The waterfalls that is near Bangalore

Trekking and Weekend Getaways

Talk about water falls in India and the first name that comes to mind is the Jog Falls. Karnataka is lucky to have scores of  water falls and they are located in the districts of  Bangalore, Ramanagar, Shimoga, north and south Karnataka, Mysore, Chikamagalur and Belgaum.

Bangalore is one of the luckiest places as it is surrounded by thick forests, water falls and wildlife sanctuaries. The city has over the years emerged as a hub of rock climbing and trekking because of the many hills in and around Bangalore, notably in Ramanagar, Kanakapura, Kolar, Doddaballapur and Chickballapur.

Bangalore also has several waterfalls nearby. Unfortunately, all the three waterfalls in its vicinity-Muthayalamaduvu, Thokkikal and Chunchi-are seasonal and during summer, the water flow either almost stops or it is just a trickle. This is because almost all the major rivers in south India are seasonal and, therefore, the water decreases during summer.

Even the magnificent Jog is not spared of this reduced flow of water. This is true even of Gaganachikki and Barachukki in Shivanasamudra and also at Mekedatu and Hogenkal.

Therefore, the best time to visit waterfalls, whether in and around Bangalore and elsewhere is during the rainy season or when the monsoons have just subsided.

Thus the best season would be sometime after September till February and even the climate would be pretty cool with a breeze and a little sunny. This would be an ideal time for a picnic with family and friends and there is something about waterfalls that attracts people to it like a butterfly to nectar or bear to honey.

In this post, we would like to bring one of the lesser known waterfalls to the notice of people.

Mind you, this waterfall does not carry the volume of water as the Jog, Shivanasamudra, Hogenkal or even Mekedatu. It is only a small waterfall but what makes this stand out from the rest is its location.

This is the Thottikal Falls, also known as TK falls and it is located near the forests of Bannerghatta. More importantly, it is just 32 kilometers from Bangalore City.

The water in the falls peter out during summer and so this is not the best time to visit if you are looking out for water. There is a small temple dedicated to Munneshwara near the falls.

Since it is near to Bangalore, the place gets crowded during Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. So the best time to visit would be working days when you will hardly come across any person and you can have the whole place to yourself.

The best route to the falls is to travel along the Bangalore-Kanakpura road till you reach Kagaglipura. Cross the NICE road and the Art of Living Ashrama of Sri Ravi Shankar and come to Kaggalipura. Here take a left to Byalemaradadoddi and from there look for the signboard pointing to TK falls. The falls are just 6 kms  from Kaggalipura.

There is another route from Kaggalipura. Go straight from this small town and you will come to an intersection. Continue straight and  take the first right. You will find yourself staring at the Falls.

The third route is from Bannerghatta. If you are visiting the Bannerghatta national park, the falls are just six kms away.