Drifter's Diary

Balligavi Kedareshwara

2012-01-27T18:30:00.000+05:30

Balligavi was a great cultural and learning center. It wasone of the capitals of Western Chalukyas. Therich antiquity of this place was the reason for it being labeled as the capitalof ancient cities.

Highlights:

Trikuta Style Temple facing east with Shivalingas in west and south cells and an idol of Vishnu in the north cell.
Sabhamantapa consists of 44 classy pillars.
The Shivalinga in the main sanctum was consecrated by Western Chalukyas and the temple in Trikuta style was completed in the year 1056 by Hoysalas (to be verified).
Life sized Nandi statue.

Bottom Line: Quiet a number of famous personalities ofancient Karnataka have Balligavi in their resume as the birthplace. FamousKannada Vachana poet Allama Prabhu who lived during 12^th century wasbelieved to be born here so are the equally famous and celebrated sculptures ofHoysala times Dasoja, Malloja, Nadoja and Siddoja. Shantala Devi, theenchanting queen of Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana was also born here.

Bagali Kalleshwara

2012-01-23T14:39:00.008+05:30

Visited the Kalleshwara temple at Bagali about 4 years back. Since then it has been a desire and longing to visit this temple again. Exquisite craft work combined with rich decorative pillars and doors make it one of the finest temple in Kisukadu, as ancient Karnataka was known. The temple is a fine example of Western Chalukyan art.

Superbly Carved Antarala Dwara

Fine Carvings of Trimurthis above the Gajalakshmi Motif

The fully decorated Saptashakha style Dwara of Navaranga with Dwarapalakas

The Super Pillars - Each with a style of its own!

As The Nandi sees...

Highlights:

Majority of the temple was constructed in the year 1118 during the reign of Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI.
Sanctum is in Rashtrakoota style, Navaranga and Sabhamantapa are in Western Chalukya style and Shikhara is in Viajyanagara style.
Shivalinga in the main sanctum facing east.
A magnificent sculpture of Ugranarasimha made of shining black stone sits in another sanctum facing south.
Sabhamantapa has 64 uniquely carved pillars. Each pillar differs from the other.
Navaranga has a separate entrance, whose door is full of top quality craftsmanship.
Temple has 2 Nandi statues – One in Navaranga and another in Sabhamantapa.
Temple has many nice erotic sculptures on its outer wall and for this reason the temple is also known as Khajuraho of Karnataka!

High Quality Carvings on the second entrance to Navaranga

41 stones with inscription have been found in Bagali. 36 of these inscriptions were found in this temple alone, out of which 12 belong to Vikramaditya’s 51 year rule. The village was then known as 'Balguli'. According to an inscription dated 1194 this place was one of the capitals of Hoysala King Veera Ballala II.

Eroticaaaaaa...........

Bottom Line: That sculpture depicting Ugranarsimha splitting open Hiranyakashipu’s stomachwith Prahlada and Narada watching is a masterpiece. Thesurface is so smooth and shiny that even a dust particle would slide down and I am not exaggerating. The ASI staff at any cost would not allow to take the photo of this outstanding creation of art. Photos of such magnificent creations, even if WE manage to get, it is our responsibility not to publish them anywhere.

December 2011 Calender

2011-12-02T09:06:00.001+05:30

Enjoy the last month of 2011.

November 2011 Calender

2011-11-01T10:53:00.002+05:30

Today is 'Karnataka Rajyotsava' i.e. Karnataka Day. Enjoy the month of November.

October 2011 Calender

2011-10-01T09:18:00.001+05:30

September 2011 Calender

2011-09-03T22:28:00.002+05:30

August 2011 Calender

2011-08-01T00:16:00.002+05:30

July 2011 Calender

2011-07-01T08:00:00.003+05:30

Enjoy the month of July

June 2011 Calender

2011-06-01T08:28:00.006+05:30

Colours!

May 2011 Calender

2011-05-03T17:54:00.002+05:30

Enjoy the Sun!

April 2011 Calender

2011-04-01T21:39:00.002+05:30

Wish you all a serene month of April. Find some cool amidst the heat.

March 2011 Calender

2011-03-01T09:16:00.002+05:30

February 2011 Calender

2011-01-31T18:58:00.005+05:30

Enjoy a great month of February

January 2011 Calender

2011-01-01T01:30:00.003+05:30

Let the year kickstart with good omen and fortune for all of you. Wish you all a great year.

