Shivanasamudra was the very first weekend getaway I did on moving to Bangalore, on the recommendation of several people. It is that popular! Shivanasamudra literally means “Shiva’s Sea” and the force of water here totally justifies the name. It is an island town, created by the splitting of the river Kaveri, where it falls off huge cliffs at majorly two separate spots, giving rise to the two waterfall zones - Gaganchukki and Barachukki. The best time to visit is during the monsoon, since the waterfalls run full then.

Duration and Time of Visit

1 day
September end

To and From

Itinerary

• It was a pleasant, cloudy Sunday morning - perfect for a roadtrip. Before it could take a turn for the worse, we left Bangalore, off to Shivanasamudra
  • We stopped in between for breakfast at a tiny South Indian dhaba which served the biggest idlis I have ever seen in my life!
  • It was a lovely drive - the road and the weather, both favourable

• First came the Gaganchukki Falls. We parked and walked to the view point
  • The Gaganachukki Falls are shaped like a huge horsetail. There are numerous streams of water falling steeply and vigorously from a height of ~98m. The access to the waterfall is restricted and hence can only be enjoyed from the view point, which has a strategically placed bench, giving a great balcony view!
  • Since monsoon was past us, the waterfall was not as grand as the pictures we had seen. But as someone coming here for the first time, we were definitely impressed, vowing to come back during the monsoon
  • We spent about an hour here, enjoying the view, the weather and the music, before leaving for the Barachukki Falls, which are just 15 minutes away

Zoomed-in images

• We stopped at the Wesley Bridge, which is midway to the Barachukki Falls
  • It is a stone bridge built in 1799 by Colonel Arthur Wellesley. I love old architecture - it gives a peek into the world that existed not so long back. A part of the bridge from between has now been washed away though
  • We sat at the river for a while - the solitude was a welcome break from the crowd at the waterfalls

• Just before the Barachukki Falls, we took a left turn for the Dargah of Hazrath Mardane Gaib, which took us to the Dargah View Point
  • This spot provides an upstream view of the Gaganchukki Falls, before it takes the plunge down the cliff. This is a lesser known spot and hence attracts very few people. We spent a good relaxing time here, before continuing
• And just down the road from there are the beautiful Barachukki Falls
  • The segmented Barachukki Falls is more spread out than its earlier twin. Here the Kaveri river flows down the ~70m cliff in a series of mini-waterfalls. Again, only if we had come during the monsoon!
  • Till some years back, a coracle (a small round boat made of bamboo and wood) could take you close to the waterfall and people were also allowed to go into the shallow waters. But due to some fatal accidents, both have been banned now

• We had a heavy meal at Hotel Maurya and then on our way back to Bangalore, to our pleasant surprise, found a Reservoir which was totally empty
  • The evening sky, the calm water, and the empty banks were too inviting to miss and we complied. 30 minutes later, we were back on the road

Major Expenses

• Self-drive rental car: ~Rs. 2,700 (including fuel)
• Food and drinks
• Entrance and parking at both the waterfalls are free of cost

Summary of Things To Do

Things we did:

• Gaganchukki Falls
• Wesley Bridge
• Dargah View Point
• Barachukki Falls
• Lunch at Hotel Maurya
• Reservoir

Things we didn’t do:

• Shivanasamudra Hydro-Electric Power Station: I hear that one can visit it by obtaining special permission through Karnataka Power Corporation. Travelling in British built winch lift would be a unique experience
• Talakadu: a desert-like town located on the banks of Kaveri, famous for its temples, ~35kms from Shivanasamudra
• Somnathpur: a small village situated on the banks Kaveri, boasting of grand monuments dating back to the Hoysala period, ~45kms away
• Channapatna: a small town famous for wooden toys and lacquerware, located on the same route
• Sri Ranganathaswamy Temples: Two of the three popular Ranganathaswamy Temples of South India are located nearby

Tips and Resources

• Carry a few things to eat as there are not many good quality restaurants in the area, and it will most likely be a long day
• If you are the type who doesn’t realise how much time has gone by at a spot, you will definitely get delayed, since all the spots are magnificent. Hence, factor in some extra time for the trip