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Nature's beauty beckons them

R. Krishna Kumar

For the first time in 15 years, Shivanasamudra has attained its full glory

FEAST FOR THE EYES: People enjoying the splendour of Shivanasamudra falls near Malavalli. — Photo: M.A. Sriram

SHIVANASAMUDRA (MANDYA DIST.): It is monsoon magic at its best at Shivanasamudra near Malavalli as tourists and locals have begun to flock to feast on the mesmerising sight provided by the spectacular falls.

Already visitors from Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore have begun to arrive to watch the unmatched splendour at Shivanasamudra and the number is expected to increase during the weekend. While the locals outnumbered the tourists on Wednesday, the word has spread about the spectacular sight at both Gaganachukki and Bharachukki — the two waterfalls at Shivanasamudra.— and there were farmers, students, rural folks alike who took a day off to savour nature's beauty.

Stupendous flow

And for the first time in almost 15 years, Shivanasamudra has attained its full glory thanks to the copious discharge from the major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka. "The last time we saw such stupendous flow here was way back in 1991 but it lasted only for a few days. But this year the sheer volume of water seems to be increasing by the day," according to a few vendors who sell snacks to visitors at Bharachukki.

"There is hardly any space to park vehicles by evening and the number of tourists who flock to this place during weekends is mind boggling. And since the outflow from the KRS reservoir and the Kabini reservoir is being described as unprecedented in recent years the number of tourists visiting the falls will increase dramatically this year," according to a few local traders.

Shivanasamudra is about 115 km from Bangalore and 65 km from Mysore and is easily accessible from both the cities. Cauvery branches off into two major streams and makes a rapid descent of about 200 ft in a succession of picturesque rapids and waterfalls and the two falls are collectively called Shivanasamudra or the Sea of Shiva.

At Gaganachukki water descends with such rapid force that vapour and mist rises to more than 200 ft.

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