There’s so much to see and do in Kodagu! But if you’re looking for something off the beaten track, there are exotic destinations hidden deep inside the woods, like Mallalli falls.

Mallalli falls flow quietly and with pride inside a deep and thick forest at the foothills of the Pushpagiri hills. Formed by the Kumaradhara River, Mallalli falls is about 45 km from Madikeri and 28 km from Somvarpet.

To get there, on the way to Pushpagiri hills, take a turn at Bidahalli village, from where it is about 7 km away. The trail to the falls is motorable for about 4 km, after which the remaining 3 km is a trek through a thick forest.

The path from the junction towards the falls is filled with coconut and systematic coffee plantations on either side of the road. The roads are slushy, slippery and filled with gravel, so it is advisable to take a jeep here. Surrounded by the constant chirping of birds and the noise of insects, you wonder how a waterfall could possibly exist in such a dense forest.

When you ease into the comfortable drive to Mallalli Falls, the road begins to curve left on to a small, relatively unused road. To make sure you are taking the correct turn, look for a pale blue tiled house just before exiting on to the muddy path. This road ends in a Forest Department office where all vehicles are halted. Here, you make an entry at the department office. The parking place in front of the office is the last plain ground you will see. Carry loads of water and eatables from here because the trek down to the falls is tiring.

There are wide concrete steps to the falls, but they are not what you’d expect. Huge and constructed in a zig-zag manner, they take a lot of focus and concentration to descend. Even as your body tires, fresh, tiny droplets and a mist which parts reveal the gigantic Mallalli falls.

The view from these steps which are laid only for a few metres, is breathtaking. You will see a huge carpet of greenery around you and in between water falls. It wouldn’t be wrong to call Mallalli falls the queen of all falls in Kodava Nadu. The noise of the falls is equal to that of a roaring lioness. If you want to go further down, know that it’s risky. But if you’re confident, trek ahead, which will take you through fresh and scented fruit orchids where hundreds of birds thrive.

You can also try to reach the base of the falls, but you need to be extremely careful as most of the stones are covered with algae, making it a slippery trail. There are loads of bushes and trees you can use for support to reach the base. Make a comfortable place for yourself to rest, and take in a complete 360 degree view of the hills and the falls. But beware of the leeches when you walk down to the base.

The locals love the fact that Mallalli falls flows through Kukke Subramanya and Nethravathi River in Uppinagadi and forms a Sangamam which is considered to be holy. You can make a visit to the falls in the summer, just to refresh yourself from the scorching heat, but the best time to visit the place is between July and December.

Getting There

Mallali falls is 260 kms from Bengaluru. Take the Bangalore- Mysore- Hunsur- Kushalnagar- Somavarpet. You can also reach Kodagu by bus and from there head towards the falls which is around 45kms. You can also go in your bike, but it is not advisable during monsoons.

—Kumaran P

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Others / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / April 12th, 2016

Springheads, the point where springs emerge, are to be treated carefully so that people using the waters do not cause pollution or damage.
by S. Vishwanath

This part of the beautiful Sahyadri or the Western Ghats is lush green, thanks to a long spell of rain. Talacauvery is an hour’s drive from Madikeri in Kodagu district. Here the beautiful river Cauvery rises. On the day celebrated as Sankranti, the waters appear here in a small pool. It then disappears to reappear at Bhagamandala as a stream, meeting the Kannika and the unseen Sujyoti.

What appears in Talacauvery is a spring. On the upper reaches of the hills of the Brahmagiri, rainwater infiltrates and percolates into the ground. Filling up the aquifers, it forms the groundwater in the space.

Groundwater which emerges naturally onto the surface is called a spring. As Himanshu Kulkarni, a leading hydro-geologist, would say, springs are best treated and understood as groundwater.

In India springs have long suffered neglect in terms of research. Though they have been the lifeline for many communities, especially in the hilly regions of the Himalayas, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, not much effort has been put in to understand and model them better. Dr. Kulkarni points out many typologies for springs. In one particular case he shows how the recharge zone, where the water enters the aquifer, is on the other side of the hill from where the spring emerges.

The traditional watershed approach would fail to recharge the aquifer of this typology of springs because it would be addressing water flows and recharge in the same side of the hill without understanding the nature of the geology at the place. Instead of a ridge to valley approach to manage water, a valley to valley approach would have to be envisaged for such spring management.’ In simple language there is a recharge zone for a spring and the spring itself is in the discharge zone. Understanding, mapping and managing recharge zones is crucial to the health of the springs. For long Indians have trekked to the source of rivers and paid homage to the life-giver. They have in actuality been worshipping springs. It is time that we understood this source of water better and managed them better. That would be water wisdom.

zenrainman@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by S. Vishwanath / November 28th, 2015