December 2010 Calender

2010-12-01T09:11:00.003+05:30

Enjoy the last month of 2010. Let the year end on a positive note for all. Travel and see the world.

November 2010 Calender

2010-11-02T09:44:00.004+05:30

Wish you all a great travel heavy month of November.

October 2010 Calender

2010-10-01T00:03:00.001+05:30

Wish you all a great month of October 2010. Travel and Enjoy.

September 2010 Calender

2010-09-01T01:04:00.004+05:30

For the third consecutive year I was not able to trek in the month of rain - August. The rains were average this year. Hope all of you enjoyed monsoon and tried monsoon treks.

August 2010 Calender

2010-08-01T00:34:00.003+05:30

July was great. After eight months did some trekking. That too on all weekends of July. Hope August brings in more rains. Let the waterfalls white up the forests, valleys and hills.

July 2010 Calender

2010-07-01T09:28:00.002+05:30

Wish you all a rainy month of July. Get set and wet.

June 2010 Calender

2010-06-01T12:33:00.002+05:30

Friends, let June bring some respite from the hot hot May. Where are these rains? Have a great month of June.

May 2010 Calender

2010-05-01T10:06:00.002+05:30

Previous month was hot and humid. Towards the end of month there was some rain. There were no treks. But plenty of traveling towards historic places. Above photo is of one such beautiful place. Enjoy the month of May.

April 2010 Calender

2010-04-01T08:06:00.002+05:30

New financial year starts. Year end rush at accounts and reports and targets was a chaos. Have a great month of April.

March 2010 Calender

2010-03-01T08:05:00.002+05:30

There has not been much travel of late. Nonetheless have a great year ending month of March.

February 2010 Calender

2010-02-01T13:29:00.003+05:30

Have a great month of February 2010.

January 2010 Calender

2010-01-01T01:00:00.003+05:30

Fly out this year. Travel more and more. Add wings to all your travel plans and fly out to those destinations. Have a great and fabulous 2010. Safe travel. Happy travel. Wish you all a great year of 2010.

December 2009 Calender

2009-12-07T18:50:00.004+05:30

Finish the year in great health, so that you can trek more next year! Have a great last month of 2009. I am awfully late this month. Apologies.

November 2009 Calender

2009-11-02T08:10:00.001+05:30

I am late by one day this month. Apologies for that. Have a great month of November.

The Viewpoint

2009-10-17T20:52:00.006+05:30

Been to this viewpoint many times. Lovely spot. Great Sight. Enjoyed every visit. Nature is a still model. One for whom we need not pay anything and just go on clicking as much as we want. Thats what I do. Enjoy the photos.

October 2009 Calender

2009-10-01T23:14:00.001+05:30

Have a great month of October. Travel.Masti.Health.

Braganza Waterfall!

2009-09-11T22:59:00.014+05:30

Funny name for a waterfall, isn't it? Infact its the name given by us to a very small waterfall of height 20ft falling just by the side of the railway track connecting Goa and Karnataka.

Though I dislike trekking on railway track, I was requested to join this trek by those people to whom I could not say no. Did enjoy the waterfall part of the trek. Walking on tracks was as torturous as always.

The railway line was built by a British Officer named Braganza and in recognition of his dedication and awesome engineering skill the ghat is named after him. The station on the Karnataka side is curiously named 'Castlerock'.

There is a small and unofficial story behind this 'Castlerock' name. Two of the first 3 tunnels ( may be 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd or 1st and 3rd : I fail to recall it 100%) towards Goa have an entrance where a 'Castle' like structure has been constructed (same structure exists at exits from these tunnels as well).

And immediately after these 3 tunnels on the valley side of the track a large rock makes up a great sight. The thick forest cover around gives a prominent view to this rock.

After the construction of the railway line, a name had to be given to the station, which the British also planned to use as a stockyard for food items imported from England. There was no previous name for this place nor anybody knew anything about the place. The area was densely forested except the railway line. Hence due to the presence of the 'Castles' and the 'Rock', the name 'Castlerock' was given to this station. And the name just got stuck like a glue!

The revenue office of the British was said to be here at Castlerock. One can still see the remains of 2 huge stockyards by the side of the railway tracks where food and grains were stored by British. Castlerock was also a favourite Tiger hunting spot for the British. It is amazing that the place is still calm and serene. Just the freight trains and the occassional Passenger trains make a noise. Apart from that the place is absolutely quiet like dead!

