Located in Shivasamundar town, these falls lie on the banks of River Kaveri. It is located about 65 km from Mysore in Mandya district. Shivasamundar Falls are segmented because they split in this town. With a height of 98 m, this waterfall flows through abundant sylvan forest of Karnataka in Deccan plateau region. It is located 139 km from the city of Bangalore.

The town of Shivasamundar divides the river into two waterfalls. The flow of water here is split into one or more small channels before dropping from the cliff, thus making it a series of waterfall. This waterfall plunges 320 feet into gorge making a huge cloud of misty foam. It has an average width of about 300 m, height of about 98 m and an average volume of about 934 cubic meters per sec.

In the Western Ghats of Kodagu district at Talacaurvery, river Kaveri emerges to join rivers Harangi, Hemavathi, LakshmanaTirth and Kapila making a number of waterfalls. Kavery forms many beautiful islands throughout its journey from Talacaurvery to Bay of Bengal. Shivasamundar or Bluff or Simsha is one such island.

There are two branches of these falls - one is Bharachukki (eastern falls) and the other one is Gaganachukki (western falls). Bharachukki Falls in the east and Gaganachukki Falls in the west are located few kilometers away. These falls are best watched from the watch tower.

Specialty

Many ancient temples are located around Shivasamundar Falls, which has made it a place of great interest for tourists. There is also a Dargah near Gaganchukki Falls where the water flow is rapid. Bharachukki is famous for trekking and also swimming can be done in its shallow water.

There is a Ranganatha Swamy Temple where Kaveri River splits to form an island. The first one is at Srirangapatna, also called AdiRanga. The second one is at Shivasamundram also called Madhya Ranga. The last at Tiruchi is called Antya Ranga. One needs to trek for 2 km through the lush greenery along the banks of Kaveri to approach these falls. Sitting near a watch tower, the beauty and awesomeness of this fall is spectacular.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit these falls is during monsoon when you can see the river in its full glory. These falls are awesome to watch during monsoon. However, precaution must be taken for safety reasons as it may be risky to swim. July to October is the best time to visit these falls. A hydro-electric power station made in 1902 is the first of its kind and is also located here. The first town to receive electricity as a result of this project was Kolar Gold fields, which asp made it the first town in Asia to get hydro-electricity.

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest airport is Mysore, which is well-connected to other parts of India.

By Train

Nearest railway station is also Mysore, which is located at a distance of 60 km.

By Bus

Buses operate regularly to Kollegala from Bangalore and Mysore. After that one can take auto or cab to reach the falls.

By Road

From Bangalore one can take Bangalore-Mysore highway till Maddur. This route is about 135 km till Maddur. Alternately, one can reach Malavalli from Bangalore via Kanakapura.