What to expect
Highlights
- The wide curtain of water into a forest pool.
- The Kodasalli-reservoir backwater setting.
- A short, easy forest walk to the base.
Sathodi Falls
Sathodi Falls is a broad waterfall where a tributary of the Kali river drops around 15 m into a pool amid thick forest near Yellapur, backed by the waters of the Kodasalli reservoir.
Practical guide
Plan Sathodi Falls
Who's going?Tailor Sathodi Falls to your trip
Typewaterfall
Nearest baseSirsi
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeAugust to January for good flow
Time needed1 to 1.5 hours
EntrySmall or no fee
Places to visit8→A short walk leads to the base, where the pool is sometimes shallow enough for a careful dip; it is fullest after the monsoon.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~30 km from Yellapur and ~60 km from Sirsi; reach it by road, then a short walk.
- Rocks are slippery — take care near the water; facilities are limited, so carry water.
Distance by road
- Panaji (Goa)100 km
- Hubballi165 km
- Udupi175 km
- Mangaluru270 km
- Bengaluru500 km
Road km to Uttara Kannada; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
August to January for good flow; combine with the Yellapur falls circuit.
Weather in Sathodi FallsSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Sathodi Falls
Sunrise6:23 am
Sunset6:10 pm
Golden hour best light5:10 pm–6:10 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:10 pm–6:35 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌓 First quarter · 45%
Retreating monsoon. October and November still see spells of rain from the retreating monsoon, though it is usually lighter than mid-year. Conditions are generally good but worth checking.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- Slippery rocks by a plunge pool — swim only where safe and mind the flow after rain.
Photos
Sathodi Falls in pictures
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Stays, food & things to do near Sathodi Falls
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List your placeRanked guides
Top experiences around Sirsi
7 more places around Sirsi. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
templeSirsi Marikamba Temple
The largest temple to the goddess Marikamba (Durga) in Karnataka, at Sirsi, famous for its biennial Marikamba Jatra — one of the biggest fairs in the state.
trekYana
39.9 km · ~66 min by cab
A pair of towering black karst rock spires — the Bhairaveshwara and Mohini shikharas — rising from dense Sahyadri forest, a pilgrimage and trekking spot with a Shiva shrine in a cave at the base.
waterfallUnchalli Falls
Also called Lushington Falls — where the Aghanashini river plunges about 116 m into a forested gorge near Siddapura, viewed from a platform after a short forest walk.
waterfallMagod Falls
20.9 km · ~35 min by cab
A waterfall near Yellapur where the Bedti (Gangavali) river drops in two leaps of around 200 m into a wooded gorge, seen from a viewpoint.
heritageSahasralinga
34.8 km · ~58 min by cab
Over a thousand Shiva lingas and Nandis carved into the bed and banks of the Shalmala river ~14 km from Sirsi — exposed in the dry season and submerged in the monsoon.
S
Sonda Vadiraja Matha
Place
heritageSonda Vadiraja Matha
33.6 km · ~56 min by cab
The Vadiraja (Sode) matha at Sonda ~20 km from Sirsi — one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi and a major Dvaita pilgrimage centre around the Vadiraja Brindavana, with a Jain basadi nearby.
M
Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple
Place
templeManjuguni Venkataramana Temple
A forest Venkataramana (Vishnu) temple ~26 km from Sirsi — a regional pilgrimage sometimes called the “Tirupati of Uttara Kannada”.
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Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Sathodi Falls — at a glance
TimingsDaylight hours
Best timeAugust to January for good flow
Entry: Small or no fee
Getting here
How to reach Sathodi Falls
~30 km from Yellapur, ~60 km from Sirsi; road + short walk
Getting back
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
- KSRTC— the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries.Online booking.
