Ganges Of Sky : Agaya Gangai, Kolli Hills

Ganges Of Sky : Agaya Gangai, Kolli Hills :

* Akasa Ganga is an enchanting 300 feet waterfall formed on River Aiyaru. 

* The fall is enclosed with the dense forest which increases its charm and grandeur. 

* It is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by the mountains on all sides. 

* The picturesque landscape created by the water fall is an ideal destination for the nature lovers.

* The location is ideal for trekking and the breeze is pleasant. 

* The water of the falls is considered to contain medicinal properties due to the varieties of medicinal herbs grown across the forest which makes it a natural spa. 

* People here believe that taking bath in the water cures many diseases. 

* Owing to this attribute, people from nearby areas take bath in the water so as to cure their diseases. 

* On the 18th day of Tamil month of Aadi local people assemble here to pray and express their gratitude for river.

Travel Tips : Akaga Gangai Falls is situated in Kolli Hills and other places in Kolli Hills like Sri Arappaleeswarar Swamy Temple, Seekuparai Viewpoint, Selur View Point, Botanical Garden, Boat House can be visited together.

Transportation Options : Bus / Cab / + Walk/Trek.

Distance : 

1 km trek from Sri Arappaleeswarar Swamy Temple at Ariyurnadu, 

12km from Semmedu, 

55 km from Namakkal, 

92 km from Salem, 

138 km from Trichy and 

400 km from Chennai.

How To Reach.?

* To reach the waterfall visitors have to drive over to the top of the kolli Hills, and walk down through 1300 steps which takes around 45 minutes one way. 

* There is another route from Puliancholai, which takes about five hours trek to reach the falls. This route runs through dense forest and mountain regions. This trekking route is a difficult path and suitable for experienced trekkers.

* The caves of Korakka Siddhar and Kalaanginatha Siddhar are situated near the Agaya Gangai waterfalls inside the forest area.

Best Time To Visit :

* The best time to visit the waterfall is just at the start of monsoon(June-July) or immediately after the monsoon season, (December-January).

* There are multiple ways to reach the Akaga Gangai Waterfalls. One can opt 2-Day Trekking or Hill Roads with 70 Hairpin Bends. Let's explore both the ways!

Exploring Through Trekking :

* The start point of this trek is at a small village called Puliyancholai, which is at the base of Kolli Hills. The final point is the magnificent Agaya Gangai waterfalls. 

* The entire trek will last for two days, wherein the pit stop for day 1 would be the Arapaleeswarar Temple.

* It is moderately difficult for a person who has trekked before, and could be tougher for a beginner. 

* The trek can be reduced to a single day, however, the last time of entry to Agaya Gangai waterfalls is 3 pm. So it is advised to break the trek for two days if you want to go to the falls and spend some good time (3-4 hours atleast).

* If you opt to take this trek route, then the best time to trek to Akaga Gangai is post monsoon in the month of January, as January has some good water flow as well as might make your way of trekking less slippery.

* Apart from the monsoon months, weather here is relatively pleasant so trekking can be done at any time of the year. But one needs to know about the waterflow before planning their trek.

Things To Carry For The Trek :

* Sleeping bag, tent (if you wish to camp, otherwise you can sleep in the temple premise in a sleeping bag), water bottle, snacks and energy bars, comfortable clothes, good quality shoes, simple cooking materials, medical kit, torchlight and toiletries.

Trekking Day 1 :

* The trek begins on the nearby river bed in Puliyancholai, so the initial bit is quite simple. A walk of about 45 minutes along the river will take you to a small serene stream of water. You can take a dip or just spend some time near the cool and clean stream.

* After the break, proceed through the terrain which will now be filled with huge rocks and stones. 

* Depending on the season you plan on trekking, you might find more streams of water which you might have to jump to cross. 

* Around midday, make a pit stop on the rocky terrain for lunch. Carry packed lunch so you would not have to waste time on cooking.

* Up until this point, the landscape is rather flat. But here onwards, the terrain tends to get sloppy, slowly raising the level of difficulty to trek. The vegetation also begins to get a little thicker, and you will come across tall trees and shrubs.

* A prominent view point is found here. You will know it when you reach a clearing on top of a huge rock, from where you can view the entire valley. You might want to take a break at this point, stay back and just relish the breathtaking view.

* The trek is only half complete till here. The route of the trek is quite visible and defined, so you would not have the trouble of making your own path while walking. The trek from here might take another 2-3 hours, depending on the number of times you stop for a break.

* On the way you might come across villagers and then a flatland which is actually a village, that is dotted with a few houses. If the trek until here has tired you down a lot, you could stop at this place.

* In case you feel like you can continue, then climb to the peak that houses the Arapaleeswarar Temple. The way from the village to the temple is full of grasslands, slopes, a few peaks and streams.

* If you began the trek by 9-10 am, you should be able to reach the temple by 5-6 pm, that is, if you took a number of breaks and trekked slow. You should be able to reach earlier in case you're a professional trekker.

