Friday 9 December 2011

Hogennakal Waterfalls – Beyond Bliss...

This is one place that you should never miss… especially if you are on either side of the border… Across the Tamil Nadu / Karnataka Border, you can go and visit this place… Beautiful falls where many movies have shot their panoramic scenes, Roja for one… Remember Dil Hain Chotta Sa??
To get there I rose early in the morning and decided to head towards Hogennakal. The best way to reach there is to catch a direct bus from Salem Bus station; else you also have an option of going to Dharmapuri and from there to Hogennakalu.

P.S It’s also the place where Veerappan used to dwell somewhere in the deep jungles near the Karnataka & Tamil Nadu Border…
My early morning breakfast, where I ate a really amazing double dosa & some Malabari Parota with Kadala Curry :) Yes I was that hungry.

 Ramesh Anna, preparing hot Dosas...

While I was doing that, this guy 'Ramesh Anna' was like a ‘Masterchef’ dishing out some Malabari Parota… He was so quick in making them that you would just awe at the whole experience…

    Malabari Parota in the Making

                                        Malabari Parota & Kadala Curry

 First up was the visit to the Aquarium, right near the Bus Stand… This is quite a place before you get to the waterfalls. A must visit as soon as you reach Hogennakal,  after about a 3 hours ride on the bus from Salem which, by the way just costs Rs.  26, thanks to the truly inexpensive and amazing Tamil Nadu State Transportation :)
                                                                          Tiger Shark
                                            Gold Fish

Next up is the Crocodile Park & Rehabilitation centre. This is one thing you have got to visit… You can see the crocodiles up close and personal, is a completely different experience… A lot of them are severely injured… Of course, due to fights amongst themselves. But the real fear of this animal strikes you in the eye… even though they are lazy and slow, they are some creatures not to mess with… P.S Entry to this centre is Rs. 1. 1 Km from Bus stand…

Crocodile Park & Rehabilitation Centre
Once you are done with the crocodile park, head straight to the Main falls… On the way, you can take a few pics of scenic falls, but really, don’t bother as you will get great views when you go down and take a ride in the single oar boat… They also serve cold drinks and chips on other boats around you.. :)
                                             Hogennakal Waterfalls
                                                              The Waterfalls up-close & personal

All in all, this experience is certainly a must do if you want to relish the beautiful serene waterfalls along with some natural beauty around the waterfalls. If you are a nature lover then you will certainly enjoy this trip.

Srinivas Kulkarni

3 comments:

SANDEEP PANWAR said...

मौका मिलते ही देखना है।

Subbu Narayanan said...

Being in Hogenekkal, one cannot miss out on the hot 'Kuzhi Paniayarams'. Women line up to serve you spicy and sweet paniyarams, which taste heavenly after a nice massaging bath under the waterfall.
If you are adventurous enough, you could even try the local oil massage!

Srinivas said...

Yeah, I saw a lot of folks getting the local massage... But didn't quite try it out... Maybe next time ;)