Hogenakkal At A Glance

You get the feel of the river running nearby when you enter the sanctuary enclosing Hogenakal waterfall. Suddenly, there is plenty of vegetation and little habitation, the road keeps going down and down into the valley indicating the probability of finding a river. A 15 minute of quite drive into the forest leads you to a busy and noisy village(or call it a marketplace) or Hogenakkal.

The real action begins with the boatmen, even before you get to see the waterfall. You realize that you need a coracle to go there, and approach the boatmen expecting to pay may be a 20, 30 or 50 rupees. You would be in for a big surprised when they ask you for a 500! Heavy bargaining can bring it down considerably but they are pretty smart businessmen and they know you wont go back easily after coming this far!

This is another big waterfall on the Kaveri river after Shivanasamudra. Though not as high as the earlier one, it is equally magnificent, with the river falling into a narrow gorge in several bursts of water. There is no wide open space where you can stand and watch the fall; you need to hire a coracle and get right into the gorge to be able to see it. The boatmen can take you really close to the falling water, sometimes to make the water splash into you if you wish. River here is only a little wider than Mekedatu but much mellow, flows through a narrow channel surrounded by rocks on both sides which are carved into strange shapes by the river. Boatmen say water is probably a 100 feet deep here. The channel looks lovely and the rocks look as if they were carved by an artist!

There are many such bursts of water in Hogenakkal.

Another attraction are local kids who can show you their diving skills, for a fee. They can dive for you from a height of around 30 feet into the water and climb straight up back on the rocks in no time, all for mere Rs.5 from the spectator. There is competition within them and you may be offered a discount! A little downstream to the river is a wide plane where day trippers and picnic crowd spend most of their time, but you don't really find a good shelter anywhere there. Men can attempt a massage offered by the local masseur but is best avoided.

Hogenakkal Water Falls

Accommodation
There are just two places where one can stay overnight - the Tourist Bungalow run by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (080-2275869, 2275883) and Hotel Tamil Nadu (043425-54447 and 54448).

How To Get There
Air : Nearest airport is Bangalore, 130 km.
Rail : Nearest railhead is Bangalore
Road : Several tourist taxis and buses ply from Bangalore to Hogenakkal. It is a two and a half hour drive to the falls. Road is the fastest and the most comfortable way to get to the falls.

Things To Do
En route to Hogenakkal, stop by at Pennagram, a village where you will come across brightly coloured giant terracotta statues. Referred to as Aiyanars, these are regarded as guardian deities by the villagers. They depict everything from moustached warriors to even a modern day policemen!
Once in Hogenakkal, you can take a coracle ride across the river. The coracles or circular basket boats are covered with buffalo hide or black plastic sheets and ferry tourists across the shimmering, rippling river. The ride will take you to the foot the majestic waterfalls – an exhilarating yet intimidating experience. The water here surges under the coracle, tossing it around, raging and hissing as though it might flood and capsize the boat any moment. The sight of Hogenakkal up close is as spellbinding, imposing and even a bit frightening. This white water fall is particularly impressive soon after the monsoon months when the river is brimming.
Though the boats might seem flimsy on first glance, their basic design has remained unchanged for hundred of years and are in fact quite safe. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even ask your boatman to spin the boat - the experience is akin to sitting on a spinning top.

Once you have had enough of the boat ride and want to calm down your wrecked nerves, try getting a massage from the famed Hogenakkal masseurs. The local malishkarans or the mystic masseurs are armed with oils, powders and esoteric knowledge about the different massage points in the human body and they are good! There are also a few women masseurs.

If you plan to stay longer than a day, you can take long treks in the surrounding Melagiri Hills and explore the lush, rugged, landscape.

Weather

Summer Temperature:
Max 34 Degree Celsius
Min 23 Degree Celsius

Winter Temperature:
Max 27 Degree Celsius
Min 13 Degree Celsius

Best season to visit: Soon after the monsoons, when the river is in full spate.

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