The water flowing down from Braganza falls is connected via pipeline to couple of drinking water points for the benefit of Gangmen on duty. Surprisingly the waterfall has an arch built infront of it! The arch and the waterfall present a lovely sight if seen from across the railway track.

September 2009 Calender

2009-09-01T08:07:00.004+05:30

Wishing you all a great month of September. More Travel. More fun. More happiness. Chill out with nature.

State Level Programme by Udupi YHAI

2009-08-12T11:30:00.005+05:30

Friends at Udupi YHAI are organising a 2 nights, 3 days Island Expedition Programme on October 30, 31 and Noveber 1 of 2009.

Interested people can contact the numbers given in the brochure.

NO SPOT ADMISSION and REGISTRATION ON FIRST COME FIRST BASIS.

Gokak Falls

2009-08-02T20:28:00.007+05:30

Located 4kms from Gokak town, this waterfall is active when excess water is released from the Hidkal dam built upstream across Ghataprabha river. The waterfall is in a very open place hence, though it creates noise one can not help but feel that there is no thundering noise like any other waterfall of this magnitude.

Gokak Falls is over 350ft height and about 150ft in width and the sight is one to behold. The water is muddy most of the time during rains as the river gushes down from the dam to the falls and then peripherals Gokak town to flow further towards Bagalkot District where it joins Krishna River. The river originates in the mountains bordering Karnataka and Goa at Khanapur Taluk in Belagavi District.

There is an old hanging bridge built by British across the river just above the waterfall exclusively built for the benefit of the villagers who were working in the Cotton Mill. The bridge has withstood the traverse of time and is still being used by people. It is indeed an awesome experience walking across this bridge with water gushing just below and plumetting to a great depth just ahead. I panicked midway through the bridge and hurriedly headed back.

One can walk all the way to the edge of the waterfall and view from very close up. During non monsoon times there is very little water in the waterfall and local people venture all the way to the base of the waterfall. There is a cave like structure across the length of the waterfall right at the base and people make perfect use of this structure to catch fish, or as a diving platform to the large pool of water below. From above they look like small dots moving around!

August 2009 Calender

2009-08-01T00:29:00.002+05:30

Let the rains continue to lash. Let the waterfalls flow in full. Have a great and wet month of August 2009.

Chitradurga Fort

2009-07-14T21:49:00.006+05:30

Been to this fort at Chitradurga about three years back. If one googles about 'Chitradurga Fort' enough information is available. Precise information is available in Wikipedia as well. So let me not write anything here. Enjoy the pictures.

July 2009 Calender

2009-07-01T01:20:00.004+05:30

Hello All. I thought June would bring in the rains. But it was mostly a dry month. Hope July brings rain. Wishing you all a very pleasant month of July.

Yana

2009-06-14T10:49:00.009+05:30

Been to this place called Yana about 3 years back. The place is famous because of couple of amazing rock formations. Lord Shiva's names have been given to these rock formations and a temple of Lord Shiva is also built here. Hence the place is hugely popular among Shiva's devotees.

The place used to be accessible only by 4-5 hours trek through dense forest about a decade back. Now due to rapid commercialisation a road has beem built right to the foot of the rock formations! When I went there, I was expecting at least an hour of trekking. But was utterly disappointed as my 2 wheeler easily found the way all the way to the Shiva Temple and the rocks.

The rock formations are mesmerising. There is a cave which runs across the whole lenght of one of these rocks known as Bhairaveshwara Rock.

Concrete steps with railings have been constructed to make it easy for the visitors to enter this cave. Just goes to show how we destroy the natural beauty of a place in the name of God.

Things have changed at Yana. People are thronging to this place in huge numbers. During Shivaratri its chaos here. The forests have moved away from Yana. People have taken their place by force.

A lovely stream on the way is a beautiful place to spend some time though. We took a heavenly and leisurely bath here on our way back. The stream was just perfect for relaxing.

The name 'Yana' is lovely and so are the rocks, but the place stinks. For the naked eye of a casual visitor all may seem good. But if one peers just below the surface then the destruction of forest, plastic strewn all over, garbage not cleared give a clear idea as to where Yana is headed. Yana can never get back its earlier beauty. But atleast lets hope that it survives!

