There are not a lot of places which will show you the beauty as well as the wrath of nature in the most raw forms. Shivanasamudram is one such place where the the beauty of nature leaves you spellbound while it's wrath scares the living soul out of you. At a distance of about 140 km from Bangalore, on the bank of river Cauvery lies this beautiful place where you can witness the grandeur of a mighty waterfall.
For us, the journey started at about 5:30 AM from Bangalore and the target was to reach Shivanasamudram by 8:30 so that we can get a clear view of the falls before the crowd arrived. Little did we know that almost everyone had started from Bangalore with the same intention. Also another thing to be careful of is the timings of Barachukki waterfalls. The entry for the falls opens at 8 AM. If you reach before that, you'll have to wait outside and roam the surrounding area. Since Shivanasamudram is a perennial waterfall, the water levels are generally higher during monsoon. So, it's advisable to visit the falls during that period otherwise you might end up getting a view of water trickling down the rocks. For me, it was the second trip to Shivanasamudram. The first one ended up being a disappointment as there was no water in the falls and we literally trekked in the river basin. Although it wasn't a terrible experience, it also wasn't what we came looking for.
This time however when we reached Shivanasamudram, my fellow biker was saddling up to get the views of falls from the moment we entered the area encompassing the falls. As he got the first sight of water, he yelled "There is water! and more than you can even think."
Amazed and excited, we reached the parking lot and started going towards the viewpoint. The view on reaching there couldn't really be described in words. I had been to Jog falls and I still feel that the view which we witnessed that day at Shivanasamudram was something which can give serious competition to Jog falls. Yeah the altitude isn't even comparable but the water flow was eerily beautiful. The way down to the falls was obviously blocked and there was police deployed everywhere so that there are no mishaps.
After enjoying the beauty of the main falls we headed to a small government operated restaurant for lunch. It was hardly 3 km from the falls and had decent options for a place that was in the middle of nowhere. After having brunch with a view, we headed towards another viewpoint which goes down from the intersection towards the mosque. Although not officially a viewpoint, it gives fantastic views of the other section of Barachukki waterfalls. The whole area is fenced and there are a lot of cops keeping watch on every inch of it. There is a way down to a small mosque by the edge of river but it is extremely unsafe to go there and during monsoon, the whole path gets quite slippery. We did however try to reach that place and get a view of the amazing falls from close proximity.
After clicking a lot of pictures and shooting some videos, we headed back towards Bangalore. It's hardly 140 km from Bangalore, so organizing a one day trip for Shivanasamudram is quite feasible.
How to reach:
For most part, you have to follow the Kanakpura road (NH 948) and after covering roughly 130 km, you'll get a board which will guide you to Barachukki falls.
A right from that board will lead you to the famous BR hills which is another 49 km from Shivanasamudram.
Things to be careful of:
Check the timings of the waterfall and if possible also the timings when they release the water from dam upstream before planning a trip
Avoid going near the fence as the fall is steep and also don't trespass the blockades set up by the police. They are for our own safety.
Carry some water and food as you might not find the best food options out there.