Unchalli Falls - Shimoga, Karnataka | Trippyigloo

The Mangalore Airport is located close to this place. From the airport one can take a bus or a taxi to reach the waterfall. There are many buses that one can take to reach this waterfall. If not bus one can also travel by taxi to reach here. It is also possible to drive down to this place by one's own private vehicle. The Talguppa Railway station is close to this place. From the railway station one can take a bus or a taxi to reach the waterfall. The best time to visit this waterfall is from the months of June to August.

Near this waterfall one finds many places to stay. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Vihar Homestay, Vasundhara Homestay, Pragati Homestay, Sri Ranga Homestay, Hotel Mayura Jog falls,etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Meenaxi Bhavan Restaurant, Devate Mane Khanavali, Tandoori House, Oasis Restaurant, Samrat Restaurant,etc.

Benne Hole Waterfall: The waterfall is known as Benne Hole because it has a white creamy look. Benne in Kannada actually means butter and hole refers to a big stream. This waterfall is formed because of the tributary of the Aghanashini River. The height of this waterfall is approximately 200 feet. One has to trek to reach this waterfall. The view that one gets to see from the top once the trek is completed is amazing. There is also a possibility of getting to see exotic birds here like jungle owlet, grey jungle fowl, black headed oriole,etc. Many people visit this place to see these exotic birds as well and as a result the Karnataka Tourism Department has made a lot of changes to this place in order to make it better for trekking.

Sri Venkataramana Temple: This temple is a sacred Hindu temple which is located at Manjuguni. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkataramana and Goddess Parvathi. Sri Tirumala Yogi who is a saint is believed to be the founder of this temple. It is believed that Lord of Tirupati comes and resides in this temple after travelling around everywhere and hunting down wild animals. Thus, this temple is also called Chikka Tirupati or Tirupati of Karnataka. Since during the winter season this place is covered with thick fog it is also called Manjuguni. This temple is built in the Vijayanagara architectural style. It is believed that the main idol in this temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. A special thing to note about this idol is that the Lord is holding an arrow and bow and these symbolize assurance and protection to the devotees. The idol of his consort Goddess Parvathi is to his right side. One also finds a small lake here which is called Sri Chakrateertha. The Manjuguni Rathotsava is the main festival of this temple and since it is one of the biggest festivals it is celebrated on a grand scale.

KoteKere Lake: This lake is also called Fort Lake.The lake is located right in front of the entrance of the Durga Temple. This lake is surrounded with greenery and it also has walkways where people can take a stroll. It is also a good place to watch an evening sunset. There is a lot of activity in this area in the evening. One finds Floating Lake restaurants in the lake water. It is also possible to go boating here. There are fountain shows held here during the weekend. One also finds many food stalls that sell street food here. For children to enjoy themselves, there is a mini amusement park on the inner side of this lake.

Sahasralinga: Is a pilgrimage site which many people visit. There are Lingas on the rocks of the River Shalmala. Sahasra actually means thousand indicating that thousand Shiva Lingas were carved on the rocks. In front of each Linga there is a Nandi. This place can be clearly seen when the water level in the river is low. King Sadashivaraya was the one who gave orders to carve the Shiva Lingas on the rocks. These Lingas are of different shapes and sizes and they are also artistically very beautiful.However today in recent times most of these Shiva Lingas have been submerged or destroyed because of no efforts made to restore them. Now this place remains to be a picnic spot.

Devarahole: This place is a part of the River Shalmala. Lush green vegetation is found around this place. There are carvings on the bank of this river which show Goddess Durga, Lord Vishnu, Lord Anjaneya, etc. It is believed that these carvings date back approximately to the 16th and 17th century. In spite of water flowing on these carvings they are quite noticeable. On the Maha Shivratri Festival many pilgrims visit this place.