Get Together 2007

2009-06-07T20:56:00.005+05:30

We friends meet once a year with family. In 2007 we decided to meet at Dandeli. It was October. We were at the doors of the home stay at around 1.00pm on a Saturday. It was a good place. Very well furnished and very good rooms with a lovely garden and a vast swimming pool as added bonuses. The home stay is in the middle of a vast private land.

Ten minutes walk from the home stay leads to river Kali. The Bharchi Nala stream joins river Kali here and our troop of women and kids had a great time splashing in the water. River Kali with its majestic flow presents an impressive sight here.

The food was great at home stay. Every year we organise our get together either at a resort or at a home stay. And as far as food is concerned this Dandeli home stay takes the first spot.

The night was spent chatting away by the side of the pool. The food was ready by 9.00pm but we took it only at 12 midnight! Still the staff did not pester us. They kept the food ready, informed us and went to their quarters. This flexible rule about time regarding taking dinner impressed us. In some places one needs to take dinner within stipulated time, which sucks!

Next day we were off to a nearby place where Kaneri river flows through some amazing rock formations. This place is called 'Syntheri Rocks' (I may have spelled it wrong). A descent of about 300 steps leads to the spot. Nice place to enjoy the time but equally dangerous place to get into the water. People have lost lives here.

Another happy get together came to an end. Last year (2008) we met at Kushalanagar. Some other time I will write about it.

June 2009 Calender

2009-06-01T07:05:00.005+05:30

Rains are here. Hope this season it rains well and really well. Good rains will result in lush green mountains, lively shola forests and waterfals full of life. If it rains well its treat for nature lovers. Enjoy the start of rains. Have a great month of June.

Train Track Trek

2009-05-13T10:38:00.005+05:30

Three years back I had been to this trek on the railway track in the western ghat region of Karnataka. The route was discontinued some 2 decades back owing to gauge conversion. The process took hell of a long time and just got completed couple of years back. Till then the route was a god send gift to nature lovers.

Trekking on this route, with its numerous tunnels and bridges is a great experience. There are couple of waterfalls to rejuvanate trekkers. Caution is the keyword while walking on those bridges. Though trains are running on this route now, trekkers still continue to roam in this place.

The night stay at the station in the middle of the forest was great experience. We stayed in what was an employee quarters. The station was shelter for workers engaged in gauge conversion work.

Personally somehow I do not enjoy the Train Track Treks. Walking on tracks is a torture for me. Just to have a feel of the nature that’s available for free I went on this trek once. Friends have gone 3 more times on this trek, but I did not join them. The view on this route is awesome, if one covers the entire distance.

May 2009 Calender

2009-05-01T01:24:00.004+05:30

Have a great month of May 2009. Summer is baking everyone. Take off to great places and have a safe journey.

A Sunset Viewpoint

2009-04-10T21:07:00.005+05:30

Been to this viewpoint a month back. The view is that of the merger of 2 rivers just before they join the Arabian Sea as one. I had visited the place where these 2 rivers merge and then join the sea about a year back (photos of this will come later). Now the same spot is viewed from a distance here. Enjoy the pictures.

April 2009 Calender

2009-04-01T12:57:00.004+05:30

Have a pleasant month of April 2009. Wish you all plenty of and safe travelling.

Visit to a Beach

2009-03-23T09:33:00.004+05:30

Strolled down to to this beach on a recent weekend. One of those rare clean beaches of Karnataka. Beaches are becoming crowded and spoilt. The noise and rubbish created by the crowd diminishes the natural beauty of any beach.

A peaceful and clean beach is what I look for. And thank God, there are many in coastal Karnataka which are tucked away from the eyes and minds of those mindless tourists.

Local children were busy splashing around at this beach. Keeping them company was a dog. Nice time I had. Already I have visited this place 3 times in last couple of months. More visits will follow.

Trek to a Hill made Famous by Trekkers

2009-03-11T18:37:00.009+05:30

Last week been to this place called 9gudda. Gudda in Kannada means Hill and the peak has nine major humps; hence the name - 9gudda.

I had read in many treklogs that the path to this place is mysterious and one is bound to lose way. It is advised by almost all who wrote about their trekking experience to this place that carrying a GPS, Compass and Map is MUST. Without which one is sure to lose his way in forest. And to top it all some mentioned the presence of elephants all along the trek route. The combination of all these factors has made this hill quite famous.

