1.
Karnataka
–
Karnataka is a state in south western region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. The capital and largest city is Bangalore, the state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres, or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the seventh largest Indian state by area, with 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts. Kannada, one of the languages of India, is the most widely spoken. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward into the Bay of Bengal, though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning elevated land. Karu nadu may also be read as karu, meaning black, the British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna. With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient, the philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, Karnatakas pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas, the Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi, the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital. These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription, the Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of 11th century, the Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule. At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region, literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh, in the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, in 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota
2.
Nandi Hills, India
–
Nandi Hills or Nandi betta is an ancient hill fortress in southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from the city of Bengaluru, the hills are nestled near the town of Nandi. In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the Arkavathy river, there are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Ananda Giri meaning The Hill of Happiness, another story is that Yoga Nandeeshwara performed penance here, and so it was named after him. Nandi is also commonly called Nandidurga because of the fort built here by the ruler Tippu Sultan and it is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hills resemble a sleeping bull. Another theory holds that the hill gets its name from an ancient, an ancient Lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill. The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple in Nandi village is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dating back to the ninth century, the temple hewn out of rock consists of two complexes. While the first complex houses three deities, the complex consists of a huge and majestic kalyani pond. The foundation of the temple was constructed by the Banas of ninth century, the Chola rulers of the 11th century constructed the roof of the temple. The marriage hall was built by the Hoysalas in the thirteenth century, beautiful stone carvings are a popular tourist site and are a source of inspiration for students of art and architecture. It is 4,851 ft above sea level and it is located close to the Bangalore International Airport. In addition, the hills are located about 20 km from the National Highway just after Devanahalli Town, due to its location, Nandi Hills is rapidly developing and numerous commercial and residential ventures are underway in the region. A description of the siege is given in Brownes History of Scotland, nundydroog, a celebrated fortress and country of Hindostan, in the province of Mysore. The former is built on the summit of a rock, about 1700 feet high and our forces took it by storm in 1791, after a three weeks siege. 77°53 E. and lat. 13°22 N and it later became a retreat for British Raj officials during the hot season. Francis Cunningham built the summer residence here for Sir Mark Cubbon, several species of plant were introduced into an experimental garden. It is domesticated, or wild, in the Fort at Nandidroog and this is mentioned, as curiously enough, one has to travel more than a hundred miles towards the Western Ghauts, before the plant is met with in the wild state again. Fertile seed has never been secured, the fine yellow flowers are three inches across
3.
Kaveri
–
The Kaveri is a large Indian river. Rising in southwestern Karnataka, it flows southeast some 800 kilometres to enter the Bay of Bengal, in Mandya district it forms the island of Shivanasamudra, on either side of which are the scenic Shivanasamudra Falls that descend about 100 metres. The river is the source for an irrigation system and for hydroelectric power. The river has supported irrigated agriculture for centuries and served as the lifeblood of the ancient kingdoms, after the river leaves the Kodagu hills and flows onto the Deccan plateau, it forms two islands in mandya districts Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra. First comes the Srirangapatna which forms the sangam and then comes Shivanasamudra, at Shivanasamudra the river drops 98 metres, forming the famous Shivanasamudra Falls known separately as Gagana Chukki and Bhara Chukki. Asias first hydroelectric plant was on the falls and supplied power to the city of Bangalore. In its course through Karnataka, the channel is interrupted by 12 anekattu for the purpose of irrigation, three kilometers away from Srirangapatna, the Kaveri is the basis for the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary. Near Srirangapatna is also an aqueduct, the Bangara Doddi Nala and it is said to be the only aqueduct where the water from a river, dammed upstream, is carried by the aqueduct over the very same river few miles downstream. The river enters Tamil Nadu through Dharmapuri district leading to the plains where it meanders. It drops into the Hogenakkal Falls just before it arrives in the town of Hogenakkal in Tamil Nadu, the three minor tributaries, Palar, Chennar and Thoppar enter into the Kaveri on her course, above Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, where the dam has been constructed. It then flows further through the length of Erode district where the river Bhavani, running through the breadth of the district, merges with it. The confluence of the rivers Kaveri, Bhavani and Akash Ganga is at the place of Bhavani, Tamil Nadu Kooduthurai or Tiriveni Sangamam. While passing through Erode, two tributaries merge. Thirumani Mutharu joins it in a village called Kududurai in Namakkal District, noyyal and Amaravathi join it in Karur district before it reaches Tiruchirapalli district. Here the river becomes wide, with a bed. The northern branch of the river is called the Kollidam while the southern branch retains the name Kaveri and these two rivers join again and form the Srirangam island that is a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli. The fourth oldest functional damGrand Anicut or Kallanai was present at this place, from Thanjavur, the river splits and goes to few places in the Delta kaveri. It was built as far back as 1,800 years ago or even more, on both sides of the river are found walls spreading to a distance of 330 metres
4.
