Gokak: A town housing ‘Niagara falls’ along with other ancient wonders

Gokak, an age-old town on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, is renowned across the world for its textile industry (Gokak mills) that was started way back in 1887 and is running till date. Other than the textile industry, the town is also houses one of the known waterfalls of the country: Gokak falls. The falls are also termed as Niagara of India due to its shape, height and speed with which the water gushes down the rocks.The town also has a few ancient temples belonging to the Chalukyan era and makes for a perfect getaway.
How to reach
Gokak is located in Belagavi district and the falls are located around 6-km from the town and is around 102-km away from Kolhapur city. Travelling towards Belagavi on Pune-Bangalore national highway, one has to take a left from Sankeshwar town and travel further on Sankeshwar-Bagalkot road till one reaches Ghatprabha. From here one has to take a right and travel towards Gokak city where the view point for the waterfall is located adjacent to Ghatprabha river and Mahalingeshwara temple.
About the falls
Nothing can beat the gorgeous site of water gushing down the rugged hill with a roaring sound bordered by green forests. Mahadev Gurav, a resident of Gokak, said, “This waterfall is a continuation of river Ghatprabha that after a long route takes a 52-meter plunge down the rocky path. The beauty of the falls reaches its epitome during monsoon when the water overspills and can be heard from a distance. Other feature that adorns the beauty of Gokak falls is the hanging bridge across the river, admeasuring around 200-meter and 14-meter above the rock bed. There is also an old power generation station that used to generate electricity in 1880s”.
Historical significance
One can find many beautifully-carved temples located on either side of river Ghatprabha belonging to 10th and 12th century (Chalukyan era). Nagnath Swami, a local priest at one of the temples, said, “Mahalingeshwara temple is the most famous temple owing to its large and sprawling structure built in Chalukyan style of architecture. The temple has a Garbgriha (inner sanctum), ardhmandap (half-covered sanctum) and muktmandap (open courtyard). The Shikhar and pillars of the temple have been exquisitely carved and is a sight to behold. This place also witnessed a historic battle in the 16th century when Queen Abbakka and Gokak Kotwals (chiefs) got into dispute. One can still see the ancient fort remains on the western side of the city.”
Kardant, a local sweet, is also famous from Gokak. With the region witnessing heavy to incessant rainfall in the monsoon, the town remains green around the year with Ghatprabha bird sanctuary located within its vicinity. The sanctuary hosts many species of local and migratory birds.