Upper Bhavani Reservoir

A high working reservoir in protected shola-grassland at the headwaters of the Bhavani. The approach crosses controlled forest and inspection roads; confirm permission before leaving, stop at every barrier, and do not treat the shore as a picnic or boating area.

Upper Bhavani Reservoir, Kundah
Practical guide

Plan Upper Bhavani Reservoir

Who's going?Tailor Upper Bhavani Reservoir to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseKundah
DistrictThe Nilgiris
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Places to visit6Listed businesses25

Upper Bhavani Reservoir is planned from Kundah, one of the travel bases in The Nilgiris district. Use Kundah for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.

The story

A high working reservoir in protected shola-grassland at the headwaters of the Bhavani. The approach crosses controlled forest and inspection roads; confirm permission before leaving, stop at every barrier, and do not treat the shore as a picnic or boating area.

The story of Upper Bhavani Reservoir

At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, upper Bhavani Reservoir is best read in its The Nilgiris context. At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, walk only through areas open to visitors and distinguish the surviving historic fabric from later repairs, displays and present-day civic use.

At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, set aside enough time to examine Upper Bhavani Reservoir without blocking its everyday use. At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, current opening, maintenance and event arrangements should be confirmed in kundah on the day.

At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, upper Bhavani Reservoir makes most sense when its documented purpose is separated from legend and promotional superlatives. At Upper Bhavani Reservoir near kundah, read labels critically, ask before photographing people and leave restricted rooms undisturbed.

What to expect

Highlights

Getting there

How to visit

  • Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
  • If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Timing

Best time

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

Weather in Upper Bhavani ReservoirSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Upper Bhavani Reservoir
Sunrise6:13 am
Sunset6:06 pm
Golden hour best light5:06 pm–6:06 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:06 pm–6:31 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 24%

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.

Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Upper Bhavani Reservoir

Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Upper Bhavani Reservoir — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.

Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
De Colonial Manor

Registered bed and breakfast at 7/238 Sreet One, Vpn Colony, Ithalar Road. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered lodge and tourist home
Hotel Tejas Gateway

Registered lodge and tourist home at 384/3 Kundah Taluk Office Road,kotrakandy, Manjoor. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered resort
H S B Hospitality Services

Registered resort at 6/202, Kathadimattam, Manjore Road, Balacola, The Nilgiris 643 203. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
Reroot Crest

Registered bed and breakfast at No. 2/585 , Yellakandi , Ithalar Village, Kundah Taluk The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
Silverline Resort

Registered bed and breakfast at Silverline Resort, 2/259, Kathadimattam, Balacola Post,. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Bhuvanesh Cottage

Registered bed and breakfast at 3/125b4 Kundha Post Near Post Office Manjoor The Nilgiris Pin : 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Little Heaven

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/512 Karikad Corner Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Aimans Breezy Paradise

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/269, Kathadumattam Street, Balacola Village Panchayat, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Suejay's Aurora

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/571, Suejay's Aurora,yellagndi, Ithalar Post, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Vihani's Western Clouds

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/542, Ithalar, Ithalar Panchayat, The Nilgiris - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Mark Holidays

Registered bed and breakfast at 7/408, Thulithalai, Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Misty Meadows

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/274/A, Balacola Street, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris - 643203. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Bab's Cloud Resorts

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/444a, Koliyatti, Mel Kundha, The Nilgiris - 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Viewsvilla

Registered bed and breakfast at Viewsvilla, No.1/302-D19, Mullimalai Kandimattam,kilkundah Village, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris - 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
7 Stars Retreat Center Cottage

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/499 Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
House Of Joy

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/282, Mahalingam Nagar, Balacola Village, Kundah Taluk. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Joshvee

Registered bed and breakfast at Joshvee,2/511. Winter Lake Ithalar, Avalanche Main Road, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu 643004 India". The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered homestay
Rishlila Villa

Registered homestay at 2/554 Karikad Corner, Ithalar, Nilgiris District, Tamilnadu 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Casa De Amor

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/555, Ithalar Village, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Royal Rose Home Stay

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/570 Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Camellia Crest

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/589, Ithalar Street, Ithalar Village Panchayat, The Nilgiris - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Cindola Gate

Registered bed and breakfast at 2-259, Cindola Gate Ooty, Kathadimattam, Manjoor Road, Kundah Taluk,. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered homestay
Rishlila Villa Private Limited

Registered homestay at 2/472, Ithalar, Karikad Corner, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Kings Bed And Breakfast

Registered bed and breakfast at Door No. 6-672, Old Sy. No. 3-1a2, New Sy No: 1239, Sub Dividion No: 12398, Kundah Ooty Road Part Of Ithalar Village, Kunda Taluk, Nilgiris District. Pin Code : 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details

Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.

Ranked guides

Top experiences around Kundah

5 more places around Kundah. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

wildlifeMukurthi National Park

12.0 km · ~20 min by cab

A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.

heritageSispara Pass

A historic pass through the western escarpment towards Malabar, now deep inside protected high country. It is not an independent day hike or an ordinary attraction: enter only on the route, date and guide authorised by the Wildlife Warden, and expect that no programme may be available.

heritageBangitappal

11.2 km · ~19 min by cab

A remote grassland basin behind Sispara where streams meet and a trekking shed stands. The shed and track do not make it public: Bangitappal belongs only inside a specifically permitted, guided Mukurthi itinerary.

heritageParsons Valley Reservoir

620 m · 8 min walk

A protected drinking-water catchment in dense shola west of Ooty. There are no ordinary visitor hours or shore facilities, and a route drawn over a water-board or forest road is not permission to follow it.

heritagePorthimund Dam

13.1 km · ~22 min by cab

A working reservoir in the Kundah hydro-electric system, surrounded by controlled forest and departmental roads. See it only from a safe public-road point when the approach is open; do not pass a power or forest barrier or approach the water.

Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Upper Bhavani Reservoir? List it and it appears here once verified.

Add a nearby business
Before you go

Upper Bhavani Reservoir — at a glance

TimingsDaylight and only while the authorised approach is open
Best timeSeptember to January for public-road conditions; current departmental decision controls access

Entry: Controlled forest and reservoir access. Obtain current Forest Department instructions before travel; entry can be refused.

Getting here

How to reach Upper Bhavani Reservoir

Reached through the Avalanche side of the western catchment, but the final forest/inspection roads are not ordinary public roads. A private vehicle route on a map is not authority to continue.

Getting around Upper Bhavani Reservoir

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 Upper Bhavani Reservoir
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Upper Bhavani Reservoir

heritageParsons Valley Reservoir

A protected drinking-water catchment in dense shola west of Ooty. There are no ordinary visitor hours or shore facilities, and a route drawn over a water-board or forest road is not permission to follow it.

620 m · 8 min walk · straight line
damAvalanche Lake

A reservoir among sholas and grassland on the road toward Upper Bhavani, 22.5 km from the Ooty bus stand by routed road — the district and the municipality both publish it as 28 km. It sits inside a protected forest zone where access is controlled, so check before setting out.

6.2 km · ~15 min by auto · straight line
damEmerald Lake, Ooty

A quiet reservoir near Avalanche in the upper Nilgiris, surrounded by tea plantations and sholas, less visited than Ooty Lake.

8.5 km · ~14 min by cab · straight line
heritageBangitappal

A remote grassland basin behind Sispara where streams meet and a trekking shed stands. The shed and track do not make it public: Bangitappal belongs only inside a specifically permitted, guided Mukurthi itinerary.

11.2 km · ~19 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeMukurthi National Park

A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.

12.0 km · ~20 min by cab · straight line
T
Tribal Research Centre Museum, Ooty
Place
heritageTribal Research Centre Museum, Ooty

Part of the Tribal Research Centre campus at Muthorai near Ooty. It preserves ornaments, tools, weapons, pottery and artwork documenting dozens of ethnic communities of Tamil Nadu, including the Toda, Kota, Kurumba and Irula tribes of the Nilgiris. It is listed on the official Nilgiris district tourism site.

12.7 km · ~21 min by cab · straight line
heritagePorthimund Dam

A working reservoir in the Kundah hydro-electric system, surrounded by controlled forest and departmental roads. See it only from a safe public-road point when the approach is open; do not pass a power or forest barrier or approach the water.

13.1 km · ~22 min by cab · straight line
damPykara Lake

The reservoir on the Pykara river 22.2 km from the Ooty bus stand by routed road, with a boathouse running motorboat trips over water ringed by pine, shola and grassland; gaur graze the banks. The river above it is held sacred by the Toda, and the falls two kilometres downstream are part of the same site.

13.2 km · ~22 min by cab · straight line
N
Naduvattam
Place
heritageNaduvattam

The village 15.9 km up the Ooty road from Gudalur where quinine came from. On 30 August 1862 the Governor of Madras, Sir William Denison, planted out the first cinchona permanently established in the Nilgiris here, and the government factory that grew up around it was run by W. G. McIvor, the gardener who had brought the seedlings on. The plantations were worked by convicts, and at McIvor's own request five hundred Chinese prisoners were sent up to Naduvattam to do it — a piece of the hills' history that gets far less telling than the tea does. The cinchona estates are still there on the slopes above the highway, and the first hairpin below the village is the Frog Hill lay-by.

14.7 km · ~24 min by cab · straight line
waterfallPykara Falls

The Pykara river drops here in two stages of 55 and 61 metres, on the Mysuru road 22.5 km from the Ooty bus stand by routed road — the municipality publishes it as about 20 km. The river above the falls is held sacred by the Toda.

15.2 km · ~25 min by cab · straight line
damKamaraj Sagar Dam

A small reservoir and dam near Ooty on the outskirts of town, popular as a quiet picnic and photography spot away from the crowds.

15.6 km · ~26 min by cab · straight line
heritagePine Forest, Ooty

A dense stand of tall, closely planted pines on the slope below the Shooting Point area on the Ooty-Gudalur road. Its symmetrical rows of trees and filtered light have made it a favourite spot for photography and countless Tamil film songs. It is usually visited together with the adjoining 9th Mile Shooting Point.

15.9 km · ~27 min by cab · straight line

All 6 places to visit in Kundah →

On the map

Where Upper Bhavani Reservoir is

Good to know

Upper Bhavani Reservoir — frequently asked

How should I plan time at Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

Allow about an hour at Upper Bhavani Reservoir, then add any worship, security, institutional or festival wait found on the day.

What must I confirm before visiting Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

Check the current entrance, opening session and any permission requirement. For Upper Bhavani Reservoir, an old photograph or map listing is not evidence that every area is open now.

When is the best time to visit Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

What are the entry fee and timings at Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

Entry: Controlled forest and reservoir access. Obtain current Forest Department instructions before travel; entry can be refused. Timings: Daylight and only while the authorised approach is open.

How do I reach Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.

How much time do I need for Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

About an hour.

What else is near Upper Bhavani Reservoir?

Nearby you can pair Parsons Valley Reservoir (620 m), Avalanche Lake (6.2 km), Emerald Lake, Ooty (8.5 km), Bangitappal (11.2 km).

Read before you go

Upper Bhavani Reservoir guides, stories & itineraries

We have not published a story about Upper Bhavani Reservoir itself yet. These cover Kundah and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.

Around Kundah

These guides explore Kundah and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.

Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries

Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

See all 49 The Nilgiris guides & stories →

Image credits

Photographs: Michael varun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.