With steady inflow from Coorg owing to pouring rains, KRS is now full, and there is plenty of water flowing down in Kaveri. Hoping that this is the right time, I decided to make a quick day trip to Shivanasamudra. There indeed was plenty of water and we had a great time. Even though we started as early as 6am, we had no intention to reach the falls – 120km away, before 3pm. We stopped often along the way and drove easy. The stop-overs were breakfast at Kamat Lokaruchi, rocky terrains of Ramnagar and some lakes after Maddur. We decided to take a deviation to Talkad before heading to Shivanasamudra. Some photos..

on the way… building a hay stack..

a cart in the field..

every one seemed to be working with hay..

Life sprouting on a dry lake bed

Bharachukki falls with full strength

A section of Gaganachukki

Another section of Gaganachukki

And another section of Gaganachukki..

More information

* More about Shivanasamudra and how to get there
* More about Talkad
* Other places on the bank of Kaveri
* More weekend getaways from Bangalore

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Join us on a photography day outing to Melukote on Saturday of Feb 4th, 2012. See details – photography in Melukote.

Some time back, I spent a week compiling places with water (rivers, waterfalls,..) that one can visit from Bangalore for picnic or as a day trip. This frequently updated list has now grown into a comprehensive collection of weekend destinations around Bangalore.

DAY-TRIP, LEISURE, PICNIC

1. Muthyala Maduvu or pearl valley
2. A morning in Nandi Hills
3. Muthathi
4. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
5. Sangama, Mekedatu and Chunchi falls
6. Shivanasamudra – Gaganachukki and Bharachukki waterfalls
7. Talkad
8. Balmuri Falls
9. Hogenakkal
10. KRS dam and Brindavan gardens
11. Melukote
12. Manchanabele
13. Devarayanadurga
14. Madhugiri Fort
15. Mysore Palace

TREKKING

1. Hiking in Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
2. Trekking on the railway tracks to Yedakumari between Sakaleshapura and Subrahmanya
3. Bandipur National Park
4. Thadiyandamol in Coorg

NATURE, WILDLIFE

1. Driving to Coorg
2. Driving in rain: Jog falls, Karwar, Kali and Goa
3. Mullayyanagiri and Charmadi, Chickmagalur, in the monsoon
4. Bandipur National Park
5. Bhadra wildlife Sanctuary: Muthodi
6. A birding trip to Wayanad, Kerala
7. Dandeli: Wilderness and adventure
8. Ride to Kasaragod via Coorg

LEISURE, HISTORY, CULTURE AND MORE

1. Driving from Bangalore to Goa via Jog and Murdeshwara
2. Hampi
3. Belur and Halebeedu
4. Melukote
5. Gokarna
6. Badami and Banashankari
7. Aihole
8. Pattadakal
9. Mahakoota
10. Lepakshi

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• KRS – Krishnarajasagar Dam and Brindavan Gardens
• Balmuri Falls
• Talkad
• Shivanasamudra – Gaganachukki and Bharachukki
• Sangama, Mekedatu and Chunchi Falls

KRS is the largest dam built on the river Kaveri in Karnataka. It is around 130km from Bangalore. It was built in pre-independence time by famous diwan of the then Maharaja of Mysore – Sir M Visvesvraya who is well known for engineering many more such large scale projects. The reservoir of the dam looks endless and seems to have oceanic proportions. The wall of the dam is several kilometers long. Just besides the dam is the well known scenic garden – Brindavan Gardens. It has numerous fountains that it is known for. The best attraction is the musical fountain which attracts a lot of people during the weekends.

Also see: Places around Bangalore on the bank of kaveri

Information

Krishnaraja Sagar dam is close to Ranganathittu and Srirangapattna. A trip to KRS can be combined together with a visit to Ranganathittu. Take Mysore road from Bangalore and drive for around 100kms till you reach Srirangapattna. Drive further on the highway for a few more minutes and turn right. This is the same road that takes you to Ranganathittu. Continue driving here for 10 minutes and you will see a right turn to KRS which is further 10 minutes drive from here. Best time to visit would be Sunday evening to view the musical fountains. You can start on Sunday morning and visit Ranganathittu, come back to Srirangapattna and visit Tippu’s grave and Sangama, and then go to KRS in the evening and return to Bangalore.

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Related Posts

• Places around bangalore – riverside picnic, day trips, drives, weekend travel, treks, lesirue destinations and more
• Balmuri Falls
• Talkad
• Shivanasamudra – Gaganachukki and Bharachukki
• Sangama, Mekedatu and Chunchi Falls

Also see: Places around Bangalore on the bank of kaveri

You get the feel of the river running nearby when you enter the sanctuary enclosing Hogenakal waterfall. Suddenly, there is plenty of vegetation and little habitation, the road keeps going down and down into the valley indicating the probability of finding a river. A 15 minute of quite drive into the forest leads you to a busy and noisy village(or call it a marketplace) or Hogenakkal.

The real action begins with the boatmen, even before you get to see the waterfall. You realize that you need a coracle to go there, and approach the boatmen expecting to pay may be a 20, 30 or 50 rupees. You would be in for a big surprised when they ask you for a 500! Heavy bargaining can bring it down considerably but they are pretty smart businessmen and they know you wont go back easily after coming this far!

This is another big waterfall on the Kaveri river after Shivanasamudra. Though not as high as the earlier one, it is equally magnificent, with the river falling into a narrow gorge in several bursts of water. There is no wide open space where you can stand and watch the fall; you need to hire a coracle and get right into the gorge to be able to see it. The boatmen can take you really close to the falling water, sometimes to make the water splash into you if you wish. River here is only a little wider than Mekedatu but much mellow, flows through a narrow channel surrounded by rocks on both sides which are carved into strange shapes by the river. Boatmen say water is probably a 100 feet deep here. The channel looks lovely and the rocks look as if they were carved by an artist!

Another attraction are local kids who can show you their diving skills, for a fee. They can dive for you from a height of around 30 feet into the water and climb straight up back on the rocks in no time, all for mere Rs.5 from the spectator. There is competition within them and you may be offered a discount! A little downstream to the river is a wide plane where day trippers and picnic crowd spend most of their time, but you don’t really find a good shelter anywhere there. Men can attempt a massage offered by the local masseur but is best avoided.

Hogenakal Information

Hogenakal is around 150km from Bangalore. You need to take Hosur road and drive through Hosur and Krishnagiri, turn left after Krishnagiri and reach Dharmapuri. Drive into Dharmapuri and ask for directions to the fall. Another 30km drive takes you to Hogenakal. Roads are pretty good till Dharmapuri and then will slow you down a bit. Expect a two and a half hour journey. No food or accommodation available at the location and it is good to pack your lunch before you start. Starting early from Bangalore helps, as it can get really sunny as the day goes.

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Related Posts

• Sangama, Mekedatu and Chunchi Falls
• Shivanasamudra – Gaganachukki and Bharachukki
• Places around bangalore – riverside picnic, day trips, drives, weekend travel, treks, lesirue destinations and more
• KRS – Krishnarajasagar Dam and Brindavan Gardens
• Balmuri Falls