Vani Vilasa Sagara, popularly known as Mari Kanive is a dam in Hiriyur Taluk, Chitradurga District, in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Vani Vilasa Sagara dam is also the source of domestic water for Hiriyur, Hosadurga Chitradurga and Challakere.
The project was initiated by the regent Queen Maharani Kempa Nanjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana who was a widow of Maharaja Chamaraaja Wadiyar.
[2] Further improvements to the dam was initiated by Diwan Sheshadri Iyer in 1897[3] at the order of His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV.
[4][5] On September 2, 2022, milestone was reached after 89 years, when the dam was filled till brim at 130feet with inflow of over 3,000 cusecs.
Recently, though, the development work undertaken by the forest department to restore the nearby forest cover, and the 'panchavati' gardens - a garden of medicinal plants with the old Indian cultural theme has improved the tourist figures, making it a popular weekend picnic spot.