Ramanagara district
–
Ramanagara district is one of the 30 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Ramanagara town is the headquarters of this district. The district is part of Bangalore Division, Ramanagara district was carved out of the erstwhile Bangalore Rural district on 23 August 2007, comprising Channapatna, Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Magadi taluks of the undivided district. Ramanagara is approximately 50 km southwest of Bangalore and it has an average elevation of 747 metres. Ramanagara is famous for the rocky outcroppings. Those that are popular for climbing are, Savandurga, Ramadevarabetta, SRS betta and Thenginkalbetta. According to the 2011 census Ramanagara district has a population of 1,082,739 and this gives it a ranking of 421st in India. The district has a density of 303 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 5. 06%, Ramanagara has a sex ratio of 976 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 69. 2%. Ramanagara is famous for its market, one of the biggest in India. Ramanagara district includes the Bidadi industrial area, which houses the units of Toyota and Coca-Cola. This region has several tall granitic hills which are famous for short rock climbs. Grades vary from 5.8 American to 5.11 American and it is home to some of the worlds oldest granite outcrops. Some of the climbs are on the Wanakkal wall, on the Rainbow wall. Another well known hill is Ramadevarabetta, along with Savandurga this was one of the shooting locations for David Leans A Passage to India. Small door like grottoes were made in the rock to resemble caves and it was also in this region that the path-breaking Hindi movie, Sholay, was shot. Other famous hills in the include the Revanasideshwara hill and Handigundi. These hills have been threatened by quarrying and also plans to carve these hills into statues, the region is covered in scrub forest and is home to threatened bird species such as the yellow-throated bulbul and long-billed vultures
5.
Mekedatu
–
Mekedatu is a location along Kaveri in Kanakapura Taluk. Sangama is the place where Arkavati merges with Kaveri, from this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, the river Kaveri flows through a deep and narrow gorge. Mekedatu means goats leap in Kannada), the name comes from an incident which is believed to have been witnessed by herdsmen in that area a long time ago. The point where the goat leapt has widened since then from erosion caused by the river Cauvery and it is about 190 km from Bengaluru via Kanakapura. There is also some significance to this place. As per one version, the goat that is believed to have leapt across the Kaveri was Lord Shiva in disguise, on both rocky precipices of the gorge, one can find strange holes, whose shapes resemble goats hooves, though several times larger. It is believed that only divine goats could have marked their footprints in such hard rocks, at Mekedaatu, the Kaveri runs through a deep, narrow ravine of hard granite rock. The river, which is more than 150 meters wide at the confluence flows through the hardly 10-meter-wide gorge at Mekedatu, one can see the ferocious flow of all that water, displaying Bernoullis theorem. It is said that a goat could leap over it, giving the falls the name Goats Leap, upstream on the Kaveri is the well known Shivanasamudra Falls with its hydro-electric power station, which was set up already in 1902. The water flows very fast through the gorge, gouging pits in the rocky riverbed, the climb down is steep and the rocks slippery, making it very dangerous to swim in the river. Drownings continue to occur here, although people have been warned about the danger by a small board, a lot of tourists visit this place, a high number of people drown in the river, either when swimming or slipping off the cliff. It is a dangerous place. The 4 feet shallow water is very deceiving as it seems harmless but has claimed the life of hundreds of people in the past years, the water current is very fast, and a person can drown in minutes. Just a small slip might be fatal, there are also crocodiles in the water. The place lacks warning signs in places, but crocodiles. The rock surface near cliff, both during rainy season or during dry season, is very slippery and deceiving, many of the deaths have been young people and students, who ventured near cliff drown here. From Bangalore there are tour operators who provide transport to Sangama. From Kanakapura it is exactly 26 km and you have to drive more interior into the villages to reach this place
6.