Usually trekkers ascend this hill by one route (which is said to be tough) and descend by another route (which is said to be easy). For me when it comes to trekking to a mountain peak, reaching the peak is of paramount importance than how. I enjoy the stunning view all peaks provide and to enjoy this view I always try to find the easiest way to reach the top of a hill. So when it came to 9gudda, I obviously discarded the ascending route and opted for the other route from where trekkers usually make thier exit from 9gudda.

We were atop the 9gudda in 5 hours. What should have taken us less than 3 hrs took us more than 5 hours. Where the route was piece of cake we messed it up and where we were supposed to mess it up it was piece of cake. As a result there was 2.5 hours of aimless wandering just because we missed a very very easy landmark.

If one is to count the humps on top of the hill they will never sum up to 9. But it is said there are indeed 9 humps. The peaks of Amedikallu and Ettinabhuja (partially) are visible. On other side Deepada Kallu (I hope I am right here) and Jenukallu Gudda make up a good view.

Walking along the ridge from one hump to another should be a pleasant experience. We had a long way to walk back and a bus to catch. So, we stood on top of what is known as the 4th hump, watched the remainig 5 humps from here and hurried back. That was a good decision we took or else we would have missed the bus and a working day at office!

If we had not lost our way we would have had enough time to walk up to the 9th hump as well. But it was not to be. May be next time.

March 2009 Calender

2009-03-01T16:27:00.004+05:30

Another month goes by with some travel and no time to write about the travelling experiences. Enjoy the calender for March 2009. This is the shot of 'Saavehaklu' Dam in Shivamogga District of Karnataka. Have a great month of March.

February 2009 Calender

2009-02-01T16:51:00.004+05:30

Wish you all a great month of February 2009. Above photo is a long shot of the famous Cave Temples at Badami in Bagalkot District of Karnataka, with the Agastyateertha Lake in the foreground.

January 2009 Calender

2009-01-02T12:35:00.004+05:30

A very happy new year 2009 to all. I am copying here the concept of monthly calender from Payaniga. The quality of photographs taken by me are way below average. Hope it is overlooked.

Have a great year 2009 and a fabulous month of January 2009.

Kumara Parvata

2008-12-22T17:33:00.008+05:30

Kumara Parvata, popularly known among trekkers as KP is the Third tallest peak in Karnataka (based on the height from sea level). Mullayyanagiri and Kuduremukha both in Chikmagalur District take the first 2 spots. About 5 years back I had trekked to Kumara Parvata. It is an imposing peak with thick shola forest cover from all sides.

Kukke Subramanya is a famous pilgrimage place known for the temple of Lord Subramanya. The majestic structure of KP looms large behind the temple at a very far distance. The trek actually starts from a by-lane near the temple itself. After about a kilometer of treading on mud road the path deviates and takes off into forest. From here on its nearly 4 hours uphill walk to a place called Girigadde. This stretch is quite boring, with absolutely no open view. The forest is monotonous and offers no excitement.

About a kilometer before Girigadde, the path breaks free from the forest and makes way into open land. Now with the boring forest behind me, I really started to enjoy the trek from this point onwards. Though rest of my fellow trekkers were already at Girigadde House (One Mr.Bhat lives in this single house at Girigadde), I really slowed down a lot after the forest cover was over. It was great view all around.

It was about 6pm when I reached Girigadde House. 5 hours of looong and winding trek path! Our plan was to stay at this house for the night and continue towards the peak early next morning.

Mr.Bhat offers food and shelter to the trekkers. Some call it as a great service. But I plainly saw it as a business. He does charge a lot for food and hence it can not be called as service. Fair enough, trekkers get a place to rest and quench the thirst and hunger; but at a good price! Nothing wrong in it. I somehow just could not think beyond seeing it as a 'Business'.

Early in the morning at about 6, we were off towards the peak. On the way there are 2 main sub-peaks to be crossed known as 'Bhattada Raashi' and 'Shesha Parvata'. The walk along the side of Bhattada Raashi was exciting. Atop Shesha Parvata it is a fabulous view.

From Shesha Parvata the path leads down into rain forest and then comes up at the far end in what is known as the peak of Kumara Parvata. It was 10 am when I reached there. The trek is worth. Except for the initial route till a kilometer before Girigadde, rest of the trek path is awesome.

