Thamirabarani River

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Thamirabarani Tamraparni, Porunai
River Thamirabarani from Authoor Bridge in Thoothukudi district
Location
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi
Cities	Tirunelveli
Physical characteristics
Source	Pothigai hills
• coordinates	8°36′07″N 77°15′51″E / 8.601962°N 77.264131°E / 8.601962; 77.264131
Mouth
• location	Gulf of Mannar
• coordinates	8°38′29″N 78°07′38″E / 8.641316°N 78.127298°E / 8.641316; 78.127298
Length	128 km (80 mi)
Discharge
• location	Srivaikundam[1]
• average	32 m3/s (1,100 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Karaiyar, Servalar, Gadananathi, Chittar River
• right	Manimutharu, Pachaiyar

The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk.^[2] It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India into the Gulf of Mannar. It was called the Tamraparni River in the pre-classical period, a name it lent to the island of Sri Lanka. The old Tamil name of the river is Porunai. From the source to sea, the river is about 128 kilometres (80 mi) long and is the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu. This river flows towards north direction initially. However, it changes to east direction later.