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Published: March 2nd 2013
How to reach there
If you are going from Bangalore you have to first go to Kanakapura and then take the road going to Sangama/ Mekedatu. Although there are many busses to Kanakapura, there will be fewer busses to Mekedatu. It may be convenient to go by own vehicle.
After going to Kanakapura you have to leave the highway at Kanakapura and take a left turn for Mekedatu. The road here looks like a narrow lane (although widened afterwards) and is not easily recognized. It is better to ask people there for confirmation. Once you get the road, you have to move straight without any confusion.
Bangalore to Kanakapura 60kms, Kanakapura to Sangama 30+ Kms, Sangama to Mekedatu 4 kms, total around 100 Kms (one side).
Sangama the Confluence of Rivers
Sangama is the confluence of two rivers – Arkavathi and Kaveri (Cauvery). In Summer season there will be less water and you can easily walk inside the river. In rainy season there will be more water with heavy flow. Both the seasons are enjoyable although differently.
Near Sangam you will find some signboards warning you about the crocodiles and dangers in water. You should be careful about your safety. You can park you vehicle there near the road side and pay a parking fee.
We had gone to Sangam in April 2011. It was summer season and there was less water in the river as you can see in the picture below. The water was about 2 to 3 feet in the river. However, this was an advantage as we could walk into the river without any fear.
It was a Sunday and there were around 500 people in Sangam. As there was a good crowd, we did not fear about the crocodiles.
As there was less water we could fearlessly get into the water. However, in rainy season the river will be full of water. The place becomes suitable for river rafting and other water sports activities.
We saw many people were bathing in the water; we also had a cool bath. It is also believed to be auspicious to have bath in Sangam. The water was flowing very slowly. It was an interesting experience to float in the moving water.
After enjoying the water in Sangam we proceeded towards Mekedatu. We crossed the river and took the bus to Mekedatu on the other side of the river.
Mekedatu – the goats leap
Mekedatu is just 4 kms from Sangam. You must cross the river at sangam in order to visit mekedatu. If it is summer, there will be less water (as in the picture above) and you can walk through the river. In other seasons you have to cross the river by boats. As Sangam and Mekedatu are close to each other, both the places have to be combined in one single visit. 'Mekedatu' means 'goat's leap' in Kannada language.
Once you cross the river, you have two options to go to mekedatu. You can take the old noisy bus or take a walk to mekedatu depending on your physical strength, money and time. Walking will be more enjoyable though, bus will be faster. The bus will take 50 rupees per head. The same bus is shuttling between Sangam and Mekedatu. The frequency depends on the availability of people.
The picture below is the point at Mekedatu where people sell water, lemon drinks and butter milks. The sign board warns you to be careful as this is a “dangerous place”.
Once you reach Mekedatu, you have to climb down few hundred steps through the rocks to reach the actual spot. You have to get down first and then climb up a little to see the river Cauvery.
In Mekedatu, the river has become narrow and at a point as narrow as only about 20 feet between the two banks. As both the sides are made of strong granite, the water cannot expand further, it has to flow within this short rocky passage.
As per legend, the width of the river is so less that a goat would jump across, hence the place is named as Mekedatu. (Meke = goat, datu = cross in Kannada). The river runs through a deep narrow gorge.
It is interesting to see that the same river which is more than 150 meters at the confluence (at Sangam) flows within 10 meters width in Mekedatu. The river runs ferociously at this point within the rocky banks.
Other nearby places
If you are going from Bangalore, you can visit Trimurthy temple on the way on Bangalore Kanakapura highway.
You can visit Chunchi falls which is on the same route on a diversion 10 kms before sangama.
If you are planning for Chunchi falls then you may ignore TK falls which also come on the same Bangalore-Kanakapura highway. Chunchi falls will have more water and thrills than TK falls.
Mekedatu is also near sangama, just 4 kms by walk or bus from Sangam. Mekedatu and Sangama are twin locations and must be combined in the visit.
Muthathi, Bheemeshwari and Cauvery fishing camp are also close to Sangam. You can take a try there too.
Something important at the end
Drive slow as there are sharp unexpected turnings near Sangam which may cause accidents.
Leave home early and keep enough time in hand to enjoy the twin places.
The place is unbelievably beautiful and much more than my expectation. It can be compared to any national level tourist spot. The place is really worth visiting even in any season.
(Note: This article was first published in
JournalSite )
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Backflash
Remembered my trip to Mekedatu. Was an excellent day trip. You can check out my experience at Mekedatu at the blog post: http://randthot.com/blog/weekend-drive-to-mekedatu/