Manikyadhara Falls
A sacred spray on the Baba Budangiri slopes
A slender fall that scatters into fine droplets — manikya means "pearls" — as it drops off the Baba Budangiri ridge. Pilgrims treat the water as holy and stand under it after visiting the Dattatreya cave nearby. It is modest in scale but the setting, high on the grassland, is the draw.
What to do here
- Stand under the falling spray
- Combine with the Dattatreya Peetha
- Picnic on the grassland above
A short, easy stop paired with any Baba Budangiri visit.
Travel tips
A short walk down from the Baba Budangiri road. The fall is a fine spray rather than a torrent — the name means the shower of gems — and it runs all year. Steps and the path are wet and slippery whatever the season. The stalls at the top sell hot bhajji and tea.
Please note
Do: wear shoes with grip; flip-flops on these steps end badly. Do: change in the facilities provided rather than by the roadside. Don't: use soap or shampoo in the stream — it is treated as sacred and it feeds the settlement below. Don't: leave clothes, bottles or wrappers on the rocks.
Stay nearby
Places to stay around Manikyadhara Falls
PremiumTC Resort BND, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 11.2 km from town
PremiumTC Resort TRV, Chikmagalur
Mullayanagiri · 12.5 km from town
PremiumTC Resort SLV, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 9.9 km from town
PremiumTC Resort GLV, Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur Town · 4.4 km from town
Combine your trip
Places near Manikyadhara Falls
PeakBaba Budangiri
A shared shrine on a ridge of coffee legend
Kavikal Gandi Viewpoint
The horseshoe gorge on the Mullayanagiri–Baba Budangiri road — fifty steps up, and the whole range in front of you.
WaterfallJhari Falls (Buttermilk Falls)
A white sheet of water off a granite face
Seethalayyanagiri
The green shoulder below Mullayanagiri, with a Shiva shrine and a view over both valleys.