Shivanasamundram, Karnataka The Sivanasamudram Falls is on the Kaveri River after the river has wound its way through the rocks and ravines of the Deccan Plateau and drops off to form waterfalls

               Shivanasamundram, Karnataka

Shivasamudra is a small city in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka, India. It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri, which forms here the boundary to the Chamarajanagar District, and is the location of one of the first Hydro-electric Power stations in Asia, which was set up in the year 1902

The Sivanasamudram Falls is on the Kaveri River after the river has wound its way through the rocks and ravines of the Deccan Plateau and drops off to form waterfalls. The island town of Shivanasamudra divides the river into twin waterfalls. This creates the fourth largest island in the rivers course. A group of ancient temples are located here and there likely was a village.

This is a segmented waterfall. Segmented waterfalls occur where the water flow is broken into two or more channels before dropping over a cliff, resulting in multiple side by side waterfalls. It has an average width of 305 meters, a height of 98 m, and an average volume of 934 cubic meters / sec. The maximum recorded volume is 18,887 cubic meters / sec. It is a perennial waterfall. The time of best flow are the monsoon season of July to October.

Shivanasamudra is a small island town in the Mandya district of Karnataka. It is 65 km east of Mysore and 120 km from Bangalore. Situated on the banks of the River Cauvery, the area is surrounded by forested hills and lush green valleys. Here the Cauvery River winds its way through the Deccan Plateau and drops downstream to form the beautiful twin waterfalls. The western stream is known as Gaganachukki while the eastern one is known as Bharachukki. Gaganachukki cascades down a height of 98 metres with the maximum flow of 667,000 cubic feet per second. This is the waterfall where Asia’s first hydroelectric power station was set up in the year 1905. Bharachukki is one km away from the Gaganachukki fall. The cascading edge of Bharachukki is a little wider than that of Gaganachukki. One of its sections resembles a ‘U’ just like the famous Niagara Falls. The currents here are quite strong and the gorge is quite deep. Therefore, swimming is not allowed here due to safety reasons.

The falls are at their best during the monsoon season i.e. from June to September. These are also known as Siva Samudram literally meaning Shiva’s Sea. Watching the river falling down into a cloud of foaming spray is a breathtaking experience. These falls are the second biggest waterfall in India and the sixteenth largest in the world. There are a number of ancient temples including Shivanasamuram and Somanathpur Temple located around the region. The place is a paradise for nature lovers and is a perfect canvas for artists, poets, writers and painters.

Visitors should carry food items and water as there are no proper food stalls or restaurants nearby. Weekends are crowded so weekdays are the best option for enjoying the thrilling sounds of the falls. One can enjoy boating in the small circular boats which takes you near the stunning waterfalls. For photography buffs, the balconies constructed near the Bharachukki falls provide a safe place for capturing beautiful shots.

A common misconception about these waterfalls are that the left segment is called Gaganachukki and the right segment is called Bharachukki. In reality the Bharachukki falls  are a few kilometers to the south-west of the Gaganachukki falls  This is due to the Kaveri river itself splitting a few kilometers to the south into western and eastern branches  The western branch results in the twin waterfalls of Gaganachukki, whereas the eastern branch results in the Bharachukki falls. The Gaganachukki waterfalls are best viewed from the Shivanasamudra watch tower  Most of the pictures showing the twin waterfalls are taken from that location. There is another approach to the Gaganachukki falls from the Darga Hazrath Mardane Gaib (Imam Ali) . Despite warnings being posted, people climb down the rocks and attempt to view the waterfalls from behind/top, resulting in many fatal accidents. It is 139 km from the city of Bangalore.

Asia's First hydro-electric power station is located at the waterfall and is still functional. This station was commissioned by the Diwan of Mysore, Sir K. Seshadri Iyer. The power generated here was initially used in Kolar Gold Fields

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