Waterfall Tourism in the Monsoons in India.

August to November are the best months of the year to watch the waterfalls in India. That's when the gently cascading waters would transform into gushing, plunging, voluminous, outstanding, powerful and intimidating water bodies - adding magnetism to an already attractive mountain landscape.

While some have the luxury of being perennial, some aren’t!

Meaning – no rainfall….no waterfall. So now you know why you need to visit the nearest waterfalls this monsoon.

The three waterfalls of India which have topped the lists are:

Kunchikal Falls – 1493 feet drop - the highest waterfalls in India and the second highest waterfalls in Asia. It is located in the Western Ghats and is caused by the River Varahi in Shimoga District of Karnataka State. While Rivers Tunga and Bhadra flow through the Shimoga District, Rivers, Sharavathi, Gangavathi, Tadadi and Kali originate in this District. But that’s not the cause for the highest waterfalls in India. It is being on the Western Ghat slopes and receiving one of the highest degrees of rainfall in the country that is causing it. The popular ‘Jog Waterfalls’ and ‘Barkana Falls’ which draw thousands of tourists are also in Shimoga District.

 Barehipani Falls – 1309 feet drop – a two-tiered waterfall which is the second highest waterfalls in India and is formed by River Budhabalanga in in Mayurbhanj District of Orissa State. The falls are situated in the Simlipal National Park which is home to 100 Royal Bengal Tigers and 432 Asian Elephants among other wildlife.

 Langshiang Falls – 1106 feet drop – the third highest waterfalls in India which is formed by River Kynshi in West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya State. These falls are just 10kms away from the biggest River Island of Meghalaya State – ‘Nongkhnum Island’.

And my personal favourites are:

 Jog Falls – 829 feet drop – the second highest ‘plunge-waterfall’ in India – formed by Sharavathi River in Shimoga District in Karnataka. 1500 steps lead downhill from the view point to the bottom of the hill - opposite the falls giving you the complete full-frontal view of the falls which is a rarity considering that most natural landscape surrounding natural waterfalls do not permit the fully frontal up-close view. It’s the monsoon water that turns this stringy drop to a full-blown avalanche of white frothy water causing misty surrounding.

Hogenakkal Falls – 66 feet drop – formed by River Kaveri in Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu State. Its claim to fame is its resemblance to the Great Niagara Falls because of which it is also called the ‘Niagara of India’. Boat rides are major tourist attraction here.

Dudhsagar Falls – 1017 feet drop – formed by River Mandovi on the Goa-Karnataka border in Goa State. It is a multi-tiered waterfall located in Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary on the Western Ghats. During the monsoons, the Dudhsagar Falls swell up to a width of 100 feet making it one of the most powerful falls in India. Riding the train over the Falls is a major tourist attraction. Trekking around these Falls is another major tourist attraction. Tourists are allowed in this area only from October.

Dhuandhar Falls – 98 feet drop – formed by River Narmada in Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh State. This is a large roaring waterfalls which is heard from a distance. In peak monsoon, these Falls look like there are taking the Earth with them. The cable-car ride over these Falls is a uniquely thrilling experience.

Kiliyur Falls – 300 feet drop – formed by overflow of Yercaud Lake in the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu. It is a picturesque multi-tiered waterfall which falls down a stone slope. The monsoon-volume of the water in the Falls causes several mini umbrella falls on the slopes – increasing its visual appeal.

Meenmutty Falls – 984 feet drop – the highest waterfalls of Kerala State in Wayanad District. Scores points on visual eye-appeal of a thundering waterfall in dense virgin forests of the Western Ghats.

Pix courtesy: Wikipedia, mytraveltalk, odiya, walkthroughindia, kingnutin.flickr, thinkingparticle.

Monsoon Tourism in India.

Rains pouring on all your holiday plans? Well…. show them who’s boss! Step outside and brave a little wetness this monsoon. And discover wonder in the wetlands of India.

Pondicherry

Pondicherry is Tamil Nadu’s answer to Goa – only quieter, serene and French! Facing the Bay of Bengal on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu State is the lovely 17^th Century French Colony with French Colonial bungalows, Gothic Churches and 45 kms of coastline and beaches. With turquoise-blue waters which are game for sailing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing, Pondicherry is a fantastic place for sunbathing and beach-treks. Of course that would be a challenge in the monsoons but when it rains, Pondicherry transforms into a gorgeous honeymoon resort - seeming secluded and cozy.

Cuddle up with delicious local sea-food, wine and music on the beach or in one of the numerous beach-resorts and watch the tides and the rains slashing down on endless waves of water. Take off your shoes and drop that umbrella and feel the wet sand slip away from under your feet as you try to leave your footprints on the wet sands of the beach.

Monsoon months: November to January.

Get There: Pondicherry has excellent roads and road-network with National Highways 332, 32 & 66 passing through. It’s a great drive to Pondicherry from anywhere. Chennai Airport is the nearest to Pondicherry and Villupuram is the nearest Railway Junction to Pondicherry.

Wayanad

Where better to see the rain than in a rainforest! And which better rainforest than the Wayanad’s! Climb the Western Ghats to 6890 feet to Lakkidi to experience one of India’s highest degrees of rainfall – it’s overwhelming, incessant and borderline fearful. And this is what rain-buffs rush to Wayanad for during the monsoons -to watch the rain in all its fury!

