5/5 SEH R. 11 months ago on Google
On
a
clear
day
Rat
Tail
Falls
is
visible
from
the
Dum
Dum
Rock
viewpoint
on
the
Batalugundu-Kodaikanal
Ghat
Road,
3.6
kilometres
(2.2
mi)
away
to
the
west.
It
appears
across
the
valley
as
a
long
thin
white
strip
of
cascading
water
on
a
background
of
black
rock
cliff
face
that
juts
out
of
the
foothills.
The
very
edge
at
the
top
of
the
Falls
has
a
low
concrete
wall
on
either
side
concentrating
the
flow
of
water
to
focus
the
falls
into
a
better
rat
tail
shape.
One
can
walk
along
the
wall
and
get
near
the
center
of
the
falls.
Just
below
one
wall
is
a
large
flat
rock
about
5
ft
(1.5
m)
wide.
One
can
get
down
to
the
edge
of
the
rock
to
look
directly
straight
down
to
see
a
little
river
at
the
bottom
continuing
placidly
through
the
forest.
Looking
back
up
to
the
side,
one
can
watch
the
water
in
freefall,
mostly
silent.
The
noise
of
the
crashing
water
below
doesn't
rise
up.
The
only
noise
is
the
water
pushing
around
the
stone
walls,
and
some
smaller
falls
just
upstream.[2]
The
river
water
coming
to
the
falls,
though
9
km
(5.6
mi)
downstream
from
Perumal
Malai
village
and
apparently
clear,
may
be
polluted,
and
visitors
to
the
area
are
advised
to
avoid
drinking
it.
Access
Edit
Manjalar
Dam
(left)
Manjalar
Reservoir-
2.1
kilometres
(1.3
mi)
long
(center)
Manjalar
River
(right).
Thalaiyar
Falls
are
2.8
kilometres
(1.7
mi)
more
to
the
right.
Rat
Tail
Falls
is
considered
inaccessible
to
the
general
public,
as
there
is
no
road
to
it.
The
top
of
the
falls
is
a
rewarding
and
challenging
hike
destination.[2]
Hikers
should
be
cautious,
as
two
Western
tourists
died
in
2006
when
they
fell
from
the
top
of
the
Falls.[3]
It
is
possible
to
hike
to
the
bottom
of
the
falls
in
the
dry
season,
beginning
at
the
Manjalar
Dam.
This
difficult
hike
proceeds
along
a
path
through
Mango
orchards
and
potato
fields
around
the
Manjalar
Reservoir
and
up
along
the
stream
as
far
as
a
small
shrine,
dedicated
to
the
Goddess
Kamakshi.
The
legend
is
that
Kamakshi
was
born
here
at
the
foot
of
the
falls
in
a
bamboo
bush
and
hence
she
is
called
Moonkilanai
Kamakshi.
This
place
is
called
Amma
Machhu,
meaning
in
the
middle
of
a
grove
of
teak
trees.
Beyond
this
point
one
must
climb
up
along
the
stream,
going
up,
over
and
around
increasingly
large
boulders
with
difficulty,
till
arriving
at
the
bottom
of
the
falls,
where
there
is
a
pool
about
30
metres
(98
ft)
by
60
metres
(200
ft).
The
return
hike
is
more
difficult.
The
full
hike
there
and
back
covers
about
15
kilometres
(9.3
mi)
and
takes
a
full
day.[3]
Manjalar
Dam
is
at
the
end
of
Manjalar
Road
about
5.5
kilometres
(3.4
mi)
north
from
SH-36
at
Devadanapatti
town
beginning
along
Kamatchi
Amman
temple
road
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