Mekedatu is a location along Kaveri in the border of Chamarajanagar and Ramanagara Districts.[1] From this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, the river Kaveri flows through a deep and narrow gorge. Mekedatu means 'goat's leap' in Kannada. The name comes from an event which is believed to have been witnessed by herdsmen in that area a long time ago. It is said that a goat being chased by a tiger made a desperate attempt to save its life by leaping from one side of the gorge and managed to cross over the raging river below, whereas the tiger did not attempt to replicate this feat, and abandoned the chase. The point where the goat leapt has widened since then from erosion caused by the river Cauvery. It is about 110km from Bengaluru via Kanakapura.[2] There is also some mythological significance to this place (both Sangama and Mekedatu). In one version, the goat (meke) that is believed to have leapt across the Kaveri was Shiva in disguise. On both rocky precipices of the gorge, one can find strange holes, whose shapes resemble goats' hooves, though several times larger. It is believed that only divine goats could have marked their 'footprints' in such hard rocks.
River Cauvery gushing through the deep and narrow gorge in Mekadatu, Karnataka.Narrow Flow Path of Cauvery at Mekedaatu
At Mekedaatu, the Kaveri runs through a deep, narrow ravine of hard granite rock. The river, which is more than 150 meters wide at the confluence (at Sangama) flows through the hardly 10-meter-wide gorge at Mekedatu.[3] It is said that a goat could leap over it, giving the falls the name Goat's Leap.[4] Upstream on the Kaveri is the well known Shivanasamudra Falls with its hydro-electric power station, which was set up in 1902.
Gorge
The water flows very fast through the gorge, gouging pits in the rocky riverbed. The rocks are slippery making it difficult to climb down the gorge. It is dangerous to swim in the river due to the hard and slippery rocks. Despite warning signs indicating that it is dangerous to swim in the gorge many people attempt it. There have been numerous incidents of people drowning at this place.[5]
Cauvery river dries up in summer, making look of gorge more dangerous
Directions
Kaveri river flowing at Mekedatu
From Bangalore there are many tour operators who provide transport to Sangama.
From Kanakapura it is exactly 26km. The drive to mekedatu takes one through the rustic interior villages of Karnataka making the drive a memorable one. On the way there are boards showing directions to Mekedaatu and Sangama. One will have to first drive to Sangama and then proceed to Mekedatu from there.
On the way to Mekedaatu there is fishing camp called Galibore Fishing Camp.[6][7]
Cauvery at Mekedaatu
Visitors at Mekedaatu
Cauvery at Sangama
Arkavathi-Cauvery Sangama
Mekedatu-Loaps
Nearby
This place is en route to Mekedatu. Only a few people visit this place as most of them go by bus. In case people go on foot from Sangama, this place wouldn't be that hard to spot. Here water is not that powerful when compared to the actual place, thus making it much safer.
Chunchi Falls which is on Arkavati river is another nearby attraction in Kanakapura.
The Kaveri is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu district of the state of Karnataka, at an elevation of 1,341 m above mean sea level and flows for about 800 km before its outfall into the Bay of Bengal. It reaches the sea in Poompuhar, in Mayiladuthurai district. It is the third largest river – after Godavari and Krishna – in southern India, and the largest in the state of Tamil Nadu, which, on its course, bisects the state into north and south. In ancient Tamil literature, the river was also called Ponni.
Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated around 984 CE. Later, under the British rule, the city was renamed to Seringapatam. Located near the city of Mandya, it is of religious, cultural and historic importance.
Kodagu district is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.
Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in South India on the Kaveri river on the border between Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu and Chamrajnagar district of Karnataka. It is located 46 km (29 mi) from Dharmapuri and 199 km (124 mi) from Chamrajnagar. Carbonatite rocks in this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia and one of the oldest in the world. The Government of Tamil Nadu made a proposal to convert the falls into providing drinking water for the state.
Shivanasamudra Falls is a cluster of waterfalls on the borders of Malavalli, Mandya and Kollegala, Chamarajanagara, in Karnataka, India, situated along the river Kaveri. The falls form the contour between the districts of Chamarajanagara and Mandya. The Bharachukki Falls in Kollegala, with a height of 69 metres, and the Gaganachukki Falls in Malavalli, with a height of 90 metres, collectively form the Shivanasamudra Falls.
