Balamuri Falls

Balamuri (also spelled Balmuri) Falls is a small but scenic waterfall that is located on the outskirts of Mysore in Karnataka. With the picturesque view of River Cauvery, and the surrounding lush greenery, this beautiful waterfalls is an ideal destination for a day long relaxed getaway. The waterfall also acts as a popular picnic spot, and you can observe several local visitors spending time here with their families.

Dam and the Waterfalls

The beautiful Balamuri Falls is formed when River Cauvery drops down 6-7 feet over a man-made wall. The wall was constructed to form a check dam to store the water of the river. You can also spot various canals where water flows into the surrounding fields. Irrigation of these fields was the main intention of constructing this check dam.

Balamuri Falls is named so due to the direction in which the river turns. ‘Bala’ in the local language, Kannada, translates to ‘Right’, and ‘Mudi’ means ‘Turn’. The river slightly turns right at place where the dam was built, and hence its name. At about 2 km from Balamuri Falls, you can find another check dam constructed across River Cauvery. The falls formed over this check dam is called Yedamuri Falls (in Kannada, ‘Yeda’ translates to ‘Left’). As you may have guessed, the river slightly turns left here, and hence the name!

Balamuri Falls, Mysore, Karnataka

During monsoon, the water levels are so high, that the “waterfall” is almost invisible. It is even dangerous to get into water at that time, as the water currents are so high that people may be washed away. During the non-monsoon season, this place is ideal to get into water and play (but exercise caution as the water is dam controlled, and the water levels may change very quickly when dam releases water).

Location

Plan a visit

While Mysore has its own airport, it is really not a busy one. Mysore is about 150km from Bangalore, which is well connected by rail, road and air to rest of India. If you are planning a day trip from Bangalore, you can combine the visit to Balamuri Falls along with Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Kokkare Bellur and KRS Dam.

If you are planning to stay in Mysore over the weekend, you can additionally plan to visit Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hill too. A stop at Srirangapatna can take you back to 18th Century, which used to be the headquarters of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan during their rule in this region.

If you are headed in this region for a long weekend, and are interested in wildlife, do include a visit to Bandipur National Park and Himawad Gopalaswamy Betta. I am sure you will not be disappointed!

Where to stay?

Balamuri Falls is located just 18 km from Mysore, towards Krishna Raja Sagar Dam. The city of Mysore (or Mysuru) is an ideal place to stay if you want to visit the falls. Mysore has many options that can suit your  budget and comfort. Balamuri Falls can also be visited as a day trip from Bangalore/Bengaluru. In fact, over the weekends, Balamuri Falls attracts several visitors from Bangalore.

Distance Chart

From Distance (in km)
Mysore 20
Bangalore 145
Coimbatore 220
Calicut 240
Mangalore 255