6364823266Rani Jhari Edge Point
Rani Jhari Edge Point | Sunksale | Kottigehara | Mudigere | Chikmagalur
Sunksale : 7 km
Kottigehara : 24 km
Mudigere : 41 km
Chikmagalur : 69 km
A truly hidden wonder of Chikmagalur, the awe-inspiring ‘ Rani Jhari Edge Point ‘ is located in the vicinity of the magnificent Ballalarayana Durga Fort , with fascinating historical stories assocated with it. It is a staggering 550 feet vertical fall of the hill with rock face. while on the Rani Jhari edge point, one feels he/she is standing on the very edge of the western ghat. On a clear day, practically the whole of Dakshina Kannada district is visible from here, including the Mangalore coastline.
Rani means ‘queen’ and Jhari means’ cliff ‘ in Kannada Language, Rani Jhari meaning ‘ Queen’s Cliff ‘. It is also known as ‘ Rani Jhari Betta( Queen’s Cliff Hill) ‘ and ‘ Ghatikallu(Ghat Rock) ‘.
Rani Jhari Edgepoint-Location
Rani Jhari edge point is located at the Balige village,Sunksale of Mudigere tk. It is in the vicinity of Ballalarayana Durga Fort. Access to Rani Jhari is from the adjoining village, Durgada Halli(village of the fort).
Rani Jhari History
The Ballalarayana Durga Fort was built by Veeraballala I of the Hoysala dynasty. After the decline of the Hoysalas, the fort came under the rule of the Nayakas of Ikkeri(Shivamogga).
in 1763, Hyder Ali(de-facto ruler of Mysore kingdom) attacked the Nayakas at Bidanoor fort which is near Ikkeri. Certain royal family members including the very young and pregnant queen fled to the Ballalarayana Durga Fort.
Hyder Ali’s soldiers pursued them to the fort and the pregnant young queen jumped to her death from the 550 feet deep hill cliff.
The hill cliff became known as Rani Jhari.
Rani Jhari Hike
Rani Jhari is accessed by an easy trek from Durgadahalli village. Since Ballalarayana Durga Fort and Bandage Arbi Falls are located very close-by, all three places can be visited in one go. Bandaje falls makes an ideal camping site depending on the weather.
Actual trek to the Rani Jhari starts from the vehicle parking site after the Shri KalaByreshwara Temple of Durgada Halli. Afterfew minutes of walking one has to take right turn to Rani Jhari. It is a short 1.5 km trek through lush forests. After about 30 minutes of hike Rani Jhari Edge Point is reached.
Best Time Visit Rani Jhari
October to May is the ideal time to visit Rani Jhari. Visiting Rani Jhari during rainy season, though an adventure by itself, is not advisable as the paths become slippery, small streams difficult to cross, the incessant rain itself etc. make the trek more arduous.
How to Reach Rani Jhari
Access to the Rani Jhari is from Durgada Halli village. Durgada Halli is just 3 km from a small town called Sunkasale. Sunkasale is located on the Mudigere-Kalasa-Horanadu road and is well connected by public/private transports from all major cities of Karnataka.