What to expect
Madurantakam Lake
One of the largest irrigation eris (tanks) in Tamil Nadu, built centuries ago and fed by the Palar and monsoon runoff. Its long earthen bund is tied to the Eri Katha Ramar temple legend. The wetland draws migratory waterbirds, complementing the nearby Vedanthangal and Karikili sanctuaries.
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Madurantakam Lake
Place
Practical guide
Plan Madurantakam Lake
Who's going?Tailor Madurantakam Lake to your trip
Typedam
Nearest baseMaduranthakam
DistrictChengalpattu
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Places to visit2→Madurantakam Lake is planned from Maduranthakam, one of the travel bases in Chengalpattu district. Use Maduranthakam for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.
Getting there
How to visit
- Base yourself in Maduranthakam or nearby in Chengalpattu, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
- If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Distance by road
- Chennai55 km
- Kanchipuram65 km
- Puducherry95 km
- Chengalpattu (town)30 km
- Vellore130 km
Road km to Chengalpattu; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
Weather in Madurantakam LakeSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Madurantakam Lake
Sunrise6:00 am
Sunset6:22 pm
Golden hour best light5:22 pm–6:22 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:22 pm–6:47 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 279°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 83%
South-west monsoon. June to September brings heavy rain to Tamil Nadu. Trails, falls and ghat roads can be slippery, swollen or closed at short notice, and forest departments sometimes suspend access. Check locally on the day before you travel.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Madurantakam Lake
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Madurantakam Lake — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
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Top experiences around Maduranthakam
One more place around Maduranthakam worth a day of its own.
templeKothandaramaswamy Temple (Eri Katha Ramar)
2.2 km · 28 min walk
A Rama temple beside the vast Madurantakam tank, famed for the legend of 'Eri Katha Ramar', the Rama who saved the lake. British collector Colonel Lionel Place recorded that during a threatening flood in the early 1800s, two figures in bright attire were seen guarding the bund, which held. He credited the miracle to Rama and endowed the temple.
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Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Madurantakam Lake — at a glance
TimingsOpen daylight hours
Best timeNovember to February for migratory birdlife
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Madurantakam Lake
Beside Madurantakam town on NH45; Madurantakam railhead on the Chennai-Villupuram line, about 80 km from Chennai airport
Getting around Madurantakam Lake
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Madurantakam Lake
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Madurantakam Lake
On the map
Where Madurantakam Lake is
Good to know
Madurantakam Lake — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Madurantakam Lake?
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
What are the entry fee and timings at Madurantakam Lake?
Entry: Free. Timings: Open daylight hours.
How do I reach Madurantakam Lake?
Base yourself in Maduranthakam or nearby in Chengalpattu, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
How much time do I need for Madurantakam Lake?
About an hour.
What else is near Madurantakam Lake?
Nearby you can pair Kothandaramaswamy Temple (Eri Katha Ramar) (2.2 km), Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (7.0 km), Robert Clive's Garden House (7.0 km), Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Temple (9.5 km).
Read before you go
Madurantakam Lake guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Madurantakam Lake itself yet. These cover Maduranthakam, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.
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