Hesaraghatta Lake
–
Hesaraghatta Lake is a manmade reservoir located 18 km to the north-west of Bengaluru in Karnataka state, India. It is a fresh water lake created in the year 1894 across the Arkavathy River to meet the water needs of the city. Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, the then Dewan of erstwhile Mysore state, hutchins, planned to build the scheme called the “Chamarajendra Water Works” to store a three-years water supply to the city. The lake is approachable by road from Bengaluru at a distance of 26.5 km to the north-west of the City, the River Arkavati originates in the Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapur district and joins the River Kaveri at Kanakapura after flowing through Kolar District and Bangalore Rural district. The Vrishabhavati and the Suvarnamukhi are the tributaries which drain part of Bengaluru, the catchment receives a mean annual rainfall of 859.6 mm. The Arkavathy River is one of the two rivers which meet the water supply needs of Bangalore, the other being the Kaveri. The reservoirs created by building dams on the Arkavathy are the Hesaraghatta, Water from the reservoir is taken through initially a 1. This dam has been enlarged from time to time, over the years, to meet partially, the reservoir is reported to have filled up last in the year 1994 and thereafter the lake’s deterioration and drying up started, reducing its reliability as a water supply source. The reasons attributed to the drying up are erosion in the catchment and consequent capacity shrinking due to continuous silting. As of July 2009, the lake is completely dry and this has increased the vehicle tracks to 43 km in total, with the average track width coming to 1.62 meters. About 136 hectares of habitat was either lost or disturbed because of vehicular movement, main factors affecting degradation include sand mining, movement of tractors, tree plantations, and grazing of cattle. Have been reported in and around the lake periphery, documented records of sighting of 2000 water birds of 29 species have been reported. The lake is also a place for the winter migrants. Harriers and spotted eagles have been reported on this lake during winter, bird poaching traps, a common sight, are located and removed from the bed of the lake quite often. It is reported that this activity enabled increase of water storage in the lake which was stated to be 1. 22–1.83 m of water in an area of about 66.7 hectares. AKASH has now sought help of volunteers to increase the depth of the lake to 3 m to attract several species of birds. The observation made by the study is that, It is more correct to refer to the Hesaraghatta reservoir as a ‘once upon a time’ water lifeline for Bengaluru rather than a current lifeline. The final verdict of the Water Walkers is that, The Hesaraghatta reservoir has the capacity to supplement Bengaluru water requirements at a far cheaper cost than any other and it makes ecological and economic sense to look at its revival
7.
Bhavani River
–
Bhavani is a major river in Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the second longest river in Tamil Nadu and a tributary of the Kaveri River. Bhavani river originates from Nilgiri hills of the Western Ghats, enters the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, the Bhavani is a 217-kilometre long perennial river fed mostly by the southwest monsoon and supplemented by the northeast monsoon. Its watershed drains an area of 0.62 million hectares spread over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, the main river courses majorly through Coimbatore district and Erode district in Tamil Nadu. About 90 per cent of the water is used for agriculture irrigation. Twelve major rivulets including West and East Varagar rivers join Bhavani draining the southern Nilgiri slopes, at Mukkali, Bhavani takes an abrupt 120-degree turn towards the northeast and flows for another 25 kilometres through Attappady plateau. It gets reinforced by the Kunda river coming from the north, siruvani river, a perennial stream and the Kodungarapallam river, flowing from the south and southeast respectively join the Bhavani at Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The river then flows east along the base of Nilgiris and enters the plains near Bathra Kaliamman temple at Mettupalayam after joining with Coonoor river coming from northwest, after the Moyar it is blocked by the Lower Bhavani Dam, feeding Lower Bhavani Project Canal near Sathyamangalam in Erode District. A small barrage across the river was built by Kalingarayan in 1283 AD to feed the 90-kilometre Kalingarayan irrigation canal, the river joins Kaveri at Kooduthurai near Sangameswarar Temple, Bhavani where it is believed that the mystic Sarasvati River also joins the confluence. Bhavanisagar Bhavanisagar dam is located on the Bhavani river in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, the dam is one of the largest earthen dams in the world. The dam is situated some 16 km west of Sathyamangalam and 35 km from Gobichettipalayam, the Lower Bhavani Project was the first major irrigation project initiated in India after independence in 1948. It was completed by 1955 and opened for use in 1956, the dam was constructed at a cost of ₹210 million. The dam is 8 km long and 40 m high, the full reservoir level is 120 ft and the dam has a capacity of 32. 8×10^9 cu ft. The dam has two power stations, one on the east bank canal and the other on the Bhavani river. Each has a capacity of 16 megawatts for a capacity of 32 megawatts. Kodiveri Kodiveri dam is located on the Bhavani River near Gobichettipalayam in Western Tamil Nadu, the dam is situated along the State Highway 15 about 15 km from Gobichettipalayam towards Sathyamangalam. It was constructed by Kongalvan in the year 1125 AD, industrial, municipal and agricultural pollution of the river results in poor water quality and negative impacts on the health of people, plants and animals dependent on the river water
8.
