Sharavati river
Sharavati is one of the well known rivers flowing through Karnataka state ,India and major part of the river basins lies in the western ghats.
Sharavati river flows through Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts of Karnataka. The river is around 128 km long and it joins the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district.
On its way to Arabian Sea, the Sharavati forms the Jog Falls [ in Siddapur taluk ,Uttarakannada district] where the river falls from a height of 253 m.
The river is dammed at Linganamakki. This part of the river above the dam is upstream and the remaining is downstream. The Linganamakki dam located in the Sagar taluk has a length of 2.4 km and was constructed across the Sharavati river in 1964.
The major tributaries of the river are Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole
Origin of the river and myth
Indian geography and landscapes are intricately connected with mythology, epics and religious sentiments of the country. As Diana .L. Huc describes in her book ‘ India a sacred geography ‘ each and every landscapes including rivers, mountains and forests of this land are elaborately linked to the stories of gods & heroes of myths & epics. The Sharavati river also is not an exception to this sacred connection.
Sharavati originates at a place called Ambutheertha in the Thirthahalli taluk. According to ancient legend, the Hindu god Rama [ Of epic Ramayana] shot at the ground with his Ambu (arrow) to quench the thirst of his consort sita devi. When his arrow hit the ground, water[ Thirtha] poured out. This location of origin of the River is known as thirthahalli [ which translates into” A hamlet of water”]. The river which originated from an arrow later known as “Sharavati” as “Shara” translates to arrow.
Indian subcontinent has an amazing number of myths and legends, rituals and festivities connected with its geography & landscape. It denotes that ancient people of India had given supreme reverence to nature and regarded everything they received from nature as gifts of God. In Indian subcontinent the landscapes are not only connected with Hinduism, but also they have been linked to Buddhism, Jainism and various other religions of the subcontinent. If the historical geography of any particular landscape is studied it may point out that the rivers, mountains and other landscapes were part of many literary documents.
Sharavati river basin- Climate, Biodiversity ,Wild life
The river basi lies in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka,India. The Sharavati river basin gets a large amount of rainfall. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 6000 mm in the western side to 1700 mm in the eastern side of the basin. Monsoon in July fills the river abundantly.
Generally the climate is cool [22.2degree Celsius]. Humidity exceeds 75% for most times of the year. During the months of monsoon, the relative humidity during the afternoons is approximately 60%.
The Sharavati river basin is rich in biodiversity. In a survey conducted in the basin, 23 amphibians belonging to the families of Bufonidae, Ichthyophiidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae and Rhacophoridae were recorded.
The Sharavati waters contain a few special species of fishes which are named after the river.These include:
Batasio sharavatiensis: A bagrid catfish discovered near Jog Falls, Uttara Kannada district.
Schistura sharavatiensis: A fish species discovered in Sharavati river near Algod, Shimoga district.
Two new species of diatoms were also discovered from Hirebhaskeri Dam of Sharavati River in 2011.
A part of the Sharavati river basin was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 20 April 1972
Sharavati wildlife sanctuary
The river basin is home to many species of plants and animals. Due to the presence of rich biodiversity a part of the Sharavati river basin was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 20 April 1972. The wild life sanctuary is spread over an area of 431.23 km2 , it has dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. The vegetation here ibnclude evergreen, semi-green and some moist deciduous forests.
Trees in the evergreen forest include species such as Dipterocarpus indicus, Calophyllum tomentosum, Machilus macrantha, Caryota urens and Aporosa lindleyana. In the semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, common species include Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Hopea parviflora, Dalbergia latifolia, Dillenia pentagyna, Careya arborea, Emblica officinalis, Randia sp., Terminalia sp. and Vitex altissima.
The altitude in the sanctuary varies from 94 m to 1102 m, the highest point being Devarakonda on the southern edge of the sanctuary.
Linganamakki reservoir
Linganamakki reservoir, with an area of 128.7 km2 , is a part of this sanctuary. The remaining area has been divided into core zone (74.33 km2.), buffer zone (170.67 km2) and tourism zone (57.53 km2). Honnemaradu is an island on the reservoir formed by the Linganamakki dam. It is located in the Sagar taluk of Shimoga district. This place is popular for water sports, such as canoeing, kayaking and wind surfing.
The wild life including the animal species is varied in the sanctuary. It is home to the endangered lion-tailed macaque. Other mammals include tiger, leopard (black panther), wild dog, jackal, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild boar, common langur, bonnet macaque, Malabar giant squirrel, giant flying squirrel, porcupine, otter and pangolin.
Reptiles are also part of the wildlife here and include king cobra, python, rat snake, crocodile and monitor lizard. Sharavati river basin wild life sanctuary has numerous birds also. Some of the avian species include hornbill, paradise flycatcher, racket-tailed drongo and Indian lories and lorikeets.
How to reach Sharavati river basin?
Nearest airport is Mangalore international airport. The distance by road from Manglore to sharavati is 200km. You can also reach from Bangalore airport.[274km].
References
- A Walk on the Wild Side, An Information Guide to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Karnataka, Compiled and Edited by Dr. Nima Manjrekar, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing, October 2000
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharavati