Vaigai Dam, Hydroelectric dam in Andipatti, Tamil Nadu, India

Vaigai Dam is a concrete dam across the Vaigai River near Andipatti in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. It stands 111 feet high and can store water up to 71 feet, with a total capacity of 6,143 million cubic feet. Its face is divided into tall vertical sections by thick pillars, with water streaming down in thin sheets; a flat deck with metal railing and lamps runs along the top, and a small square tower with a pitched roof stands at the left end.

Vaigai Dam was inaugurated on 21 January 1959 by K. Kamaraj, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. It was built across the Vaigai River near Andipatti without the support of flanking mountains, so it relies entirely on its own concrete strength. It now supplies irrigation water to Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram districts, and drinking water to Theni, Madurai and Ramanathapuram.

The parks flanking the dam are maintained by the Water Resources Department, with a small bridge in front of the dam linking the two sides. A children's play area sits within the grounds, and a mini train runs around part of the park past a few caves. A musical dancing fountain operates between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM on weekends and government holidays.

The dam lies 9 km from Andipatti, 14 km from Theni and 70 km from Madurai by road; the nearest railway station is Andipatti, 10 km away, and Madurai Airport is 80 km off. A park with a children's play area sits on both banks, linked by a small bridge in front of the dam. The musical fountain runs 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekends and government holidays. Entry into the hydroelectric plant is not permitted.

The dam is one of the few in the region not built between two mountains, so it relies entirely on its concrete strength to hold back the Vaigai. Near it, the Tamil Nadu government runs an Agricultural Research Station studying rice, sorghum, black gram, cowpea and cotton.