Talakadu is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km from Mysore and 133 km from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, Talakkadu, or Thalakadu. It had over 30 temples, most of which now lay buried in sand. The extant group of temples, where the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course as the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area, is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus.
The Mysore plateau, also known as the South Karnataka plateau, is a plateau that is one of the four geographically unique regions of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has many undulations and is bounded on the west and south by the Western Ghats. Most of the river Kaveri flows through Karnataka in the Mysore Plateau. The average elevation in the region is between 600 and 900 meters. The plateau covers the districts of Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore and Tumkur.
The Hemavati is a river in southern India's Karnataka and an important tributary of the Kaveri.
Chunchanakatte Falls is a waterfall on the Kaveri River, near the village of Chunchanakatte in saligrama taluk of Mysore district, Karnataka, India. Water cascades from a height of about 20 meters. It is in the Western Ghats. Here the river falls in two small cascades before joining again to flow as one.
Bayaluseemé or Bayalu Seemé is the area lying to the east of Malenadu, a region of Karnataka state in India. The area is largely open plain, with few hillocks. It includes the districts of Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Ramanagara, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Vijayanagara, Ballari, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Koppal, Kolar, Gadag, Hassan, Bidar, Haveri, Belgaum, Mandya, Chikkaballapur, Mysore, Yadgir, Raichur and Tumkur.
Kanakapura is a city in the Bengaluru South district of Karnataka on the banks of the Arkavathi river and the administrative center of the taluk of the same name. Kanakapura is largest cocoon silk producer in India. River Cauvery flows around 21 km in Kanakapura Taluk.Previously belonged to Bangalore Rural District. It was formerly the largest constituency in the country. (1,553 km2 [600 sq mi]). It is located among the lush green forests of the state of Karnataka. The town is a tourism hotspot and an often visited tourist favorite in the entire state of Karnataka, as it has something for everyone ranging from avid trekkers to history buffs and wildlife enthusiasts. The forest area in this taluk is very wide and about half of the Bannerghatta National Park is located in our Kanakapura area. Kodihalli wildlife range and harohalli wildlife range its division. The Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary consists of two main zones namely the Sangam Wildlife range, the Muggur Wildlife range
The sharing of waters of the Kaveri River has been the source of a serious conflict between the two Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The genesis of this conflict rests in two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore. The 802 kilometres (498 mi) Kaveri river has 44,000 km2 basin area in Tamil Nadu and 32,000 km2 basin area in Karnataka. The annual inflow from Karnataka is 425 Tmcft (12 km3) whereas that from Tamil Nadu is 252 TMCft (7.1 km3).
Karnataka, the sixth largest state in India, has been ranked as the third most popular state in the country for tourism in 2014. It is home to 507 of the 3600 centrally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh. The State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums protects an additional 752 monuments and another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.
Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Project is a fluorosis mitigation drinking water project being undertaken at Hogenakkal, Dharmapuri district, state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is scheduled to be executed by Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD), with funding from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) using Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water. The project aims to supply safe drinking water to drought prone & fluorosis affected Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu.
The Hogenakkal Water Dispute is a conflict between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the implementation of Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Project, whose foundation stone was laid in February 2008. The Rs. 13.34 billion project envisages water supply to 4040,000 people in the fluorosis affected Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu.
Halaguru or Halagur is a town in the southern state of Karnataka, India.
The Arkavati is an important mountain river in Karnataka, India, originating at Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district. It is a tributary of the Kaveri, which it joins at 34 km south of Kanakapura, Ramanagara District called Sangama in Kannada, after flowing through Ramanagara and Kanakapura. The river drains into the Chikkarayappanahalli Lake near Kanivenarayanapura. Kumudavathi and Vrishabhavathi rivers are tributaries to this river. It forms Chunchi falls near Haroshivanahalli. It joins Cauvery river as a tributary near Mekedatu.
The Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagar districts of Karnataka, India. The Cauvery River passes through its midst. An area of 510.52 km2 (197.11 sq mi) was established as Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on 14 January 1987 under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 with the objective of providing protection, conservation and development of Wildlife and its environment. The sanctuary was expanded to its current area of 102,753 hectares in 2013. On its east, it adjoins Dharmapuri forest division of Tamil Nadu state.
Sathanur is a village in Ramanagara district of Karnataka, India. It is located around 70 km from the city of Bengaluru. The Bengaluru - Coimbatore National Highway 948 passes via this town.It is 18 km from Kanakapura and 27 km from Channapatna.
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