What to expect
Highlights
- The ~116 m single-drop plunge of the Aghanashini.
- The forest walk to the viewpoint.
- Mist and rainbows in the post-monsoon flow.
Unchalli Falls
Unchalli Falls, also known as Lushington Falls after the British officer who recorded it, is where the Aghanashini river plunges about 116 m in a single drop into a deep forested gorge near Siddapura.
Practical guide
Plan Unchalli Falls
Who's going?Tailor Unchalli Falls to your trip
Typewaterfall
Nearest baseSirsi
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeAugust to January for full flow
Time needed1.5 to 2 hours including the walk
EntrySmall entry/parking fee
Places to visit8→Reached by a short walk through the forest to a viewing platform, it is at its thundering, misty best in and just after the monsoon.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~35 km from Sirsi near Siddapura; drive to the trailhead, then a forest walk and steps to the platform.
- The path is slippery and the viewpoint has drops — stay behind railings, wear good shoes, and go in daylight.
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 full flow; the falls shrink in the dry months.
Weather in Unchalli FallsSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Unchalli Falls
Sunrise6:22 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
- A steep forest viewpoint over a gorge — keep behind railings and do not attempt to climb down.
Photos
Unchalli Falls in pictures
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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
24.5 km · ~41 min by cab
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
28.0 km · ~47 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.
waterfallSathodi Falls
A wide waterfall where a tributary of the Kali drops into a pool amid forest near Yellapur, backed by the Kodasalli reservoir.
waterfallMagod 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.
heritageSahasralinga
35.0 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
35.6 km · ~59 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
19.9 km · ~33 min by cab
A forest Venkataramana (Vishnu) temple ~26 km from Sirsi — a regional pilgrimage sometimes called the “Tirupati of Uttara Kannada”.
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Unchalli Falls — at a glance
TimingsDaylight hours
Best timeAugust to January for full flow
Entry: Small entry/parking fee
Getting here
How to reach Unchalli Falls
~35 km from Sirsi near Siddapura; drive + forest walk and steps
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 Unchalli 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 Unchalli 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 Unchalli Falls
templeIdagunji Temple
A much-visited Ganapathi (Vinayaka) temple at Idagunji near Honnavar — one of the most important Ganesha shrines on the Kanara coast.
8.4 km · ~14 min by cab · straight lineB
Benne Hole Falls
Place
waterfallBenne Hole Falls
A multi-tier forest waterfall ~25 km from Siddapur reached by a trek — its name means “butter pool”, for the milky look of its water.
17.0 km · ~28 min by cab · straight lineM
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”.
19.9 km · ~33 min by cab · straight linetempleSirsi 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.
24.5 km · ~41 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.
28.0 km · ~47 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.
29.8 km · ~50 min by cab · straight line
templeBanavasi Madhukeshwara Temple
A 9th-century Kadamba-era Shiva temple at Banavasi — the oldest town in Karnataka and the ancient Kadamba capital — with a famous stone Nandi, lathe-turned pillars and a monolithic stone bed.
32.1 km · ~54 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.
35.0 km · ~58 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.
35.6 km · ~59 min by cab · straight line
heritageMirjan Fort
A laterite-stone fort near Kumta on the Aghanashini estuary, with high bastions and stepped wells amid greenery, linked to the 16th-century pepper-trading queen Chennabhairadevi.
36.7 km · ~61 min by cab · straight line
waterfallApsarakonda Falls
A tiered waterfall dropping into a pool near Honnavar, paired with an adjacent beach and a clifftop sunset point and Ganesha temple.
38.2 km · ~64 min by cab · straight line
islandBasavaraja Durga Island
A 17th-century sea-fort island off the Honnavar coast built by the Keladi Nayakas / Vijayanagara — ruined ramparts and a lighthouse, reached by boat.
38.8 km · ~65 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Unchalli Falls is
Good to know
Unchalli Falls — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Unchalli Falls?
August to January for full flow; the falls shrink in the dry months.
What are the entry fee and timings at Unchalli Falls?
Entry: Small entry/parking fee. Timings: Daylight hours.
How do I reach Unchalli Falls?
~35 km from Sirsi near Siddapura; drive to the trailhead, then a forest walk and steps to the platform. The path is slippery and the viewpoint has drops — stay behind railings, wear good shoes, and go in daylight.
How much time do I need for Unchalli Falls?
1.5 to 2 hours including the walk.
What else is near Unchalli Falls?
Nearby you can pair Idagunji Temple (8.4 km), Benne Hole Falls (17.0 km), Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple (19.9 km), Sirsi Marikamba Temple (24.5 km).
Read before you go
Unchalli Falls guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Unchalli Falls itself yet. These cover Sirsi and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Heritage guide
Mirjan Fort: Laterite Walls, Pepper Routes and a Monsoon Visit
6 min read · Read →
Regional guide
Banavasi: How to Read Karnataka’s First Historical Capital
6 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Magod Falls and Jenukallu Gudda: One Careful Yellapur Day
5 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Day Trips from Karwar: The Whole of Uttara Kannada from One Base
6 min read · Read →
Story
Tagore in Karwar: Four Months That Gave a Beach Its Name
5 min read · Read →
Story
The Last Ward: How Karwar Got Its Name, and Its Language
6 min read · Read →
Image credits
Photographs: Sukruth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), User:Plhegde (CC BY-SA 3.0), UnitedUK (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.