Irupu Falls
Encyclopedia
The Irupu Falls ಇರ್ಪು ಜಲಪಾತ are located in the Brahmagiri
Range in the Kodagu
district of Karnataka
, India
, bordering the Wayanad district of Kerala
. It is a fresh water cascade and is situated at a distance of 48 km from Virajpet
on the highway to Nagarhole. The Falls are also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls, derived from the name of the tributary of Cauvery which starts from these falls, the Lakshmana Tirtha River
.
A forest trail leads from these falls to the Brahmagiri Peak in Southern Kodagu. Irupu falls is a major tourist attraction as well as a pilgrimage spot. A famous Siva
temple, the Rameshwara Temple is situated on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River
, en route to the Falls. This temple attracts a large number of pilgrims during the festival of Shivaratri.
and Lakshmana
, passed along the Bhramagiri range whilst searching for Rama's beloved, Sita
. When Rama asked Lakshmana to fetch him drinking water, Lakshmana shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri hills and brought into being the river Lakshmana Tirtha. Due to this legend, the Falls is believed to possess the power to cleanse sins and is visited by thousands of devotees on Shivaratri day.
, 260 km from Bangalore and 120 km from Mysore. The Falls can be visited by the highway from Gonikopal to Nagerhole National Park off the Kutta Road after Srimangala.
Brahmagiri
Brahmagiri , ' is a mountain range in the Western Ghats of south India. It is situated on the border between Kodagu district in Karnataka state in the north and Wayanad district of Kerala state on the south . Brahmagiri Hill, at 1608 m height, is a scenic tourist attraction...
Range in the Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
district of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, bordering the Wayanad district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It is a fresh water cascade and is situated at a distance of 48 km from Virajpet
Virajpet
The town of Virajpet is the second town of the district of Kodagu, in Karnataka. It is the main town of the Virajpet taluka, in the south of the district. The name is an abbreviation of Virarajendrapete after the former ruler of Kodagu, Virarajendra, and this latter form is still sometimes used.It...
on the highway to Nagarhole. The Falls are also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls, derived from the name of the tributary of Cauvery which starts from these falls, the Lakshmana Tirtha River
Lakshmana Tirtha River
The Lakshmana Tirtha is a river of India that has its origin in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake....
.
A forest trail leads from these falls to the Brahmagiri Peak in Southern Kodagu. Irupu falls is a major tourist attraction as well as a pilgrimage spot. A famous Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple, the Rameshwara Temple is situated on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River
Lakshmana Tirtha River
The Lakshmana Tirtha is a river of India that has its origin in Kodagu district and flows eastward. It joins the Kaveri in the Krishna Raja Sagara lake....
, en route to the Falls. This temple attracts a large number of pilgrims during the festival of Shivaratri.
The legend
According to popular legend, RamaRama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, passed along the Bhramagiri range whilst searching for Rama's beloved, Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
. When Rama asked Lakshmana to fetch him drinking water, Lakshmana shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri hills and brought into being the river Lakshmana Tirtha. Due to this legend, the Falls is believed to possess the power to cleanse sins and is visited by thousands of devotees on Shivaratri day.
How to reach
The best time to visit the Falls is during the monsoons, when the Falls is at full capacity and is a breathtaking sight. Irupu is situated at 48 km from VirajpetVirajpet
The town of Virajpet is the second town of the district of Kodagu, in Karnataka. It is the main town of the Virajpet taluka, in the south of the district. The name is an abbreviation of Virarajendrapete after the former ruler of Kodagu, Virarajendra, and this latter form is still sometimes used.It...
, 260 km from Bangalore and 120 km from Mysore. The Falls can be visited by the highway from Gonikopal to Nagerhole National Park off the Kutta Road after Srimangala.
- By air: Nearest is the Mysore Airport may also be used to reach the Falls.