Hogenakkal Falls

Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall on the river Kaveri. It is located in the Dharmapuri district of Tamilnadu state, 46kms from Dharmapuri town and 130kms from Bangalore city. It is sometimes referred to as the "Niagara of India". With its fame for medicinal baths and hide boat rides, it is a major site of tourist attraction. Carbonatite rocks in this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia and one of the oldest in the world.

The Kaveri is considered to form at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills in the Western Ghats of south India and gathers momentum as the land drops in elevation. It becomes larger as various tributaries feed into it on the way down. At Hogenakkal, the Kaveri, now a large river, drops and creates numerous waterfalls as the water cuts through the rocky terrain. In places, the water falls as much as 20 m (66 ft) and is said to sound like continual thunder. Soon after the falls the river takes a southerly course and enters the Mettur Stanley Reservoir. The river carries sediment which makes the downriver land fertile. At Hogenakkal, the river spreads out over a wide area of sandy beaches, then flows through to the Mettur Dam.

Boating in Hogenakkal is allowed during the dry-season as the water falls are not strong enough to disrupt the passage of the boats. The locally made boats are called coracles. The coracles are about 2.24 m ( 7ft 4in ) in diameter, but still can take a load of eight persons at a time. These coracles are made of bamboo, and with all materials available takes about a day to build. The bottom of the boats are made waterproof by the use of hides.These boats are steered and propelled using a single paddle, making them unique. One can also take bath in the falls.