* Once you reach this final point, you can visit the Arapaleeshwarar Temple that is dedicated to Lord Shiva, relax for a bit and observe the tranquillity of the nature that surrounds it. You can cook a simple dinner or eat from any eatery available around, and rest for the day.

Trekking Day 2

* The final treat of the trek is found close to the temple. Around 1300 concrete steps almost 500 ft downwards, will take you to the beautiful Agaya Gangai Falls. 

* The entry fee to the falls is Rs 10.

* Falling from a height of about 300 ft, the falls creates an enchanting mist as it gushes and falls on the rocks. 

* A dip under the lashing waterfalls will lift all the pain in your body from the trek almost immediately!

* Spend some time in the bottom of the Falls which has a depth of 3 to 6 ft. 

Video Credits : Kongu Tamizh

* From here, you can either book for a bus back to the foothills, or trek back in the way that you climbed.

Exploring Through Hill Roads And Walk Down The Hills :

* Two people, one car, one destination and 70 hairpin bends. You read that right! 70 hairpin bends are what you need to negotiate through to reach Kolli Hills—which grimly translates into ‘Mountains of Death.’ Infamous for 70 continuous hairpin bends, the Kolli Hill Road is not for the faint-hearted. Located in Tamil Nadu.

* We both are fond of road trips and we keep on searching for destinations that are interesting and unexplored. 

* While googling, we came across this place and found it's a combination of thrill and excitement. We did not need more information to lure us to this little known hill station nestled in the Eastern Ghats 1300 meters above sea level. 

* This unexplored, untouched, and consequently unpolluted destination hasn’t yet been overrun by tourists.

* Upon reaching Namakkal, check-in at a hotel and took some deep sleep, as the next day will be filled up by great adventure!

* Next day morning, we had buffet breakfast at the hotel. They had wide varieties of south Indian delicacies. 

* We checked out from the hotel and finally started for our ultimate journey to one of the most dangerous roads in India – Kolli Hill Road.

* We started our google map and were keeping an eye from where the Kolli hill road will start. After almost 20 km of drive the Kolli hill road started.

* The biggest excitement, no surprises here, were the bends: now we have never, in all of our travels, ever gone through so many curves on one stretch. And all 70 of these are packed into one heady 30 km stretch! That translates into a turn every 200 metres—an experience which any one would be proud to have under their belt!

* The road till the 35th bend are broad however after that the roads become narrow and more thrilling at every bend. The roads are smooth and well constructed. 

* At every bend we had to be very cautious as there runs many local state buses who drive very fast and rough. They do not honk at the bends and it gets difficult to gauge if any vehicle is coming from the opposite side. 

* The bends are so sharp and steep that it becomes very difficult to control the car if a big vehicle is coming from the other side.

* When we reached the top, it was little foggy and we captured few moments. Then we headed towards Agaya Gangai waterfalls which is almost 20 Km from the top. The road conditions to the waterfall is not good.

* There is small Shiva temple. Parking space is available. Waterfall entry fees is Rs. 10 per person. You need to climb down 1300 steps to reach the waterfall. 

* It will take around 45minutes to an hour, to climb down the steps and reach the bottom of the falls. 

* Upon reaching, have some fresh bath from the forcy Akasa Gangai Falls. We spend good time around 3-4 hours. 

* It's difficult to find a decent restaurant for lunch / dinner on the top, so we decided to have lunch after reaching down.

* We need to climb up those 1300 steps and here is the real tiredness begin. Taking superb bath in fresh water, losing all our stamina in the water itself and it's very difficult for us to climb up again and immediately. If you are fit and ready to lose the remaining stamina, you can climb up the 1300 steps immediately and within 2-2.5hours.

Pro Tips :

1). Few options available for accommodation at the top of Kolli Hills. Plan accordingly.

2). Less options of restaurants available.

3). Keep cash in hand. Cards are not widely accepted.

4). Driving in Kolli Hill road is not easy. You should be full confident on your driving.

5). Have some snacks or cooked food in your car, so that you don't need to skip or delay your lunch / dinner till reaching nearby town, Namakkal or Trichy.

6). Beware of monkeys and avoid taking food items.

7). Don't polite our mother nature. Avoid plastics and maintain the destination neat and clean. 

Conclusion :

Reaching Akasa Gangai Waterfalls, by travelling through adventurous Kolli Hills make one feel like heaven on earth. Kolli Hills is an amazing and mesmerizing destination, hidden in Tamil Nadu. One has to visit such destinations, atleast once in their lifetime. 

For me, Travelling is the best way to learn from!  Kolli Hills has thought me many things about Travel, which can be synchronised with our living life.. 

Life is like a road, with a hell lot of hairpin turns and blurry ways. Take a hairpin bend if you think you need to do that to set your life on track. Yes it will be perilous.it will test your nerve. But trust me it will be worth it, if you manage to do it right. Remember! A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn!😉

See you all by next week with another Hidden Gems! Bubyeee!!!