Shivanasamudra is a beautiful place near Malavalli, Mandya. River Cauvery splits in to two branches, Gaganchukki and Bharachukki; each branch cascades down the rocky cliffs as a waterfall.

Bluff falls during summer. Pic: Usha Hariprasad

Gaganachukki is 106.6m tall and it has the Asia’s oldest hydro-electric power station (set up in 1902) located near the waterfall. The power generated here was used to supply electricity to Kolar gold mines, Mysore and Bangalore. During monsoon the waters are in full volume and though luring it is not advisable to swim here.

Bharachukki is about 13 kilometres from Gaganchukki. This waterfall is calmer and more happening place compared to Gaganachukki. The best part about this waterfall is that you can trek down the hills, catch a glimpse of the splendid waterfalls and hire a coracle too to take a closer look at the waterfalls. This is a part which you must not miss as the coracle can take you very near the waterfalls making you come alive to the torrent of water gushing beside you.

View from Gaganachukki. Pic: Usha Hariprasad

A word of caution, do not attempt to dive, the river bed is full of rocks. Also beware of monkeys here who are always ready to pounce on your bags.

The best time to visit Shivanasamudra is from June- Feb. The journey from Bangalore to Shivanasamudra takes about 3-4 hours. So we started early at around 7 in the morning. We had our breakfast in Channapatna and then we set out towards Maddur. The road was bad after we turned left at Maddur. But the sleepy little village of Maddur with its lush green paddy fields and sugarcane fields is a treat for your eyes while you drive.

At 11 we reached Gaganachukki and spent about 30-40 minutes here. After taking a pack of deliciously looking raw mangoes and gooseberries here we set out to Bharachukki. As the rocks were slippery we did not attempt any kind of trekking activity at Bharachukki waterfalls.⊕