Jog Falls

Jog Falls created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of 253 meters (829 ft) is the highest plunge waterfall in India Located in Shimoga District of Karnataka state, these segmented falls are a major tourist attraction. It is also called by alternative names of Gerusoppe falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi.

There are many waterfalls in Asia - and also in India - which drop from a higher altitude. But, unlike those falls, Jog Falls is untiered, i.e., it drops directly and does not stream on to rocks. Thus, it can be described as the highest untiered waterfalls in India.

Description

River Sharavathi splits up into four different tracks which are named in accordance with their perceived trajectories. Going from left to right respectively in the picture, the names and the reasons for naming are:

* Raja (King): Named so because of its apparently 'dignified' and 'serene' fall.
* Roarer: This stream appears out of a mass of rocks, making a tremendous amount of noise.
* Rocket: Consists of a large volume of water streaming out of a small opening at a very high speed.
* Rani (Queen), also called Lady: The stream has a winding, twisting trajectory, said to resemble the movements of a female dancer.


Significance

Associated with the waterfall is the nearby Linganmakki Dam across river Sharavathi, and the hydro-electric power station that it serves. The power station has been operational since 1949, and is, at 1200 MW capacity, one of the largest hydro-electric stations in India and a significant source of electric power for Karnataka. The power station was previously named Krishna Rajendra hydro-electric project, after the King of Mysore at that time. The name was later changed to Mahatma Gandhi hydro-electric Project. It was served by Hirebhaskara dam until 1960. After 1960, thanks to visions of Sir M. Visvesvarayya, Linganmakki Dam, built across river Sharavathi is being used for power generation.

Change in flow

Before the onset of the monsoon, when there is not much water in the Linganmakki dam, the mighty Jog Falls are nearly unrecognizable. Instead of the roar and the spray and the massive flow of water, there are only a pair of thin streams of water trickling down the cliff. If you happen to ask any of the local people what happened to the falls, they would tell you that the authorities open the dam only during week ends, when there are a lot of tourists to view it.
During the monsoon of 2007, due to heavy rains, the authorities at the falls had to open the dam. Due to this, the water falls was seen at its best. Unfortunately this also resulted in the flooding of many villages down the river, destroying crops and the fishing industry for weeks. Many of the pictures in the gallery and the picture displayed alongside show the falls during that time.


How to get there

August-December is considered the season of best flow and the best time to visit. Jog is situated 30 kilometres (19 mi) away from Sagara, and 379 kilometres (235 mi) away from Bangalore. One can reach Jog by direct buses to Jog from Bangalore and Hubli.

* Nearest Bus Stations - Jog, Sagara. Alternative way is to take direct bus to Sagara from Bangalore and local bus from Sagara to Jog. Distance - 102 kilometres (63 mi) from Shivamogga and 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Sagara. Also 60 km (approx.) east of Honnavar, NH206 - bus can be taken from Karwar, Honnavar or Shivamogga

* Nearest Train Station - Shivamogga. One can take the train to Shivamogga from Bangalore and then can catch a bus to Jog.

* Airport - Hubli, Mangalore and Belgaum airports are the nearest operational airports. Another convenient airport is Bangalore