Kabini River
–
The Kabani, also called Kabini or Kapila, is a river in southern India. It originates in the Wayanad District of Kerala state by the confluence of the Panamaram River and it flows eastward to join the Kaveri River at Tirumakudalu Narasipura in Karnataka. The Kaveri river then irrigates Tamil Nadu and it is drinking water source before emptying into the Bay of Bengal near kaveripoompattinam. Close to the town of Sargur it forms the huge Kabani Reservoir, the backwaters of the Kabani reservoir are very rich in wildlife especially in summer when the water level recedes to form rich grassy meadows. The Kabani dam is 2,284 ft in length with a gross storage of 19.52 tmcft. The Kabani Dam is situated between villages Bichanahalli and Bidarahalli having distance of 17 km 6 km away from Sargur town in Heggadadevana kote taluk and it is 80 km away from Mysuru and 205 km from Bengaluru, and comprises the south-eastern part of Nagarahole National Park. Situated on the banks of the Kabini River, thet reserve is spread over 55 acres of forestland, steep valleys, once a private hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore, Kabini was a popular shikar hotspot for British Viceroys and Indian royalty. Now it is considered to be one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, famous for its spectacular wildlife, the river originates in the Pakramthalam hills at Kuttiady-Mananthavady road. Makkiyad river and Periya river join it near Korome and Valad respectively, after flowing through Mananthavady town, Panamaram river joins Kabini near Payyampally. One branch of the Panamaram river starts from the Banasura Sagar reservoir near Padinjarethara, after traversing 2 kilometres from the confluence of Panamaram river Kabini forms an island called Kuruva Island, spreading over 520 acres with diverse flora and fauna. Within 20 km it reaches the Kabini reservoir bordering Kerala and Karnataka for some distance, between Kabani reservoir and Kuruva island Kalindi river joins Kabini. Kalindi river originates from Brahmagiri hills which on reaching near Thirunelli Temple the rivulet Papanasini joins it, taraka and Nugu are the two small rivers in Heggadadevana kote taluk that join the Kapila. The Kabani dam is built on the River Kabini in the district of Mysore, the dam is 696 meters in length and was built in 1974. The exact location of the dam is near village Beechanahally, in Taluk Heggadadevanakote, the catchment area of the dam is 2,141.90 km2. It caters to the needs of around 22 villages and 14 hamlets and this dam also provides water to the combined system of Sagaredoddakere and Upper Nugu Dams. There is an arrangement of lifting and transfer of 28.00 TMC of water during the months from the Kabini dam to the other two smaller dams. The dam is spread over an area of 55 hectares covering forests, rivers, lakes and valleys
9.
Banasura Sagar Dam
–
Banasura Sagar Dam, which impounds the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini River, is part of the Indian Banasurasagar Project consisting of a dam and a canal project started in 1979. In the dams reservoir there is a set of islands that were formed when the reservoir submerged the surrounding areas, the islands with the Banasura hills in the background provide a spectacular view. It is the largest earth dam in India and the second largest of its kind in Asia, the dam is made up of massive stacks of stones and boulders. The Banasura Sagar Dam is located 21 km from Kalpetta, in Wayanad District of Kerala in the Western Ghats and it is the largest earthen dam in India and the second largest in Asia and an ideal starting point for hikes into the surrounding scenic mountains. It is an important tourist attraction, Banasura Sagar Dam is at the foot of the Banasura Hill. The Banasura Sagar Dam is named after Banasura, the son of Mahabali who was a respected king of Kerala. The dam has become a popular tourist destination, many people visit the place to go trekking at the Banasura Hill & speed boating at Banasura Sagar Dam. The Banasura Hill Resort, located about 20 km from the dam was rated as Asias largest Earthen Resort by BBC, speed & pedal boats are available & are major hits with tourists. Speed boat ride, in particular, is an exhilarating experience & not to be missed and it is Indias First Solar Atop Dam
10.
