Hoganakel

I am excited about our impending trip to India (April 2005). We will be celebrating Srinidhi's second birthday in India.

Last year when we went to India (May-June 2004), we traveled to Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty and Kerala. On the way to Bangalore, we spent a day at Hoganakel.

For those who don't know, Hoganekel is a waterfall in the river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka border. The river runs through a rocky plain for few miles and suddenly drops 50 to 100 feet in several branches. The river is probably a mile or so wide before it drops. Beautiful place to visit, provided there is enough water in the river when you visit.

Hoga in Kannada is smoke (in Tamil Poga); Kal is stone/rock. The fog from the fall makes it look like smoke from the rocks, so the name.

You have to ride the parisal (circular coracle) to view the falls up close and to the swimming area; costs Rs 100 (~$2) or so per person. You can get an excellent hour long oil massage for another Rs 100. Kids, you can also enjoy watching the countless monkeys on tree tops.

When you are on the parisal, you can see these teenage boys climbing the rocky sides with bare hands and feet to the top, probably 50 feet, and shouting from there asking you if they can jump for Rs 5! If you nod slightly or even if you hesitate, they jump in a fraction of a second, swim to your boat and plead for the money. It is amusing to most city dwellers who had never swam even in a standing body of water, let alone dive. Of course I felt bad for any kid having to do this to make money. But it is enterprising anyway, I only hope they go to school and do this only on free time and not get hurt. The jump was so quick and the parisal was moving in circle in the current, I wasn't able to click the jump.

See Hoganekel photos below.