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Date of journey: 25/08/2008

Starting from: Bangalore

Destination: Muthyala Maduvu

Crew: Maneesh and Varun.

I knew about Pearl Valley from many years but I never went there as the waterfall used to be dry in the summer season. The best time to visit is in the rainy season and just after the rainy season. For waterfalls August to November are the months in which they are in the full flow. We decided to check out this place in bike as it is quite nearby, some 40 kms. Actually there are two routes to go Pearl Valley one is via Bannerghatta Road:

Route 1: Bangalore—>Banneraghatta Road—>Banneraghatta National Park—>Anekal—>Muthyala Maduvu

If you take this route it will be approximately 40 kms. to reach Muthyala Maduvu.

The alternative route is via Hosur Road:

Route 2: Bangalore—>Hosur Road—>Chandapura—>Anekal—>Muthyala Maduvu

This route will take approximately 50 kms. to reach Muthyala Maduvu. Well, I still preferred the second route because the roads in Route 1 are bad after Bannerghatta. So instead of driving in bad roads I preferred driving extra 10 kms. in good roads. I went to pick Varun at 6.30 am from BEML gate and we started our journey. Hosur Road was no better, there was over bridge construction going on. We reached Chandapura around 7.30 and had breakfast along the Anekal road. Sometimes its fun to eat at roadside. We had 8 idlis, 4 bhondas, 2 cups of tea and guess what the bill was, just Rs. 29. Our next spot was Anekal. It is famous for the cereal Ragi, which is being grown in the area and is the staple food supporting the agricultural fraternity. Anekal is also called as “Ragiya Kanaja” which means Ragi Depot of Karnataka state. Muthyala Maduvu is just 5 kms. from Anekal. Along the roadside I found this beautiful cauliflower plantation:

From Anekal you have to take a right turn, which will lead you to Muthyala Maduvu. From there I liked the roads, there were trees along the roadside and driving was fun. It was like driving in the middle of the jungle. We reached Muthyala Maduvu at 8.30 and guess what, there was nobody there. I parked my bike outside the KSTDC restaurant and we went to check out the valley. Well, this time also I found a monkey. Actually, I have a theory: “If you are in a hill there is a very good probability of finding a monkey.” This theory is strictly based on the facts. Whether its Udayagiri caves in Orissa, Nandi hills near Bangalore, Chamundi hills in Mysore, or Dolphin’s nose in Coonoor, I have found monkeys and all these are hilly areas.

A few meters way from the restaurant we found steps to go down the valley:

We reached down and the first thing we saw was this:

The drops of falling water appear to look like drops of pearl. In Kannada, Muthyala maduvu means Pearl Valley (muthu = pearl and maduvu = valley). The height of this waterfall is about 90 meters. The source of the water is the nearby Onakanahalli Tank. Well, the phenomenon is unclear from the photo. Check out this video:

Then, we climbed the hill and I took this shot:

Varun also climbed the hill near the waterfall. Well, I just took shots and did not even think of climbing. I believe falling from there would lead to a survival situation, as there were big rocks. There is a temple near the falls known as Muthyala Eshwara temple:

Near the temple there is a Shiva Linga and other stone sculptures of the deities:

Then, I moved to the other side where I found a stream:

I also took a video:

After that we rested in rocks for some time and at 11 am decided to go back. Just near the restaurant we had Fanta. Then, I drove continuously till BEML layout and dropped Varun. It was a nice half-day trip and by lunch time I was in home. If you are staying in Bangalore and just want to chill out, Muthyala Maduvu is a nice place to visit. I have a couple of tips though:

1. If you are looking for a big waterfall then, I seriously suggest you don’t visit, as you will return disappointed because it is less of a waterfall and more of a picnic spot.
2. Try not to visit on a dry season. There is a very less chance that the stream will be present.

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