5 Beautiful Waterfalls In Karnataka
Jog Falls: River Sharavati rolls down to a depth of 930 feet to form this spectacular waterfall at Jog village in Shivamogga district. The river approaches the precipice, flowing over a rocky bed before taking a plunge in four distinct parts named Raja, Rani, Roarer, and Rocket. Raja takes a straight royal fall all the way down without any disturbance and discharges a heavy amount of water. Roarer rolls down a slope formed on the rock surface halfway down, making a large noise before taking a plunge for the second half of its journey down. Rocket shoots down rapidly, encountering slightly outstretched rock faces. Rani has a charm of its own as it cascades down casually and is the slowest of the four. This waterfall is a sight to behold when excess water is released from the dam upstream and a large amount of water forms more sections over the precipice in addition to the main four.
Gokak Falls: Formed by the River Ghataprabha, this waterfall is located on the outskirts of Gokak town in the Belagavi district. The river rapidly flows down a slightly sloped rocky bed and forms this waterfall, which is close to 180 feet in height. During the monsoon, when the discharge from the Hidkal dam upstream is high, the waterfall presents a beautiful sight, with the river stretching to the entire length of the fall, about 500 feet. A suspension bridge that is nearly a century old is built across the river just before it takes a plunge. Built to be used only by pedestrians, the narrow bridge offers one of the best views of the river gushing down and disappearing into the abyss. The nearly 500 feet bridge is an experience to remember when the rapidly flowing river vibrates the bridge and the gusting winds add more thrill. The river flows into a large valley. A 10th-century temple of Mahalingeshwara is located on the right bank of the waterfall.
Unchalli Falls: Located amidst the beautiful natural settings of the western ghats near Heggarani village in Uttara Kannada district, this waterfall is a great place to visit. It guarantees a complete excursion experience for the visitors, with nature, trekking, forest, and leisure all involved. This 400 feet waterfall is formed by the River Aghanashini, and the sheer speed the river picks up flowing down the slope before taking a plunge generates a thick foam that spirals upwards, often blocking the sight of the waterfall itself. The massive force of the large amount of water generates huge noise that reverberates through the narrow, closed valley. During the summer, when the water level is low, visitors can trek down to the base of the waterfall to view the rocky formations from very close.
Hogenakkal Falls: Located in the Chamarajanagar district of the state, about 150 kilometres from Bengaluru, this waterfall formed by the River Kaveri is one of the famous tourist destinations of the state. The large amount of water generates foam resembling smoke, hence the name Hogenakkal, which translates into Smoke over the Rocks. The river gushes into the narrow and small rocky valley from three sides, thus forming many waterfalls of varying sizes and providing a great visual treat. A coracle ride in the river offers a close-up view of these waterfalls.
Gaganachukki and Bharachukki Falls: Located at a place called Shimsa in the Chamarajanagar district of the state, these are twin waterfalls independently named Gaganachukki and Bharachukki. Located about 80 kilometres from Mysore, the waterfalls are formed by two streams of the River Kaveri that encircle an island. The left stream forms Gaganachukki, and the left one forms Bharachukki. Both waterfalls are best viewed during the monsoon months and a couple of months after the monsoon. Both waterfalls cascade over a widespread rocky ledge, with Gaganachukki attaining a maximum height of about 280 feet and Bharachukki at 225 feet. Though located about 600 metres apart, it takes a circuitous route of about 14 kilometres to reach one waterfall from the other.
