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The Stream Quartet of Jog Falls
The Jog Falls, located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, is created by the Sharavathi River falling in a
direct un-cascaded plunge into the depths of a pool far below. One of the highest waterfalls in Asia, this
tourist attraction is an ideal place to visit for a day of adventure and tranquility.
One of the major plus points of the place as a tourist spot is its topography – the way the hill or plateau
with the viewpoint, which is actually spread across a relatively large area and also contains a few
restaurants, guest houses, rest rooms, is exactly opposite to the hill below which the fall plunges. Thus,
for a visitor, there is a hundred and eighty degree viewfinder for the entire panorama of the picturesque
scenery. Almost anywhere one stands on the wide spacious area atop the hill’s breadth, the view is
majestic - four major drops of water (named Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani respectively) descending from
a height of approximately two hundred and fifty metres.
One can grasp the height of the falls only after realizing that the tiny drops of colour that can be seen far
below, among the green, blue and brown of nature, are actually people who had climbed down. The best
part of Jog Falls is that unlike other such high descending falls which are in too much of a dangerous
terrain for tourists to casually trek down to its pool, here, the path to the bottom is trek-able. The initial
few meters or so are properly cemented and with railings; however after a while, though the trail is fairly
well-trodden, it is not ‘pakka’, and one has to be careful while treading the sometimes loose stones.
As I climbed down, the perspective of the waterfall(s) changed- its size seemed to amplify, the sounds
becomes louder, and the walk becomes tougher, climbing between boulders and stones, some naturally
arranged in steps, some maneuvered to be so. The trip downwards can usually be covered in about thirty
to forty minutes, with short periods of rest at the many makeshift shops selling lime juice, soft drinks and
chips.
Despite the terrain, it is exciting to descend into the mini valley and the pool, as if descending into
nature’s lap. The feeling on reaching the rocky bottom of the hill, just next to the gigantic drop of the four
vertical rivers, is breathtaking. The sound is overpowering – one can hardly hear each other over the
angry thunders of the cascading waters, and no matter where one is on that uneven mixture of water pool
and rocks, one is sprinkled, sometimes showered by the drops of the water blown away from the
waterfalls by the breezes. All the exhaustion of the downwards climb vanishes in a twinkle. The
indomitable resonance of this beautiful endless white body of water, its sheer supremacy over its
surroundings, tempts one to just sit there forever. Relishing the coolness of the spray of water with the
wind, sitting under the numerous assorted shades beneath huge boulders and soaking ones feet in the
coolness of the water, is so refreshing.
The nearest distance one can go towards the fall bottom depends on the season and the volume of water;
sometimes, warning signs are placed when the volume of the waterfalls is dangerously high and the rocks
slippery and wet.
It is the climb back which is the most challenging task of all; what a climb! The small refreshment stalls
at intermittent heights felt like five star lounges and a real godsend for travelers. The feeling that one gets
after finishing the climb is deep relief mixed with the pure satisfaction of having experiencing this
gorgeous waterfalls and the gorge below, not just by sight, but by touch too.
The Stream Quartet of Jog Falls
The Jog Falls, located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, is created by the Sharavathi River falling in a
direct un-cascaded plunge into the depths of a pool far below. One of the highest waterfalls in Asia, this
tourist attraction is an ideal place to visit for a day of adventure and tranquility.
One of the major plus points of the place as a tourist spot is its topography – the way the hill or plateau
with the viewpoint, which is actually spread across a relatively large area and also contains a few
restaurants, guest houses, rest rooms, is exactly opposite to the hill below which the fall plunges. Thus,
for a visitor, there is a hundred and eighty degree viewfinder for the entire panorama of the picturesque
scenery. Almost anywhere one stands on the wide spacious area atop the hill’s breadth, the view is
majestic - four major drops of water (named Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani respectively) descending from
a height of approximately two hundred and fifty metres.
One can grasp the height of the falls only after realizing that the tiny drops of colour that can be seen far
below, among the green, blue and brown of nature, are actually people who had climbed down. The best
part of Jog Falls is that unlike other such high descending falls which are in too much of a dangerous
terrain for tourists to casually trek down to its pool, here, the path to the bottom is trek-able. The initial
few meters or so are properly cemented and with railings; however after a while, though the trail is fairly
well-trodden, it is not ‘pakka’, and one has to be careful while treading the sometimes loose stones.
As I climbed down, the perspective of the waterfall(s) changed- its size seemed to amplify, the sounds
becomes louder, and the walk becomes tougher, climbing between boulders and stones, some naturally
arranged in steps, some maneuvered to be so. The trip downwards can usually be covered in about thirty
to forty minutes, with short periods of rest at the many makeshift shops selling lime juice, soft drinks and
chips.
Despite the terrain, it is exciting to descend into the mini valley and the pool, as if descending into
nature’s lap. The feeling on reaching the rocky bottom of the hill, just next to the gigantic drop of the four
vertical rivers, is breathtaking. The sound is overpowering – one can hardly hear each other over the
angry thunders of the cascading waters, and no matter where one is on that uneven mixture of water pool
and rocks, one is sprinkled, sometimes showered by the drops of the water blown away from the
waterfalls by the breezes. All the exhaustion of the downwards climb vanishes in a twinkle. The
indomitable resonance of this beautiful endless white body of water, its sheer supremacy over its
surroundings, tempts one to just sit there forever. Relishing the coolness of the spray of water with the
wind, sitting under the numerous assorted shades beneath huge boulders and soaking ones feet in the
coolness of the water, is so refreshing.
The nearest distance one can go towards the fall bottom depends on the season and the volume of water;
sometimes, warning signs are placed when the volume of the waterfalls is dangerously high and the rocks
slippery and wet.
It is the climb back which is the most challenging task of all; what a climb! The small refreshment stalls
at intermittent heights felt like five star lounges and a real godsend for travelers. The feeling that one gets
after finishing the climb is deep relief mixed with the pure satisfaction of having experiencing this
gorgeous waterfalls and the gorge below, not just by sight, but by touch too.
