Ridge point at Bisle ghat

This is an unusual place on the Bisle ghat where the water falling on one side of the ridge flows to the nearby Arabian sea and the other to the distant Bay of Bengal!! A small stone monument marks this ridge at a village called “Mankanahalli” on Bisle ghat road.

It was afternoon when we reached this place. Though it is just next to the road, it is easy to miss unless you specifically look for it. There was no soul present in the area. It was not surprising as we had gone on a weekday!! A small lake next to it and the surrounding hills added beauty to this place. Monsoon had turned the whole area into a picturesque location.

It was exciting that a small change in the source of water could change its destination dramatically. There are many such places in western ghats, though they are not marked like this place. The rivers Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi originate at a place called Gangamoola near Kudremukh. While Tunga and Bhadra take eastwardly direction to the Bay of Bengal, Nethravathi has a short journey to the Arabian sea!! Even near my native place, there are places where water falling on one side of the hill joins the Sharavathi river while the other side joins Tungabhadra.

What else to see?

I do not recommend driving so far to only visit this place. But Bisle ghat has so many beautiful places that you need to plan an itinerary!!

• Nearby Bisle ghat view point (6 km)
• Hike to Patla betta (starting place is 0.5 km from Ridge point)
• Mallalli falls
• Mookana mane falls
• Lesser known waterfalls!!

Where is Bisle ghat?

Bisle ghat is one of the roads in Karnataka connecting the coastal region to the Deccan plateau via western ghats. It connects Sakleshpura to Kukke Subramanya. This place is about 42 km from Sakleshpur.

Trivial

Bisle in Kannada means “Sunlight”. The forests in the area are so dense that the sunlight does not fall on the ground. Hence the name “Bisle” (To be spoken as “Bisile”).