Waterfalls in Kuduremukha National Park

2008-12-03T17:27:00.007+05:30

Its been over 2 months since the last post. There was no travelling in between. Hence another post from old trip. Kuduremukha is a national park in Karnataka. The stretch from Karkala to Samse is dotted with waterfalls and beautiful mountains all along. I did mention about one of these waterfalls in an earlier post. Rest are here. The one above is known as Sootanabbi Falls. It is also known by the name Hanuman Gundi Falls. It is the best of the lot.

Some distance ahead from Sootanabbi is this falls named Kadambi. Formed by the Kadambi stream this is located by the side of a bridge and is easily spotted.

Last one is Bhagavati Falls. Small one but not the easiest one to spot. Must follow an unnamed stream upstream for about 5 minutes to get a glimpse of this cute one. Almost all travellers fail to spot it and hence the place is very clean. Lucky Waterfall!

Missed the 'Banni Falls'

2008-10-02T15:03:00.006+05:30

Last Sunday, friends invited me on a trek to find some waterfall near Haliyal in Karnataka of which there was mention in a topography sheet of British times. Bad news was I had to skip the trek due to domestic commitment but good news is friends have sent the photos of this waterfall.

It seems the trek was arduous one, about 3 hours one way and it involved negotiating a steep valley. The details made me repent missing the trek. The waterfall is about 50 ft height, has a good width with nice surroundings. I will be pestering my friends to take me to this spot some other time for sure.

Locals informed that it is known as ‘Banni Falls’. Curiously, ‘Banni’ in Kannada means ‘Come’!

Tillari - Where Nature Rules

2008-09-07T22:51:00.008+05:30

Tillari is a fabulous place. Isolated and surrounded by scenic mountains this place is a heaven for nature lovers. Waterfalls, lush green landscape, mountains and most importantly no people, makes one feel like his own king in Tillari. Nature rules here.

There are some lovely waterfalls around Tillari. Friends had been busy scouting these waterfalls and invited me to join. There is a small yet beautiful waterfall which is hidden in canopy with mesmerizing surroundings. Then we were off to the viewpoint to view 2 more waterfalls which are about 100 ft in height and lay side by side. The magnificent Tillari valley presents a great sight from here.

Though friends had definite information of couple of more waterfalls nearby, it was decided to go in search of them next time and we headed to starting point of Tillari ghat road. The sight here is one to behold. Long range of majestic mountains dotted the landscape and small yellow flowers bedded the earth to quite a good distance.

The Tillari ghat road is one to be explored as it is risk filled road with not many vehicles plying. The fact that insurance claim is not applicable to any mishap that may occur on this road explains the danger involved.

Next Tillari mission is coming up soon and the task involves searching the remaining waterfalls and may be a drive down Tillari ghat.

Doodhsagar Delight

2008-08-23T10:35:00.014+05:30

Doodhsagar is one of the major waterfalls of India. The Khandepar river plummets to a depth of over 650 ft to present an awesome spectacle. Though perennial in nature, doodhsagar is to be watched in monsoon to get a feel of the might of nature. Khandepar river takes birth in Karnataka and after covering a short distance enters Goa to form this waterfall before joining Mandovi river.

Doodhsagar literally means 'Sea of Milk', as thats how this waterfall looks during monsoon. The fury of gushing milky waters makes one feel for sure that there could not be a better name to christen this waterfalls with. The raliway line passes right infront of this waterfall and is the mode of travel to most visitors to this waterfall. Mostly freight trains rumble along these tracks and the bridge constructed by British does shake while a train passes on it.

Watch out for the naughty monkeys around. The place is strewn with plastic and other wastes indicating a high traffic of visitors. A heavvy price to pay if a fantastic nature spot becomes easily accessible.

Jug Falls

2008-08-18T21:16:00.006+05:30

It is a small yet beautiful seasonal waterfall, shaped like water falling from a jug and hence the name JUG FALLS. It is located inside Kuduremukha National Park, Karnataka. Inside national park look out for a dilapidated platform by the side of the road. This platform is the landmark for anyone who wishes to see Jug falls. One has to get on the platform or get to the edge of the road to have a glimpse of this waterfall.

Chelavara Falls

2008-08-17T09:59:00.004+05:30

This Waterfall is seasonal and is quite famous with tourists and nature lovers. Though known as Chelavara falls to outside world, locally people know it by the name Emepaare, which means tortoise in local Kodava dialect. The rock over which the water cascades is shaped like a tortoise and hence the name Emepaare. The width of the waterfall makes a sensational viewing during good rains. This is one of the best waterfalls in Kodagu district of Karnataka.