About Unchalli Falls (Lushington)
Unchalli Falls on the Aghanashini River is one of Karnataka's most spectacular and least-visited tall waterfalls — a 116-metre plunge into a bowl of dense Western Ghats rainforest that is accessible only by a 3-kilometre trek through pristine forest. The Aghanashini River valley is one of the least-disturbed in the entire Western Ghats and is considered by botanists to be one of the last truly intact river valley ecosystems in peninsular India. The forest on the approach trek is extraordinary — ancient trees, giant ferns, and endemic reptiles around every bend.
The falls were named Lushington Falls by British surveyor John Lushington in the 1880s — the local name Unchalli (meaning "tall cascade") is more commonly used today. The pool at the base is exceptionally deep and clear, with the force of the 116m plunge creating a perpetual mist cloud around the base. The Aghanashini River below the falls flows through one of the last undammed river valleys in the Western Ghats, making it a key ecological corridor and supporting a remarkable diversity of freshwater fish, otters, and kingfishers.
August–November for full volume; the enclosed forest bowl creates evenly diffused light excellent for photography.
The deep forest bowl creates soft, even light throughout the day — unusual for a tall waterfall where glare is normally a problem. A polariser still helps reduce spray haze.