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Shivanasamudra Falls

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Shivanasamudra Falls is a beautiful group of waterfalls in Karnataka, India.

Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls
Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls

These falls sit on the Kaveri River. The river flows through rocks and ravines on the Deccan Plateau. Then the water drops off to create the falls. This is a segmented waterfall. This means the water breaks into different channels before it drops. These channels create several side-by-side waterfalls. An island town sits in the middle of the river. This creates the fourth largest island in the whole river.

Bharachukki Falls (1)
Bharachukki Falls (1)

The river splits into two main branches. One branch creates the Gaganachukki Falls. This fall is 90 metres high. The other branch creates the Bharachukki Falls. This fall is 69 metres high. Many people think these two are right next to each other. Actually, Bharachukki is a few kilometres to the south-west. The best time to see the water flow is during the monsoon. This happens from July to October. You can see Gaganachukki from a tall watch tower. Most people take their photos from that high spot.

This place is very important for making electricity. It is home to one of the first hydro-electric power stations in Asia.

Bharachukki Falls (1)
Bharachukki Falls (1)

The idea for this project started in 1898. A man named Alain Chartier Joly de Lotbiniere suggested it. He wanted to use the water to power machinery. This power was for the Kolar Gold Fields. The project was designed by Dewan Sir Sheshadri Iyer and Chief Engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The station began working in 1902. Three years later, it helped bring electricity to Bangalore.

There are many ancient and holy places here too. You can find the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at the falls. It is built in a special Hindu style of architecture. This temple is one of three special temples for the god Ranganatha. The other two are in Srirangapatna and Srirangam. People also visit the ancient Sri Someshwara Temple. Some believe a famous teacher named Adi guru Sri Shankaracharya visited this place. There is also a temple called Vanadurga Devi. These sites show how long people have lived near the river.

People visit the falls for many different reasons. Some come to see the views or the temples. Others might know the falls from old movies. The 1972 film Pakeezah was filmed at this location. A famous song was also recorded here.

Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls
Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls

You can even visit the power station with special permission. If you do, you might ride a British-built winch lift. This is a very unique way to travel. However, please remember to stay safe. People should not climb the rocks to see the falls from behind. Many accidents have happened when people ignore the warning signs.

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File:Bharachukki Falls (1).jpg
Bharachukki Falls (1).jpg
File:Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls.jpg
Beautiful Shivanasamudra Falls.jpg
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