- Indian Railways— live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Sathodi Falls
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
If you need help at Sathodi Falls
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Sathodi Falls
U
Ulavi Channabasaveshwara Temple
Place
templeUlavi Channabasaveshwara Temple
The forest shrine at Ulavi (Joida taluk) around the samadhi of Channabasavanna — one of the largest Lingayat pilgrimage centres in Karnataka, with the Akka Nagalambike cave nearby.
10.4 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
viewpointSyntheri Rocks
A towering monolithic granite cliff on the Kaneri river inside the Kali Tiger Reserve near Dandeli, home to rock bees and pigeons.
16.5 km · ~28 min by cab · straight lineJ
Jenukallu Gudda
Place
viewpointJenukallu Gudda
A Western-Ghats sunset viewpoint ~17 km from Yellapur overlooking the Bedti (Gangavali) river valley.
18.3 km · ~30 min by cab · straight lineL
Lalguli Falls
Place
waterfallLalguli Falls
A remote forest waterfall on the Kali river ~13 km from Yellapur, in elephant country reached past a forest check-post.
20.2 km · ~34 min by cab · straight linewaterfallMagod Falls
A waterfall near Yellapur where the Bedti (Gangavali) river drops in two leaps of around 200 m into a wooded gorge, seen from a viewpoint.
20.9 km · ~35 min by cab · straight lineS
Shivaganga Falls
Place
waterfallShivaganga Falls
A ~74 m waterfall on the Sonda river near Siddapur, plunging into a deep evergreen valley, with a Shiva temple at its head.
24.9 km · ~41 min by cab · straight lineS
Sonda Vadiraja Matha
Place
heritageSonda Vadiraja Matha
The Vadiraja (Sode) matha at Sonda ~20 km from Sirsi — one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi and a major Dvaita pilgrimage centre around the Vadiraja Brindavana, with a Jain basadi nearby.
33.6 km · ~56 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeDandeli Wildlife Sanctuary
A large forest sanctuary on the Kali river in the northern Ghats, part of the Kali Tiger Reserve — known for white-water rafting, hornbill birding and wildlife including elephants, gaur and the elusive black panther.
34.1 km · ~57 min by cab · straight lineheritageSahasralinga
Over a thousand Shiva lingas and Nandis carved into the bed and banks of the Shalmala river ~14 km from Sirsi — exposed in the dry season and submerged in the monsoon.
34.8 km · ~58 min by cab · straight line
damSupa Dam
A large hydro dam on the Kali river at Joida, backing up a scenic reservoir in the Kali Tiger Reserve forests.
37.0 km · ~62 min by cab · straight line
waterfallVibhooti Falls
A multi-tier limestone waterfall in the forests of Ankola taluk near Yana, often paired with the Yana rock spires.
39.1 km · ~65 min by cab · straight linetrekYana
A pair of towering black karst rock spires — the Bhairaveshwara and Mohini shikharas — rising from dense Sahyadri forest, a pilgrimage and trekking spot with a Shiva shrine in a cave at the base.
39.9 km · ~66 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Sathodi Falls is
Good to know
Sathodi Falls — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Sathodi Falls?
August to January for good flow; combine with the Yellapur falls circuit.
What are the entry fee and timings at Sathodi Falls?
Entry: Small or no fee. Timings: Daylight hours.
How do I reach Sathodi Falls?
~30 km from Yellapur and ~60 km from Sirsi; reach it by road, then a short walk. Rocks are slippery — take care near the water; facilities are limited, so carry water.
How much time do I need for Sathodi Falls?
1 to 1.5 hours.
What else is near Sathodi Falls?
Nearby you can pair Ulavi Channabasaveshwara Temple (10.4 km), Syntheri Rocks (16.5 km), Jenukallu Gudda (18.3 km), Lalguli Falls (20.2 km).
Read before you go
Sathodi Falls guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Sathodi Falls itself yet. These cover Sirsi and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
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Image credits
Photographs: Rohan Dhule, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sharath Venkatagiri (CC BY-SA 4.0), Vidyu44 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.