Dandeli: By the river Kali

Kali is a common name for many rivers that flow across Indian subcontinent right from Nepal to Uttarakhand to MP and Karnataka. Last week I got to spend some time by the Kali River that flows through Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka – not too far from my current home in Goa. First thing that we encountered as we drove towards Dandeli is the tall dam called Supa Dam on the river and the back water that it creates. Towards the end of the day, we saw the sun setting on the backwaters from the ramparts of a wall bridging the area for dam. There were lots of tourists swimming and playing at the edges.

After a sumptuous lunch at Dandeli Jungle Camp, we went to Bison River Resort that is right next to the river and is the place for all kinds of water sports like White Water Rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing, Coracle rode, boating, river crossing etc. We did some light adventure activities like kayaking in the river for sometime followed by a Coracle ride. We sat at the banks of the rivers and watched others getting ready to dare the white waters in their rafts.

After some time we were taken across the river for Jacuzzi. I had no idea what it meant, but anything new always leads to curiosity. Now this was a small area that became a natural pool as the water from the river gushed through giant stones, falling into the pool with great pressure and then passing through another set of stones. The pressure with which water landed in this small but natural enclosure created a kind of mini waterfalls. If you stand below these mini waterfalls, you feel the pressure of water on your body that is absolutely relaxing. You not only enjoy the soothing touch of the clean untreated water but also its pressure massaging your body. I was there for good 30 minutes and when I came out, it felt all the pains, aches and stress from body has been left behind in that pool. I highly recommend natural Jacuzzi to anyone visiting Dandeli.

In between activities, birds flying across the river kept us engaged. There were many hornbills on both banks of the river with their heavier than body beaks. A platform built on drums was the favorite place of couples that lent some romance to the air. A bent mango tree on the bank creates a canopy and while Kayaking and boating people pass under it for a surreal feeling that ports you to a different world that has water below and trees all around. Not too far from the Bison River Resort, the river level moves down suddenly for 10-20 feet and this is where white water is created and can be seen from a distance. To see the peaceful river water converting into a riot of white water bubbling with energy and then settling back into the peaceful pace looks pretty much a metaphor of its visitors who have a sudden burst of energy on weekends in between their mundane routine lives.

Water of river appeared black to me from a distance and I thought this might be this is the reason it is given the name Kali. I took water in my hands, and No, it was not black – it was clean and transparent. I looked at the greenery around whose reflection could have made the water look dark, but it should have lent green color to the water. I am not sure if the base of the river has something that lends it the color or creates an illusion of it being black or may be it was a figment of my over-worked imagination.

Dandeli is a good weekend getaway from Goa, Pune, Hubli, Belgaum and may be even Bangalore and Mumbai. We were told there are about 25 different adventure activities that you can do in Dandeli – we explored about 5-6 of them, will write about rest of them in next post.