At a distance of 93 Kms from Bangalore (via Kanakapura), 107 Kms from Mysore, Sangama and Mekedatu are two lovely places situated nearby. This is one of the famous weekend getaways from Bangalore. Sangama is the place where Arakavathi river merges with River Kaveri. From this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, Mekedatu is a place where river Kaveri flows through a deep and narrow gorge.
Mekedatu means goat's leap in Kannada. River Kaveri flows into a deep and narrow gorge, so narrow that a goat could leap over it and that is how it got its name. It is said that a goat being chased by a tiger saved its life by jumping over the gorge whereas the tiger did not attempt to take the risk and abandoned the chase. When reaching the gorge the river flows ferociously onto the rocks sculpting them into some amazing shapes. The river Kaveri flows through a deep ravine of just 5-10 meter wide. The water flow is very fierce at this place during monsoons making it very dangerous to swim here. The rocks are also very steep and slippery, and visitors need to be careful while descending the rocks. Several tourists downed here due to water force and slippery rocks.
Sangama, 3.5 kms ahead of Mekedatu, is the confluence of Kaveri and Arakavathi. At Sangama, Kaveri River is more than 150 meters wide at the confluence and flows through a narrow 5-10 meter gorge at Mekedatu. Coracle ride at Sangama is a delightful experience. There are a KSTDC Canteen available at Sangama with snacks & lunch.
The best time to visit the place is between September and December. A diversion is required after Kanakapura (33 km) via Dodda Alahalli & Hegganuru towards Sangama to reach Mekedatu. Limited public transportation facilities from Kanakapura, preferably, take your own transportation. You can drive your vehicle up to Sangama. To visit Mekadatu, cross the river at Sangam on a boat and take public / private transportation to Mekadatu (3.5 kms).
No transportation is available after 5:30 PM.
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