Barkana Falls Shimoga

The Mangalore Airport is close to this waterfall. From the airport one can take a bus or a taxi to reach here. There are many buses that one can take to reach this waterfall. If not by bus one can also travel by a taxi or even an auto rickshaw to reach this place.  One can also reach this place by using their own private vehicles. The Barkur Railway station is close to this place. From the railway station one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach this waterfall. The early winter season period is considered to be the best time to visit this waterfall.

Near this waterfall there are many places for one to stay. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Male Mane Farmstay, Kalkuli Comforts, Bananki Homestay, Shree Poorna Lodge, Hegde Residency,etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Hegde Restaurant,Hotel Nandini, Maha Ganapathi Fast Foods, Hotel Seethanadi,Kadamba Hotel, etc.

Narasimha Parvatha: This is a good trekking spot. The altitude of this place is approximately 3780 feet. The common trekking route actually starts from Malandur and then it ends at Kigga. One has to pass through forests and grasslands during this trek. It is also possible to camp on the Narasimha Parvatha. One can watch an amazing sunrise at this peak.

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary: This place was declared as a sanctuary in 1974. The sanctuary has been named after Lord Someshwara since there is a Someshwara Temple which is located within this sanctuary. The area of this sanctuary is approximately 314.25 sq km. In this sanctuary one finds evergreen and semi evergreen forests. One can also indulge in activities here like trekking, camping, river rafting in the River Seeta,etc. The animals that one finds here are leopard, jackal, lion tailed macaque, gaur, wild pig, etc. There are many varieties of birds too that one finds here such as Malabar Whistling Thrush, Malabar Trogon, Ceylon Frogmouth, etc. One also gets to see many reptiles and beautiful butterflies here.

Varanga: This village is quite well known for its Jain temples. The Kere Basadi and the Neminath Basadi are the renowned Jain Temples here. The Kere Basadi is almost over 850 years old. This basadi is dedicated to Lord Parshwanatha. Since this temple is built as a four faced symmetrical structure it is also called Chaturmukha Basadi. This structure is in the middle of the lake and thus one has to travel by boat to reach there. The lake too is very beautiful. On the surface of this lake one finds wonderful white lilies and in the water one also gets to see various freshwater fish, turtles,etc. The Neminatha Basadi is also called Hire Basadi. This basadi is dedicated to Lord Nemishwara. It is almost over 1200 years old.This basadi has two main entrances which are carved out of granite stones. The other things that one can see here are a tall metallic deepstambh, a sculpture of two elephants who are putting a garland on a deity,etc.

The Gopala Krishna Temple: This temple was built in the 14th century during the reign of the Hoysala Empire.It is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple is quite well known for its structures. The inner sanctum of this temple happens to be covered with an additional hall which is a feature of the Tulunadu style. One finds 108 steps here leading to the Garbha Griha and each of these steps are a representation of the 108 names of Lord Krishna which are chanted through the Sri Krishna Ashtottara. Many people come here to pray.

The Museum of Anatomy and Pathology: In this museum one finds almost 3000 samples of organs and other different pieces of human and animal anatomy such as the long skeleton of the King Cobra, The skull of an elephant and whale, etc. This museum also houses protected skeletons of different animals making it an interesting place to visit.

Shri DurgaParameshwari Temple: is located in Bappanadu village on the banks of the River Sambhavi.It is dedicated to the Goddess DurgaParameshwari. Bappanadu actually means Bappa's village. This is because this temple was constructed by a Muslim merchant whose name was Bappa. The main deity here is worshipped in the form of a statue or a Linga. An interesting thing to note about this place is that even Muslims are allowed to enter this temple and they can also accept prasad from the temple. One finds two inscriptions in this temple out of which one of them is damaged while the other one is intact. The intact inscription dates back to approximately 1141 A.D. It gives information about the fact that even Non Brahmins participated in the temple activities.