The Magnificent Shivanasamudra Falls

Shivanasamudra or Sivasamudram is a breathtaking waterfall located in Mandya district of Karnataka. Shivanasamudra falls literally means Shiva's Sea and is surrounded by deep forests of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. Also known as Bluff, Shivanasamudra is the second largest fall in India and also one of the best waterfalls near Bangalore. It has been ranked 45th waterfalls among the world’s best 100 waterfalls. It is one of the popular waterfalls in Mysore and also one of best one day trip from Bangalore.

Formed by Cauvery River, Shivanasamudra is a segmented waterfall with several parallel streams formed adjacent to each other. The island town of Shivanasamudra divides the river Cauvery into two different falls, one is Gaganachukki and the other is Bharachukki. Gaganachukki and Barachukki Falls are collectively called as Shivanasamudra Falls though Gaganachukki is most commonly represented as Shivanasamudra Falls. The falls offers breathtaking sight in the peak monsoons. It is one of the most visited tourist places in Karnataka.

Gaganachukki is a huge horsetail shaped waterfall dropping from a height of 90 m and two large parallel streams that cascade down through a rocky bed from a height of over 320 feet. The currents here are quite strong and the gorge is quite deep. So, swimming is not permitted here. There is a watch tower offering a spectacular view of the waterfall. A Dargah close to the falls also provides the beautiful view of the falls. It is home to Asia’s first Hydro-electric Power station, which was set up in the year 1902. This is one of the oldest power generating station in India and the electricity produced here was initially used in the Kolar Gold Fields.

Situated at distance of 1 km from the Gaganachukki, Bharachukki is little wider and most popular than its counterpart. It cascades down from a height of 70 m forming several streams through the wide rocky formations establishing superb natural beauty. There is a narrow trail of stairs carved through rocks that go down till the bottom of the fall from the Dargah. The key attraction of Bharachukki waterfall is the coracle ride which takes till the mouth of the massive water fall. It also has a section of waterfall where the water flows less in volume and is an ideal spot to play and enjoy a bath under the waterfall in this area.

Though geographically both the falls are adjacent, the viewpoints of these falls are about 15 km away. The Gaganachukki waterfalls are best viewed from the Shivanasamudra watch tower. There is another approach to the Gaganachukki falls from the Dargah Hazrath Mardane Gaib which provides the best view of the right branch of the falls. Reaching the bottom of the waterfall from the watch tower side is not possible as the area is fenced and no one is allowed to go near the water.

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple located at Shivanasamudra is built in the Dravidian style of architecture. The deity here is popularly referred to as "Madhya Ranga", who is highly revered by Sri Vaishanava devotees among others. Fondly called as Mohana Ranga, the deity is believed to represent the youth form of the God. The ancient Sri Someshwara Temple is another famous temple situated at Shivanasamudra. There is also a temple of Vanadurga Devi which is about 1 km from the Someshwara temple.

Monsoon is the best season to visit this place as the falls looks gorgeous in its full swing. These waterfalls and surrounding hills fall into Cauvery Wild life sanctuary which provides a wide opportunity of excursion, trekking in the forest, rock climbing, bird watching, fishing and other activities for naturalists.

He is an travel blogger by passion. He is also a travel and food lover.