The Top 10 Biggest Waterfalls to Visit During The Monsoons

India is blessed with more natural beauty than any of us can imagine. It’s a land teeming with verdant forests, gushing rivers, endless golden deserts and majestic, snow-covered peaks. And each landscape comes into its own beauty during specific seasons.

Take the case of the monsoon in India – the skies are heavy with expectant rain; and people wait eagerly for the first few drops to fall and saturate the parched land. Because when it rains in India, it pours, filling the lakes and the rivers to overflowing. And when the great river network of India overflows, it leads to some incredible waterfalls, some of them rivaling the more famous ones of the world.

These seasonal natural wonders make for a spectacular sight and for many people, seeing the waterfalls is one of the main reasons for traveling in rainy season.

Here are the top 10 breathtaking waterfalls in India that you must visit in monsoon.

1. Jog Falls – Karnataka

Let’s begin with one of the most famous Indian waterfalls in the world – the Jog waterfalls or the Gerosoppa Falls. At 253 metres, this is India’s second-highest plunge waterfall and is a major tourist attraction. Head over to the Shimoga and Uttara Kannada district of Sagara Karnataka to feast your eyes on this thunderous beauty. You can spend hours watching the four cascades Raja, Rani, Rover and Rocket that come together to form Jog Falls.

The dense forests surrounding the falls offer incredible trekking opportunity for serious monsoon trekkers.

2. Dudhsagar Falls – Goa and Karnataka

One would not consider Goa to be a typical tourist destination during the monsoon. But ask any true-blue Goan and they will tell you that the real beauty of Goa can only be seen during the rains. There is a clean, green and freshly washed look to the place.

Goa receives more than its fair share of the rains and the Mandovi River is swollen to its maximum in no time. The result is the Dudhsagar Falls. The waters cascading off the mountain from 310 metres literally looks like milk flowing down the sides, which is why this ‘Sea of Milk’ is such a glorious marvel to see. India’s fifth tallest waterfall, it attracts adventure seekers too as the Kuveshi-Dudhsagar route is known to be quite the adventurous route passing through thick jungles.

Suggested Read : 10 Places to see in Goa that are Not Beaches!

3. Athirappilly Falls – Kerala

God’s own country, Kerala, also has to its credit the Athirappilly Waterfalls. Situated on the west flowing Chalakudy River in Thrissur, the location is known to be the habitat of several bird species that make this their home in the monsoon. The falls are popular among nature lovers and those looking for a bit of thrill too. What adds to the appeal of Athirappilly Falls is that a lot of Malayalam films have been shot at this location, giving tourists a chance to capture the same picture as their film stars in their memories.

Recommended Read : Top 30 Things to do in Kerala

4. Chitrakoot Falls – Chhattisgarh

It seems that you needn’t travel to the US for the Niagara Falls. We have an equally mesmerising and more easily accessible (not to mention, cheaper) waterfall at Chhattisgarh. Nestled in the folds of the Vindhyachal mountain ranges in Bastar (about 38 kilometres from Jagdalpur) are the Chitrakot Waterfalls. Flowing from the Indravati River, these are called the Niagara Falls of India because they are the widest falls in India and take on the classic horseshoe shape of their US counterpart. It takes a short trek to get to the falls and believe us, the effort is worth it.

5. Hogenakkal Falls – Tamil Nadu

Another contender for the Niagara moniker is the Hogenakkal Falls in Tamil Nadu. You can hear the thunderous waterfall long before you actually get to it. The broad falls are made up of a group of smaller cascades that combine as they come together at the edge of the cliff. The waters of the Cauvery River fall off these stony cliffs that have been witness to countless generations of visitors. The fine mist that rises against the backdrop of the surrounding hills is an amazing sightand is the perfect spot to take home your memory of this excursion.

6. Chachai Falls – Madhya Pradesh, Amongst Biggest Waterfalls in India

The Bihad River is a gently flowing river. But when it enters the Reva District of Madhya Pradhesh in the monsoon, this seething torrent of water gives rise to the Chachai Falls, one the biggest attractions in the state. No photographs can do justice to the mesmerising natural phenomenon that is the 23rd largest waterfall in India. Falling to the ground from 130 metres, this massive waterfall draws crowds from across the state and the nation as well. The time taken to get to the falls is completely worth the spectacular sight that awaits you.

7. Thosegar Falls

One of Maharashtra’s most famous and must-visit waterfalls in the monsoon is the Thosegar Falls at Satara. Relatively unexplored and hidden from common notice, you need to trek a little bit to get to its viewing deck. At 500 metres, this crashing fall is a spectacular phenomenon and one of the best monsoon waterfalls in all of Maharashtra. When you stand at the viewing deck, you will be buffeted by high winds and a cool spray will fly across the valley to caress you. You could wear a raincoat but when you stand there in the rain, there is nothing really that can keep you dry.

8. Nohkalikai Falls – Meghalaya, One of the Biggest Waterfalls to Visit in Monsoon

We’ve all grown up reading about Cherrapunji’s fame as the wettest region of India. Here’s another reason this place is so renowned – the Nohkalikai Waterfalls. It is the tallest plunge waterfall in India, with the water falling from an impossible 1115 feet, creating a beautiful tourist attraction for the state of Meghalaya. While the waterfall is every nature photographer’s delight, the locale around offers the perfect destination for trekkers and nature lovers.

9. Ethipothala Falls – Andhra Pradesh

Three streams – Chandravanka Vagu, Nakkala Vagu and Tummala Vagu of the Chandravanka River – combine to form the Ethipothala Waterfalls. The river is a tributary of River Krishna and it comes into its natural beauty during the monsoon. Its water cascades down from a height of 22 meters, creating a massive downpour of water. In Telugu, Ethipothala means ‘lifting and pouring from a great height’, making the name apt for this most-visited waterfall.

10. Khandadhar Falls – Odisha

The last waterfall on our list is the Khandadhar Waterfalls. It is the 12th highest waterfall in India, located at Nandapani in Sundergarh, Odisha, and its water flows down the slopes of the hills from a height of 244 metres. Located deep within the forest of Sundergarh, it is one of the most visited waterfalls in the state. Surrounded by beautiful landscape, it takes one away from the buzz of the civilized world, making it a delight for visitors.

While you take care of your safety at these spots, one of the more important travel tips for monsoon is about preservation. As responsible, green tourists we must take care to keep these waters clean and ensure we leave the spot just as we found it – natural, pristine and beautiful.