Places to visit in Sakleshpur Manjehalli Waterfall

The Mangalore Airport is the closest to this waterfall. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the waterfall. It is also possible to drive down to this place. There are buses also that one can take to reach this place. If not a bus then one can also travel by taxi to reach here. The Subrahmanya Road Railway Station is the closest to the waterfall. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the waterfall. The monsoon season is the best time to visit the Manjehalli Waterfalls.

There are many places where one can stay around the waterfall. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Gowri Nivas, Woodstock Resorts, Ibni Springs, Serene Woods, Abbydhama Estate, etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Raintree Restaurants,  East End Hotel, Coffee Blossom Restaurant,  Freeman's Family Restaurant, Beans N Brews, etc.

Raja's Seat is a popular scenic spot to visit. Raja's Seat actually means Seat of the Kings. It is called so because Kings used to come here and enjoy the beautiful scenery around. Watching the sunrise and sunset from here is truly mesmerizing. There is also a beautiful park here. One also finds here the Gandhi Mantap. This is the place where the remains of Mahatma Gandhi are kept. There is also a toy train here which is a good ride for children.

 

The Madikeri Fort is another popular tourist attraction. The fort is surrounded by beautiful mountains and greenery.  It was founded by Mudduraja in the second half of the 17th century. The fort has been built using the European style of architecture. There are two huge elephant statues which are at the entrance of this fort. This fort was initially constructed using mud and later after some years, it has been constructed using granite. Tipu Sultan was the one who built this fort in granite. This is because different rulers from different dynasties have constructed and then again reconstructed this fort in such a way till they felt that they were satisfied with it. Inside the fort, one finds a temple, a Church, a prison, a museum, and a library. The Church here is called St. Mark's Church. It is built in the Gothic style of architecture. Recently the Deputy Commissioner's Office has been added inside the fort premises.

 

Omkareshwara Temple is another interesting place to visit. This temple was built in the 18th century by King Linga Rajendra II. There is a popular tale associated with this according to which it is believed that Linga Rajendra II built this temple as an act of penance. King Ling Rajendra II had become extremely greedy with regard to political gains and because of this, he ended up killing a Brahmin who noticed what wrong he was doing.  After the death of the Brahmin, the king was not at peace and ended up having many nightmares. He was very troubled by all of this and took help from the Brahmins as he wanted to put an end to all of this. Thus the Brahmins advised the King to build a temple and dedicate it to Lord Shiva and that will put an end to his problems. Then this temple was made and the Shiva Lingam which was named Omkareshwara was bought from Kashi and placed in this temple. Thus this is how the temple got its name. The temple is a perfect combination of Islamic as well as Gothic architectural styles. The temple has a huge dome and four minarets which are at its four corners. There is also a water tank in the temple that has freshwater fish which many people like to see.

 

Kumara Parvatha is another destination famous for trekking. This is also the 6th highest peak in Karnataka. It is situated at an elevation of approximately 4000 feet above sea level. Kumara Parvatha is actually a group of three Peaks which are Shesha Parvatha, Siddha Parvatha, and Kumara Parvatha. All these three peaks are considered to be important according to Hindu Mythology. The trek route passes through the Shola Forest where one gets to see a variety of beautiful flora and fauna. Once the trek to the top is complete the trekker gets to see a beautiful view of the Western Ghats.

 

Raja's Tomb is another nice place which one can visit. This place is also known as Gaddige. This monument has the mortal remains of the royal family the Kodavas. There are three tombs built here for the royal dynasty. The central tomb is made for the Kodava King Dodda Vira Rajendra and his wife Mahadeviamma. This tomb is the largest. The other tomb was made for Linga Rajendra by his son Chikkaveerarajendra.  The last tomb is made for Rudrappa who was the guru of Veera Rajendra. Closer to these tombs one finds the burial place of two royal officials who are Biddanda Bapu and his son Biddanda Somaiah. These two brave officials sacrificed their lives while fighting with Tipu Sultan. The interesting thing to note here is that even though these tombs belong to Muslim Kings one finds here the statue of Lord Shiva and also a Nandi Figure.

 

Thus the Manjehalli Waterfall is a spectacular place to visit.