Waterfall

Shanti Falls

A small fall on the Z Point path that almost nobody stops at — which is the whole point.

Tarikere taluk58 km from town 45 min
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Shanti Falls is a modest cascade on the walking trail between Raj Bhavan and Z Point at Kemmanagundi. It is not tall and it is not thunderous; in a dry February it is barely a trickle. What it has is the thing its name claims — the crowd walking to Z Point streams past the turning without looking, and the pool below the fall is usually yours alone.

What to do here

  • Detour to it on the Z Point walk
  • Sit at the pool — it is the coolest spot on the trail
  • Photograph it in July or August when it actually runs

The quietest water in a hill station that gets very busy at weekends.

History

The path it sits on was cut when Kemmanagundi was developed as Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV's summer retreat, and the horticulture department has maintained it since.

Travel tips

It is a short signposted detour off the Z Point trail from Raj Bhavan. Wear grippy shoes; the last few metres are wet rock. Go in or just after the monsoon, or there will be nothing to see.

Please note

Do: test rocks before you stand on them — the moss here is slick all year. Do: keep soap and shampoo out of the stream; it feeds the settlement below. Don't: climb above the fall. Don't: go alone in heavy rain, when the trail runs like a drain.