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Shivasamudra (Gaganachukki)
(85 km from Mysore)
Photograph by Manoj Sindagi
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Sangam, Srirangapatna |
The Kaveri rises on Brahmagiri Hill in Kodagu and flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, for a total of 765 km, before disappearing into the Bay of Bengal. In the course of its majestic, meandering journey through Karnataka, the river
bifurcates: forming the island of Srirangapatna. The
western
branch (Paschimavahini) rejoins the Kaveri at a place called Sangam.
Shivasamudra—also known as Shivanasamudra, which means Shiva's Sea, is the point at which the river, now split into two branches, cascades down jagged cliffs to form the second biggest waterfall in India.
The two cascades—known as Gaganachukki (98 m) and Bharachukki (69 m)—are six km away from each other. The waterfalls make a spectacular sight, surrounded by hill forests and draped in a permanent mist of suspended water particles. During the monsoons, the cascades are breathtaking: covering a majestic sweep of about 300 metres in width. Places of interest in the area include a group of ancient temples, including one dedicated to Ranganatha and the tomb or dargah of Peer Haibe, a Muslim savant.
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| Shivasamudra |
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It is worth noting that Mysore was the first state in Asia to tap the power of its water. (And Bangalore was the beneficiary—becoming the first city in Asia to get electrical power.) The Shimsha Power Station was set up at Shivasamudra in 1902. Its purpose was to provide power to the Mysore Palace, Kolar Gold Fields, Mysore and Bangalore. At the time, the 148-metre, 33 kV transmission line set records for being the longest in the world, at the highest voltage in the world. |
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