Mekedatu is a renowned picnic spot situated about 90 km from Bangalore city. This is the spot from where the Cauvery River, after its confluence with Kollidam River at Sangama, flows through a deep and narrow gorge. This little gorge which is made of hard granite rock is only 10 m wide and is believed to be so narrow that even a goat can cross over it in just one leap. Hence, this place is popularly known as Goat’s Leap from the meaning of its name is as follows: ‘Meke’ means goat/sheep and ‘datu’ means to cross.
History of Mekedatu:
It an age old story amongst the locals that once a herdsman from this area witnessed a goat, which was being chased by a tiger, leap across the gorge from one side to the other. However, the tiger did not make any attempts to cross the gorge and abandoned the chase thereby letting the goat escape. Since this day, this place has popularly been termed by the locals as the Goat’s Leap. Over the course of time, the narrow point from where the goat is believed to have jumped has become wide resulting from continuous erosion caused by the river Cauvery.
The mythological twist to this ancient story is that the locals believe that the goat which leapt across the Cauvery was Lord Shiva in disguise and the strange holes, which can be seen on both rocky cliffs of the gorge, can only be made by the divine goat.
Places of attraction near Mekedatu:
Besides this historic narrow gorge at Mekedatu, tourists can venture a bit further and visit the following interesting tourists spots as well:
- Located upstream on the river Cauvery, Shivanasamudra Falls, the second largest waterfall in India, is another popular attraction among the tourists.
- The Chunchi Falls are situated near Mekadatu which falls before the Sangama.
- The Sangam of the rivers Arkhavathy and Cauvery is splendid to look at.
- There is a beautiful temple dedicated to Sangameshwara at Sangama.
How to get to Mekedatu?
The nearest airport to Mekedatu is the Bengaluru International Airport.
The nearest railway station to Mekedatu is the Bangalore City Junction Railway Station.
The nearest bus stand to Mekedatu is at Sangama. This station is served by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from Kanakapura.
Mekedatu can also be reached by road for those enthusiastic about making a road trip to this destination. The first 89 km can be driven through but the remaining 4 have to be walked or be made through using a different mode of transportation. This spot near Bangalore is a gorgeous and a spectacular place where the river Cauvery flows through a tapered narrow valley.
Best time to visit Mekedatu:
Though the rocks are Mekedatu would be slippery due to rains during the monsoon, the best time to visit this place is during monsoons from the month of October through March. This is when the vegetation around the hills are at their greenest best and are a real treat to the eye.
