Category: India

Bheemeshwara waterfall is a lesser-known trail that is tucked in the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary of Western ghats. It is located near a quaint little town Kargal on Bhaktal - Kargal road in Shimoga, Karnataka.  Bheemeshwara waterfalls are one of the most beautiful all season falls that tumble down from 50ft high Valley studded with rocks. This place is also known as the Sarala hole or Sarala falls by the locals.  Not just that, there is an old cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva that dates back to Mahabharata times. You need to take the stairway that is right next to falls to reach the cave temple. You need to hike through a beautiful untrodden pathway for 4 km to reach the Bheemeshwara falls that never dries up. Firstly, a muddy path will lead you into the lush green forest that is mist-filled. Later, you need to hike down the valley and cross few streams over the small bridge to witness this beauty. Besides this, there are agricultural fields and tiny old-fashioned houses where locals reside on the way to falls. Mahashivaratri Festival In Bheemeshwara  Or Bheemalingeswara Temple You will hardly find any tourists as the place remains isolated within the forest, except for the Mahashivaratri festival. During Mahashivaratri festival time a special puja is offered to Lord Shiva. Hence, you can witness the whole town coming alive with colorful lights, devotional songs, and thousands of devotees flocking around  History Behind Bheemeshwara WaterFalls and Cave Temple Apparently, as per locals, this cave temple dedicated to Shiva was established by Bheema of Pandavas during their exile period. Hence,  this temple is called the Bheemeshwara or Bheemalingeswara, Apart from this, Arjuna one of the brothers of Pandavas used his arrow to get water from rocks for the temple purpose and that formed