India's Wettest Places - Hulikal, Karnataka - Series No.3

Whenever people in India ask for wettest / Rainiest places they only know Cherrapunji or Mawsynaram or Agumbe. In these series, you will come to various places which i have identified to be wettest places of India. This series will be published every weekly. If you are fan of Heavy Rains and want to know more than Cherrapunji. Please Read it. Its only a compilation of data from various sources / articles / research materials.

Hulikal is a village located in the Hosanagara taluk of the Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is known for its heavy rainfall. It is situated in the dense forests of the Western Ghats. Hulikal is heaven for nature lovers because the place is ultimate package of unlimited natural beauty. The real beauty of Hulikal can be seen only during in rainy season when small waterfalls come alive during monsoon. These waterfalls take birth during rainy season and vanish after the monsoon. Most of the waterfalls are beside the highway.  These temporary waterfalls do not have any name and they are very easily accessible. Here rains pour throughout the day without a break. Dense forests, small and attractive waterfalls provide rich treat to the eyes of those who pass through the road.

Kunchikal Falls is located very close to Hulikal and falls from the height at about 455 meters. It is India’s highest waterfall. The Kunchikal Falls do not directly drop, but jump through a lot of rocks and boulders. The Varahi River cascades down hundreds of rocks near Hulikal or the Ghati Temple.  After construction of Mani Dam near Masthikatte and underground power generation station near Hulikal, the flow of water is greatly reduced and visible only during rainy season.

Waterfalls in Hulikal

Baalebare Ghat also called as Hulikal Ghat is just 6 kms from Hulikal. The ghat sits right on the edge of the mountains overlooking the densely forested valley is like a balcony from where you can enjoy the panoramic vistas. Farther down the little towns of Hosangadi taluk appears as tiny specks amidst a sea of green.

Road side falls near Hulikal

Heavy Rainfall

Hulikal has been receiving more rain than Agumbe (which is called as wettest place in Karnataka) in most of the years. In the rainfall recorded in the last 23 years, Hulikal has beaten Agumbe in 18 years barring 1995, 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2008. Hulikal has also received more number rainy days than Agumbe between 2008 and 2013. No doubt Hulikal is wetter than Agumbe. There are also other places which get heavy rainfall. One of which is Masthikatte, it sometimes receives more rainfall than Agumbe. The other places are Mani Dam and Yadur. While the Hulikal annual rainfall is over 8000 mm. Masthikatte annual rainfall is around 7700 mm. Mani Dam and Yadur gets around 6700 mm rainfall. These 4 places together makes it one of the wettest stretch in India or even in the world.

Available Rainfall data in Hulikal for past 8 years in mm

I am sure that Hulikal is wetter than Agumbe. Since, i have daily rainfall of Hulikal from 2008, it always gets more rainfall than Agumbe. However, its a close fight between Agumbe and Masthikatte. In the past 4 years, Masthikatee has beaten Agumbe twice making them even. It has to be seen whether Amgaon in Khanapur taluk is the wettest place in Karnataka or Hulikal. Because in between 2006 and 2011, Amgaon  has got more rainfall 3 times making the contest even.

 

See also previous series 

 

India's Wettest Places - Rajamalai, Kerala - Series No.2 

 

India's Wettest Places - Walakkad, Kerala - Series No.1

 

Source: Compilation from The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Wikipedia and Rainfall data from own research.