasan
Description of Mathur Aqueduct
The tough bridge gets its name from a nearby village Mathur. The aqueduct carries water of the Pattanamkal canal for irrigation over the Pahrali, from one hill to another. The bridge is one-kilometer long and 115 feet high. The structure is supported by 28 huge pillars.
The trough structure is 7 feet high and 7.5 feet wide. It is partly concreted facilitating people to walk on the bridge and see the water flowing through the trough.
The aqueduct also has a flight of stairs making it easy to climb up to the trough.
Timings and Entry Fee details of Mathur Aqueduct
The aqueduct is open on all days from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The fee charged is as below:
| Entry Fee | Rs. 2/- |
| Parking Fee | Bike (Rs. 3/-), Car (Rs. 25/-), Van (Rs. 40/-), Bus (Rs. 60/-) |
| Camera | Still (Rs. 5/-), Video (Rs. 25/-) |
How to reach Mathur Aqueduct
Mathur Aqueduct has now improved to be a popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari District. It is about 60 kilometres from Kanyakumari and around 70 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram. If travelling by bus, one needs to take a bus to Nagercoil from Kanyakumari. From Nagercoil take a bus to Thuckalay and then finally to Mathoor.
Kulithurai Railway Station (15 kilometers away) and Kanyakumari Railway Station (around 53 kilometers away) are the nearest stations. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (about 70 kilometers away) is the nearest airport.