The Hindu : Karnataka News : It's Jog Falls season, tourists start to come

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 23, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

It's Jog Falls season, tourists start to come

Special Correspondent

MONSOON'S BOUNTY: Jog Falls — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

SHIMOGA: With incessant rain in the past several days in its catchment area, the world famous Jog Falls has started regaining its grandeur and attracting visitors from far and near.

The Jog Management Authority has offered facilities for visitors. High-mast lights have been installed and boating has been introduced at Shirur Tank.

The Sharavati river hurtles in four distinct cascades — Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket — from a height of 293 metres. The Raja fall is named after the ruler of the Sode Samsthan, who wanted to build a shrine on the spot.

Best time to visit

Depending on the rains, September to December is considered the best time to visit the falls to see the varying effects of light and shade at different hours. However, sometimes, visitors return disappointed as they are unable to watch the falls in all its grandeur because of mist.

The Jog Falls lost much of its beauty when the Linganamakki Dam was constructed across the Sharavathi to generate electricity.

Shimoga district, barring three taluks, has been receiving good rainfall in the past few days. Hosnagar taluk received 74 mm rains in the past 24 hours (the highest in the district). Bhadravati taluk hardly 1 mm. Sagar received 33.4 mm of rainfall, Shikaripur 6.4 mm, Shimoga 4.2 mm, Sorab 25.6 mm and Tirthahalli 34.6 mm.

The rainfall recorded in the district from January 1 to June 22 this year is lower than that in the corresponding period last year. Hosnagar, which received 1,329 mm of rainfall in the period last year, has received only 551.3 mm this year. Tirthahalli taluk, which recorded a rainfall of 918 mm in the period last year, has received only 288 mm this year.

Plan for cultivation

The Agriculture Department has drawn up a comprehensive plan for the cultivation of kharif crops in 1.8 lakh hectares of land. Sowing has been taken up in 22,796 hectares. This includes paddy in 5,955 hectares, maize in 13,511 hectares and cotton in 3,025 hectares, according to the Joint Director of Agriculture, H.B. Manjappa.

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