Tour to Jog Falls

Facts And Figures

• Total Population: 2,74,102
• Best time to visit: August-December
• Area: 50 sq km
• Languages: Kannada and English
• STD Code: 08188

Introduction

One of the highest waterfalls in India Jog Falls is one of the major attractions in Karnataka. Created on Sharavathi River, Jog Falls is also known by alternative names of Gerusoppe Falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi.

Location

Jog is located in Shimoga District of Karnataka, 30 km away from Sagara, 104 km from Shimoga, and 379 km away from Bangalore.

Best Time To Visit

For a Tour to Jog Falls, the best time to visit is between the months of August and December.

History

Jog Falls is formed by the Sharavathi River, gushing down from a height of 253 meters. The river originates at Ambuthirtha in Thirthahalli taluk, flows north-west through the Western Ghats forming the Jog Falls before joining the Arabian Sea at Honavar.

Tourist Attractions

Make your Tour to Jog Falls memorable by visiting these famous tourist places near Jog Falls –

• Honnemaradu: Situated on the back waters of River Sharavathi, this island formed with the backwater of Linganmakki Dam is famous for water sports.
• Tunga Anicut Dam: Situiated 15 km from Shimoga, this dam was built across the river Tungabadra. You can enjoy boat trips around the lake.
• Lion Tiger Reserve: This Lion – Tiger Reserve / Safari is located nearly 12 km from Shimoga towards Jog Falls.

Places around Jog Falls

Explore the land of Jog Falls, visiting the places around it, while on a Tour to Jog Falls –

• Sagara: A small town in the district of Shimoga, located 30 km from Jog Falls, Sagara is home to several ancient temples.
• Siddapura: a small town in Kodagu district, Siddapura lies in Western Ghats, providing captivating views of the Sahyadri mountain ranges.
• Sirsi: A town in Uttara Kannada district, Sirsi is like a hill-station set amidst emerald green forests and several waterfalls.

Fairs And Festivals

• Ganesh Festival: Black marble idol of Lord Ganesh is worshipped every year at Sirsi, a place near Jog Falls.

Where to stay

Enjoy a comfortable stay while on a Tour to Jog Falls at the hotels in Jog Falls, offering a remarkable blend of tradition and modernity. Some of the major hotels in Jog Falls are Sharavati Tourist Home, Tunga Tourist Home, Inspection Bungalow, Jog Falls Guest House, etc.

How To Reach

• By Air:The nearest airport is at Bangalore.
• By Rail :You can take a train to Sagara from Bangalore, from where you can get into buses to Jog.
• By Road: You can reach Jog Falls directly by availing of buses to Jog from Bangalore. Alternatively, from Bangalore you can take a bus to Sagara, from where local bus to Jog is available.

Badami is a small town of Karnataka, which was once the erstwhile capital of Chalukyas. The town has been noted for its several cave temples, carved out of rock in the sixth-seventh century AD. Badami was the headquarters of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th – 8th centuries. Travel to this magnificent town, situated amidst a ravine between two rocky hills housing the magnificent rock cut cave temples as well as the Chalukyan style structural temples.

¤ Places to See In Badami

Cave Temples
Badami Cave Temples are group of 4 cave temples, carved out of a hill opposite Badami fort. of the four, three are Brahmanical, while the fourth is Jain. Almost 2000 steps have to be climbed to reach the cave.

These cave temples are just adjacent to the Bhutanatha tank where Nagamma, Siva & Vishnu shrines can also be seen. The first cave temple houses the Shiva manifested as the eighteen-armed Nataraja displaying remarkable 81 dance poses! The biggest and most enhancing is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanatha temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples.

Badami Fort
Perched on hill top about 2 km. from the town, the fort encompasses large granary, an underground chamber which must have served as a treasury or private audience hall, double fortification walls and many other architectural marvels. The fort also houses a carved temple raised on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya – one of the oldest temples in the region is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is constructed out of stone on a summit of a rocky hill.
It’s a 4-hour journey from Bijapur and is connected by rail to Gadag, a convenient stop to get a connecting train to Hospet or Hubli.

Naganath Temple
Naganath Temple is one of the ancient Chalukyan temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple lies amidst the green forest on the way to Mahakuta about 10-km from the Badami town, definitely worth a visit site.

Aihole
Aihole Aihole is well known for its cluster of magnificent temples constructed during the reign of Chalukyan rulers, dating from the sixth to the eighth centuries. The temple lies at a distance of 46 km from Badami.

Serene Lake
Besides a picturesque location the lake flowing near the temple complex has its medicinal value. Visitors go for a holy dip in to the lake, according to a popular story, King Kushataraya was cured of leprosy here.

Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum at Badami is known for some of its ancient specimens. Shiva’s bull, “Nandi” at the entrance of the museum is its foremost attraction. The museum is nestling near the reservoir is worthwhile for the intellectuals. Timings: 0900 to 1700 hrs. This museum is closed on Fridays.

Banashankari (5 km.)
Travel to Banashankari, located at a distance of 5 km from Badami.Banashankari temple is dedicated to goddess Banashankari, a configuration of goddess Parvati. The temple is highly worshiped by the weaver community in the town. Built in the Dravidian style, the image depicts the mighty eight-armed goddess seated on a grumbling lion.

There is an annual temple festival celebration in Banashankari, the festival is celebrated with full devotion and enthusiasm. Whole town is decorated, the streets around the temple are taken over by a huge fair, marked by color and liveliness and attended by thousands of devotees.

Mahakuta (14 km.)
Mahakuta is a small town surrounded by hills ones known as a great center for the Shaiva sect. The place is famous for the Mahakuteshwara Temple, the holy deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple is constructed in the Dravidian style with magnificent carvings and sculptures. The temple is surrounded by several small shrines bedecked by awesome carving on their walls, there is also a natural spring pond called Vishnu Pushkarni used as a relaxing joint by the visitors.

¤ The Festivities
Badami Town is throng by visitors all the year round due to its continuos festivals celebration throughout the year. The annual temple festival held at Banashankari in the month of January-February is worth visiting, so are the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival and Mallikarjuna Temple Festival held in Pattadakal during March-April.

¤ Accessibility To Badami
Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum located 192 km from the town. From there one gets direct flights to Mumbai.
Rail: It takes four hours to reach Badami by train Hampi. One can also reach the town by changing the train at Gadag station. The town is 4 km from the railway station and one can take an auto-rickshaw or a horse driven carts.
Road: Badami is well connected by road to all the major places in the south. Karnataka State Transport Corporation buses are available from Badami to Aihole, Bangalore, Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bijapur, Hubli and Pattadakal.

Private taxis and vans are also available to visit or travel in the town. Tongas- Horse-Cart is another mode of transport easily available in the city. The important places are – Ailhole -44 km, Bangalore -499 km, Bijapur -163 km, Hubli -128 km, Pattadakal -22 km.