When you are driving from Mysuru to the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam or the KRS Dam & Brindavan Gardens, there is a small exit to your right that takes you to the sight of these man-made cascades – the Balmuri and Edmuri Waterfalls. They are surrounded by lush greenery and are quite a hotspot to hang out and have a small picnic.

Are Balmuri waterfalls really a waterfall?

Ok, let’s address this first and get it out of the way. Technically, the Balmuri waterfall is not really a waterfall. It is just the water of the Cauvery river falling down by about 6-8 feet over the checkdam that has been created over the river, forming a man-made cascade. The beauty of the place is in its serenity and not in the force or speed of the cascade.

In Kannada, ‘Bala’ means ‘right’ and ‘Muri’ means ‘curve’. So, Balmuri is named after the right-hand curve that this cascade has. The falls can visited throughout the year and there is a peaceful calm to the place around. There are no lifeguards or safety mechanisms in place here, so while it is relative safe to step into the river and dip your feet into the flowing water of the holy Cauvery river, but there is a risk attached to it. I myself prefer to watch the river pass by from afar, at most I might dip just my feet in, and that is as far as I would go. avoid going into the river when the dam gates have been opened, it could get very dangerous. It is also not advisable to step into the river during the monsoons.

About 500 feet east of the Balmuri waterfalls are the Edmuri waterfalls. They make a good spot to catch a swim and splash about. There is also an ancient Ganesha temple with a large statue of Lord Shiva at the gate.

What can you do at the Balmuri waterfalls?

Here are some of the things to do at the Balmuri Waterfalls:

• Catch a swim, splash water about should be option number 1, right?
• Take in the lush greenery around and the peaceful Cauvery river.
• Take a coracle (the traditional round boat) ride into the river.
• Seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha at the temple next to the river.
• Relish some locally caught and cooked fish prepared the traditional way.
• Walk over to the bridge over the river and see the river all the way to the horizon.
• Dig into some local snacks.
• Go dirt-biking at the adventure zone nearby.
• Explore the paddy fields and green Kannada countryside.
• Go bird watching at the Ranganthitu bird sanctuary, about 10 km away.
• Explore some of the landmarks from Tipu Sultan’s life in Srirangapatna nearby.

What are some of the popular movies shot at the Balmuri Waterfalls?

Some of the famous movies that have been shot at the Balmuri Waterfalls near Mysore, in Karnataka are:

• The 1972 movie Pakeezah, starring Rajkumar and Meena Kumari
• The 1996 movie Raja Hindustani starring Karishma Kapoor and Amir Khan
• And lots and lots of Kannada movies

What did I like the most about the Balmuri Waterfalls?

If there was one thing that I liked the most about the Balmuri waterfalls, it would be the serenity and the calm of the place, and the beauty of the green Kannada countryside. However, to experience this, you would need to get away from the crowd. Crowds make me uncomfortable and I try to avoid them as much as I can anyway. Get on a coracle and let the boatman take you deeper into the Cauvery river. The river is rather gentle but considerably deep in parts, so don’t get too adventurous. But find a quite spot and settle in. I found one, close to a small makeshift hut, with paddy fields for as far as the eye could see behind me, and the river in front of me. Sitting on a rock, it felt good to bathe in beauty of the landscape. I always carry a book along with me, so I spent some time reading a few pages, but the river kept distracting me. So, after a few failed attempts, I decided to chuck the book aside and just take in the experience. The wind blowing through my hair and the sound of the river flowing is quite the ASMR, I must say, much better than ASMR. I brought some chopped pineapple and watermelons from the street, doused in spices, so it was quite nice to sit by the river and bite into them. I would recommend carrying your own bottle of water when you visit, I prefer that instead of buying those use-and-throw plastic mineral water bottles that trash up a place. Carry your own bottle and keep refilling it instead, that’s so much more cooler and more environment-friendly.

I prayed for friends and family at the Ganesha temple here. The large Lord Shiva statue will be visible even before you park your vehicle. I like how colorful the gate to the temple is. It reminded of this shoot sequence in the movie Surya Singham 2, which I know is not shot here, but it also had a gate that was so colorful. The temple is simple and thankfully wasn’t too crowded when I visited.

The third thing I enjoyed doing was to walk up ahead to the bridge over the river and just feel the breeze. It is just a short walk around. Mind your belongings, I would suggest. Also, always wear walk-friendly, all-terrain-friendly footwear, pointy heels and uncomfortable shoes do not work. The scene gets exceptionally pleasant around Sunset, so try to catch one, if you can.

The fourth thing I enjoyed to do was to walk into the nearby paddy fields. Not too deep, just close to the road. You don’t want to alarm the farmers or seem like unwelcome uninvited strangers (which you kind of are). Stick to the min paths and stay close to the road. This should give you some great spots to click some amazing pictures. I have a reel on my Instagram showcasing the pictures I captured around here.

The fifth thing I liked doing here was, of course, the dirt-biking. The countryside is pleasing and pleasant. The Sun was mild and it was a beautiful evening. It was a weekday so the place wasn’t too crowded. I could catch a neat dirt-bike ride through the place and it was a good adventure. Not exactly adrenalin-pumping for me, my adventure scale goes much higher, but fun, nevertheless.

Are the Balmuri Waterfalls worth a visit?

Absolutely. The Balmuri and Edmuri waterfalls are definitely worth a visit. Spend an evening here, have a nice picnic, soak in the scenery. You can even pair it with a visit to Srirangapatna in the morning, Ranganthitu bird sanctuary later in the day, and then Balmuri towards the evening, before heading back to Mysore city for the night.