Jog Falls, Karnataka

The highest waterfall in India

Jog Falls, the highest waterfall in India is the creation of the Sharavathi River in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. Cascading from a height of 253 meters (829 ft), the waterfall is also known as Gerusoppe falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. The history of the falls goes back to the year 1800, when the site was first discovered.

Jog Falls mainly comprises of four different streams of the River Sharavati, plunging down a steep incline in the district of Shimoga. The significance of Jog Falls is that in this waterfall, the water does not stream down the rocks in a tiered fashion. On the contrary, the water thunders down the slope losing contact with the rocks, thus making Jog Falls the tallest untiered waterfall in the country. This is the reason why Jog Falls is a famous tourist destination. The area around the fall is excellent for trekking.

There are four different streams or tracks into which the River Sharavati is split, comprising the entire structure of Jog Falls, and these streams are: Raja, Rani, Rocket and Roarer.

The best season to visit this waterfall is the monsoons when this gigantic body displays its maximum charm. Though one will find dense vapour engulfing the waterfall, but when the mighty water falls, the vapour is evaporated in an ethereal manner. The best look of the waterfall can be had by lying down and looking over the giant from the slabs of rock near the Bombay bungalow. Watkin’s platform is another spot from where the view is splendid.

The Jog fall is an important source of water for the Mahatma Gandhi hydro Electric project that was started way back in1948. At present the water of this fall provides 120 MW capacity of electricity and serves LDPH, SGS and Gerusoppa Tail race generating stations.

Located at a mere distance of 200 kms from Bangalore, the fall is easily accessible by road. While Shimoga (105 kms) is the nearest railhead, the nearest town are – Sagar (30 kms) and Taluguppa (16 kms). One can avail buses from Bangalore. When coming by a private vehicle one can take the NH 206 to reach Shimoga and Sagar.

How to reach:

By Train: Shimoga (101 km) has the nearest railway station which is directly connected to cities like Bangalore and Mysore. The onward journey to the falls needs to undertaken by bus or private taxis.

By Air: The nearest airport to reach Jog Fall is at Mangalore (243 km) and Bangalore (387 km). These two cities are well connected with cities across the country as well as many cities from Middle East and other parts of the world. From here tourists can either hire a bus or taxi to reach the falls.