The ‘Jalapatha Utsav’ (festival of waterfalls) to be held at Bharachukki, near Kollegal, on August 16 and 17 is expected to witness a surge in tourist arrivals.
The district administration of Chamarajanagar is gearing up with a slew of programmes to promote monsoon tourism. This is the third time the event has been organised at Bharachukki, which is in full splendour thanks to good rain in the catchment areas of the Krishnaraja Sagar and the Kabini reservoir, which is already full.
The Gaganachukki and Bharachukki are twin falls located 12 km apart from each other. Already, the number of tourists has increased at both falls. A preliminary meeting was convened recently in Chamarajanagar to discuss steps for making the event popular. Minister for Cooperation H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, who is also the Minister in-charge of Chamarajanagar district, presided over the meeting.
The ‘Jalapatha Utsav’ was first held in 2007. The Mandya district administration emulated the concept and introduced the event at the Gaganachukki as well. However, a lot needs to be done to develop Bharachukki as a tourist destination.
Ropeway
There was a proposal to construct a ropeway across the river to reduce distance between the falls by 10 km. However, the project made no headway. Stakeholders feel the two waterfalls require better promotion.
(The Hindu)
