When they turned the river on

Shivasamudram may not be the ideal white-water rafting spot, but it proved to be an exciting one for a bunch of techies from Bangalore

Kaushik Nagendran (32), a software engineer with Motorola, considers the white water rafting holiday, he enjoyed with college buddies at Shivasamudram last week, as his most exciting outdoor holiday so far.

"While this is probably not the best site for white water rafting, it ranks high on my list because of its proximity to Bangalore. You can plan a day trip when the whim strikes you," he observes.

Shivasamudram Falls are located in Mandya district, about 130 km from Bangalore. There are two falls called Bharachukki and Gaganachukki. Both offer magnificent views.

Though Kaushik has gone white water rafting at Agumbe, the Shivasamudram trip was special because he was meeting his college friends after years.

"I was a little apprehensive because I'd heard that Shivasamudram isn't really the place for white water rafting but our experience turned out to be good," he says, adding that sometimes the best adventure spots are often in one's backyard.

"We were in the water from 10 am to 4 pm. It was exhausting but exhilarating. We fell asleep under the warm sun once we hit the shore," says Kaushik, eager to repeat the experience.

How to get there:
There are two routes to Shivasamudram. You can take the Kanakapura route or the Mysore route. If you take the Kanakapura route, you will find enough signboards to help you along. If you are taking the Mysore road, then just after Maddur, you need to take the left turn towards Malavalli. It is a straight road from here. Shivanasamudram is about 40kms from Maddur.

There are no motels or restaurants. Go well equipped with food and beverages.