Mettur Dam
–
The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India. Built in 1934, it was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains and it provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for 271,000 acres of farm land. The total length of the dam is 1,700 metres, the Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the hydroelectric power stations. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls, the maximum level of the dam is 120 ft and the maximum capacity is 93.47 tmc ft. Its capacity of 93.4 billion cubic feet is nearly twice that of its Karnataka counterpart of KRS and it was built in-line with KRS Dam, which was designed by Sir M Vishveswariah in 1911 and completed in 1917 near Mysore. The United Kingdom provided funds for the dam and evacuated the people of Nayambadi village where the dam was eventually sited, when the water level of the reservoir recedes, even now age-old Hindu temples and churches emerge from it as proof. Those people who migrated from Nayambadi have settled down in Martalli, because of subsequent dams constructed across the Kaveri River in Karnataka, including the Kabini Dam, the Mettur Dam does not receive much water during lean seasons. As a result, the dam nearly goes dry during periods of the year, often when water is most needed by the farmers. This has created serious disputes and tension between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Governments of the states, the Supreme Court, and the Kaveri Tribunal have so far not been successful in resolving the dispute
11.
Hogenakkal Falls
–
Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in South India on the Kaveri river in the Dharmapuri district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 180 km from Bangalore and 46 km from Dharmapuri, sometimes referred to as the Niagara Falls of India, it is known for medicinal baths and hide boat rides, projecting itself as a major tourist attraction. Carbonatite rocks in this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia, the Government of Tamil Nadu made a proposal to convert the falls into providing drinking water for the state. The word Hogenakal is formed of two Kannada words hoge and kal, when the water falls on the rocks it appears as if hoge is emanating from the top of the kal because of the force of the water, hence Hogenakkal. It is also called as Marikottayam by the people of Tamil Nadu, the Kaveri is considered to form at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills in the Western Ghats of south India and gathers momentum as the land drops in elevation. It becomes larger as various tributaries feed into it on the way down, at Hogenakkal, the Kaveri, now a large river, drops and creates numerous waterfalls as the water cuts through the rocky terrain. In places the falls as much as 20 m and is said to sound like continual thunder. Soon after the falls the river takes a course and enters the Mettur Stanley Reservoir. The river carries sediment which makes the land fertile. At Hogenakkal the river spreads out over an area of sandy beaches, then flows through to the Mettur Dam. Built in 1934, this project improved irrigation and provided hydropower, the best season to visit is soon after the monsoons, when the river is in full spate. But some tourists prefer to visit during off-season to skip the crowd, the temperature in summer varies between 23–34 °C while during the winter it is still pleasant and ranges from 13–27 °C. Boating in Hogenakkal is allowed during the dry-season as the falls are not strong enough to disrupt the passage of the boats. This is the source of income for these boat operators. The coracles are about 2.24 m in diameter, and these coracles are made of bamboo, and with all materials available takes about a day to build. The bottom of the boats are made waterproof by the use of hides, use of plastics in the Hogenakkal vicinity, not just for boats, has been criticised due to problems with pollution. These boats are steered and propelled using a paddle, making them unique. The coracles are locally called parisal in Tamil and either teppa or harigolu in Kannada, freshly caught fish are sold by the gorge and also various vendors selling water and snacks up and down the gorge rowing their coracles is not uncommon
12.
Shivanasamudra Falls
–
Shivanasamudra is a small city in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka, India. The Sivanasamudra Falls is on the Kaveri River after the river has found its way through the rocks and ravines of the Deccan Plateau, 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. Segmented waterfalls occur where the flow is broken into two or more channels before dropping over a cliff, resulting in multiple side by side waterfalls. It has a width of 305 meters, a height of 98 m. The maximum recorded volume is 18,887 cubic meters / sec, the time of best flow are the monsoon season of July to October. A common misconception about these waterfalls are that the segment is called Gaganachukki. In reality the Bharachukki falls are a few kilometers to the south-west of the Gaganachukki falls and 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 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, 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, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple located here is built in the Dravidan style of architecture. Sri Ranganathaswamy here is referred to as Madhya Ranga, who is highly revered by Sri Vyshanava devotees among others. Among all the three Rangas, the deity here is believed to represent the form of the God and hence is also fondly referred to as Mohana Ranga. Madhya Ranga is an ancient temple housing a beautiful idol, yet being located remotely sees few visitors, the temple often remains closed to visitors as the priest is not punctual, and sadly Karnataka government temple authority has done little to maintain and promote this place. There are three temples on three other sides of the island. The ancient Sri Someshwara Temple is another famous temple here at Shivanasamudra, adi guru Sri Shankaracharya is said to have visited this place and established a Sri Chakra. Surprisingly, it is believed that the Someshwara Linga here has existed much before the Ranganantha idol, the Shakthi Devathe temple of Vanadurga Devi is 1 Km away from the Someshwara temple
