A visit to the majestic Shivanasamudram falls!

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.