Jog falls is a magnificent destination for a drive in the monsoons. Created on the Sharavathy River near Shimoga town, Jog falls is at a height of 850 feet and is the second highest water fall in India. Located 420 KMs West of Bangalore, Raja, Rani, Rover and Rocket are the 4 streams which form the Jog Falls. Jog falls is a lovely weekend getaway from Bangalore especially in the Monsoons. The Sharavathy river also has water sports facilities and that combined with a visit to Jog Falls, makes for a great weekend getaway from Bangalore.
Reaching Jog Falls from Bangalore
Jog Falls is located near Sagar in Shimoga district and is 420 KMs away from Bangalore. The drive takes 7 hours and the best route is through Tumkur, Davangere and Sagar. The road till Davangere is great and one can drive really quickly in this sector. The section between Davangere to Sagar is made up of smaller roads but is still a good drive.
During the monsoons Jog falls make up a pretty sight. The thundering falls coupled with the rains, is a lovely experience. These falls are also used to generate hydro electric power. What makes Jog falls look magnificent is that it is a plunge waterfall. The water plunges all the way down without touching the bedrocks. Jog falls are made up of 4 distinct streams. Raja is the first fall which pours in one unbroken column to the depth of 830 feet. Roarer meets Raja at the base. Rocket shoots downwards in a series of jets. Rani is a comparatively gentle fall over the sides of the mountains.
An incredible 3.4 million tons of water falls down every second from the cliffs during the monsoons! A flight of 1400 steps can take you to the base of the falls and it is a sight to behold from there!
The hydroelectric plant near Jog Falls is a key source of energy for the State of Karnataka. Set up in 1948, the power plant has a capacity of 120 MW.
Stay options neat Jog Falls
There are a few resorts and home-stays near Jog Falls. We stayed in Sharavathy Adventure Camp run by Jungle Lodges.The water sports facilities on Sharavathy river is decent. One can take banana boat rides, kayaks, jet boats and coracle rides.
The jet boat is an exhilarating ride over the river and brings up some adrenaline.
The most fun activity out here would be jumping on the trampoline in the middle of the river!
The nature walk at the camp is quite interesting as the guides are pretty knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna.
The Linganamakki dam controls the water levels of Jog falls upstream and hence these Falls not very attractive when it is not raining. However, during monsoons, Jog Falls is an incredible sight and worth making a visit.
For more weekend holiday ideas from Bangalore visit Bangalore weekend getaways.