By Shobha Rao Smilemaker
Sep 7: Like most other South Indians, I had already seen India's second highest Jog falls, which is a combination of four majestic waterfalls called Raja (highest), Roarer (noisiest), Rocket (forceful), Rani (graceful).
The drive from Mangalore itself was fantastic through the Muppane wildlife sanctuary and we were lucky to actually see a baby deer running across the road.
I was excited to make this trip again to see the same Jog waterfalls and its surrounding spots, but from completely different angles.
Our bus parked just outside the entrance to the Mahatma Gandhi Power station and I ran below to get my first side angle view of the majestic water falls.
These falls are a major source of Hydro Electric power supply to our state. Along with the newer Sharavathy Hydro Power station, the 18 turbines of the two stations are operated day and night to light up our homes. The dams and power houses can only be visited with special permission. We saw the external huge water storage wells, the ten pipes across the mountain slopes that are used to run the turbines to generate our precious electricity in our homes that we take for granted.
Our second fantastic view point was at the polygonal stone structure called Rajakallu, which was the foundation stone laid by Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV in 1939, showing the names of the nine districts that get their power supply from here.
We then went to the two faced Devi temple of Chowdeshwari, at Kargal, so called because it is the only Indian temple where the idol has two beautiful faces in opposite directions. Legend is that, this was so done to receive divine blessings and remove hurdles during the construction phase of the power projects.
Another famous powerful temple in the vicinity was the ancient Bale Padmavathy temple, so called because of the thousands of bangles offered by devotees for granting of wishes. The nearby shrines dedicated to Bairava spirit or Naga or even the newer Devi Jain temple are worth a visit.
Another valley view point gave us a peek into the Sharavathi River Valley basin.We drove past the green lake of Shiroor Kere with a hanging bridge at one end and boating facilities on the other.
The next view point gave us a very distant perspective of the Jog falls. The rainiy season is the only time we get to see another sight of Mavina Gundi falls amidst the dense green forests.
We then went to the crowded tourist view point of the jog falls and took our mandatory group photo there.
I had seen spectacular head shots of Jog falls in the famous Kannada movie Mungaaru Male, but I never imagined that I would go trekking to a spot that was higher than the highest Raja waterfall. We took careful steps in a narrow path, next to the British Bungalow trying to avoid the slippery surfaces. It was a great adventure to slide slowly with a trained guide upto the edge of a sloping rock and have a scary peek, much above the four falls. What a sight of them in full glory from their topmost to their bottommost points.
Admiring the gigantic majesty of nature, as my tiny fingers held on to the edge of the rock for dear life, was one unforgettable crazy adventourous moment that would never be forgotten as long as I am alive!!
Please do not go here without the support and permissions of a reliable guide and this risky feat is what made our day trip completely worthwhile.
Lunch was arranged at a guest house with a birds eye view of ....you guessed it -The Jog falls from yet another angle.
Then it was time for playing in the water. We went to a secluded spot for what was called the 'Island walk'..here the vast water body of the Talakalale dam is shallow and sufe safe so that anyone can easily walk around the small island in the centre. Standing in the lap of nature, we actually saw the monsoon rains arriving towards slowly us and lashing around us in its full glory...an experience that cannot be described in words.
We then went to the Nipli falls, a beautiful spot where we could sit under the gushing waterfalls and get a terrific back and shoulder massage to forget the cares of the world. My slow motion videos still cannot describe the thrill of sitting under the lashing waters.
By this time the surreal mist and fog kept coming in and out on the roads, hills and valleys. We visited our last stop at an official guesthouse. We saw a cute cottage where film shooting of a Rajnikant movie had taken place. But the speciality is that this is the only place that gives a view of the waterfalls even amidst heavy fog!
Thank you Lord for a wonderful day amidst glorious nature that makes everyone smile. Next time you visit the Jog falls make sure you experience something different than just the normal tourist viewing point.
For many of the visitors walking to the top of the falls via the British Bungalow and viewing down from the edge seems thrilling. More so after movie Mungaaru Male was released in 2006 which featured stunning cinematographic shots from the head of the falls. But few realise that it is also a virtual death trap.
The jagged rocks at the top are unstable and slippery causing unexpected accidents. If statistics are any indication the accidental fall of visitors, especially the youth, at the falls has been regular. In 2007 seven people had died here while 2008 claimed as many as 18 lives. The recent news of three youths slipping into the falls is still fresh in memory. But it is heartening to note that the authorities concerned are preventing visitors from taking extreme risks.
Other places of interest
At Jog, the falls is not the only attraction. Though the dams and power houses are out of bounds for tourists there are quite a few spots around the place that are worth looking. At about six kilometres from Jog is Kargal. In the vicinity is an attractive temple of Chowdeshwari. The entrance tower is colourful as well as the interiors. The fair during Navarathri draws lakhs of pilgrims.
On a deviation from the MG circle near Jog, a path goes up to a viewpoint on the edge of the hill where a polygonal stone structure has been built. Called Rajakallu, this was the foundation stone laid by Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV on February 5, 1939. It is said that the Maharaja used to frequent this place to enjoy the view of the valley and the falls. The view of Mavina Gundi falls dropping into a forested valley is astounding. Close by is the Mahatma Gandhi Park, a shady place with children’s play area.
On the way back, the ancient temple of Chamundeshwari can be visited too. The idol of the goddess here, which is unique with two faces, in front and behind, is said to have been donated by the Maharaja. Hardly a kilometre from the falls is the green lake of Shiroor Kere with a hanging bridge at one end. This is a quiet and peaceful spot ideal for a picnic.
Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.