This is not where you take off your shoes and prance about in the rain. You check-in to a forest-resort and sit on the balcony and watch the rain transform the dense forests into a maze of streams and waterfalls. And when the clouds take a break, quickly hop into a jeep and go explore the aftermath in the breathtakingly picturesque green mountains, valleys, lakes, and meadows on long and winding scenic roads in moist and cool weather. IF the skies clear up, put on your walking shoes and trek through the luxuriant forests of Wayanad to see just how the hill wilderness responds to rain. Don’t jump out of your skin if you feel a trickle of droplets down your spine now and then coz that’s how the tall and wet trees respond to rain-buffs! Take a guide and he’ll ensure you return in one piece as abundance of wildlife is another forte of Wayanad - apart from spices.

Monsoon months: June to September.

Get there: 270 kms from Bangalore by road, Wayanad is easily accessible from Ooty and Mysore. Kozhikode has the nearest international Airport and Railway Station at 100kms from Wayanad.

Udaipur

Not so much an outdoorsy person? Love life’s indulgences? Like to be treated like Royalty in the rain? Check-in to Udaipur’s 17^th Century Lake Palace in the middle of the Pichola Lake – hailed as the Venice of the East. Only accessible through royal ferries and boats, the Palace occupies the entire island of 4 acres in the lake and holds mini-ponds and water fountains within. This all-marble Palace has rich, extravagant and Kingly rooms; with ornate and plush interiors; wide arched-balconies; pillared terraces; and the service of the Royal Butlers that will spoil you. Order-in some Rajasthani delicacies and drinks; put your feet up on the velvety futon, and do what Queen Elizabeth, America’s former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy; Viceroy of India – Lord Curzon and Gone with the Wind lead actress – Vivien Leigh did - enjoy. And when it rains, be sure to live in the moment and watch the rain envelope the Palace and shower on the lake. Rated as one of the most romantic destinations of the world, the Udaipur Lake Palace hotel is bound to spice things up for you even in the drenching rain. Feel brave? Step into a royal boat and cruise the lake in the rain and soak up the monsoon ambience of the Lake.

Monsoon months: June to September.

Get there: Within 25 kms radius of the Lake Palace hotel, are the Udaipur Maharana Pratap Airport and Udaipur Railway Station.

ArunachalPradesh

Tired of fluttering with the same kind of ‘birds’? Want to hang out with different kind of ‘animals’ for a change? Want to get out this monsoon? Want to push your limits? Want to go where no one’s been? Five problems – one solution - the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. Perched on the Himalayan foothills at 10, 663 feet, is the home of the flagship wildlife – the rare bird – Laughing-thrush and the Asian Elephant, plus more than 454 species of birds; 15 species of animals and 165 species of butterflies. But what makes Eaglenest unique is that unlike the other Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks in India which are closed during the monsoons, Eaglenest can be visited during the Monsoons as well. Camp in the wilderness or homestay with the Tibetic tribespeople on the Mountain slopes and play hide and seek with the wildlife in the rain. Else just stay in Tezpur (160 kms) in Assam and visit Eaglenest during the day. Mountain and nature-treks are must-do here even in the rain. At this altitude you’d be wining and dining with source of the rains.

Monsoon months: July to September.

Get there: Arunachal Pradesh may be the tip of the country but is fairly easy to get to. Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh is the nearest town which connects to Tezpur in Assam.

·         Guwahati > Tezpur > Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary – 4 hours (flight between Guwahati & Tezpur and jeep-ride between Tezpur and Eaglenest).

·         Guwahati > Tezpur > Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary – 5 hours (bus + jeep)

Pix courtesy: thinkingparticle, indiatravelblog, hammockholidays, greengates, kerala.gov, adventurediva, mattconsidine, brummieandwurzel.blogspot, S karthik, vinchel.

'Sindhu Darshan' of River Indus.

‘Sênggê Zangbo’ means ‘Lion River’ in Tibetan.

‘Abāsin’ means ‘Father of Rivers’ in Pashto.      

Both names are referring to the mighty River Indus or River Sindh – a trans-boundary River that originates in Tibet and flows through Pakistan (93%), India (5%) and China (2%).

Indus (3,180 kms), Brahmaputra (2900 kms) and Ganges (2525 kms) are the top 3 rivers of the 16 major rivers of the Himalayan River System in India. River Indus is world’s 21^st largest River in terms of annual flow being fed by glaciers and snow of the Himalayas.

River Indus has two main tributaries – Zanskar (in Ladakh with 2 tributaries – Doda & Lungnak) and Chenab (which flows from J&K to Punjab into 5 tributaries namely Chenab, Beas, Ravi, Sutlej and Jhelum).

River Indus is the very lifeline for millions of people in Tibet, China, Jammu & Kashmir; Punjab and Pakistan. River Indus drives the Economy of the countries especially of that of Pakistan and is the backbone of Industries such as Agriculture, Hydropower, Fisheries, River-Tourism and Transport. River-pilgrimage is central to Hindu Religion and culture all over the world.

The world-famous 'Chadar Trek' refers to a 10-day intensive trek on Zanskar - one of the 2 main tributaries of River Indus which entails trekking on 9-inch thick sheet of river through Zanskar Gorges for kilometres at 20, 000 feet altitude in -40 degrees Celsius.

The Indus Valley Civilization, the Rig Veda and the Greek King – Alexander the Great all throw evidence that River Indus has been around since ancient history, dating back to more than 5000 years. India has been named after this River Indus as River Indus was the cradle of Indian Civilization. No wonder then that this River Indus is revered, feared and worshipped in India.

‘Sindhu Darshan’ is a 3-day festival celebrated in honour of River Indus (also called River Sindh) from 1 – 3 June each year on the banks of River Indus (River Sindhu) at Shey Manla – 8 kms south of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir. The event basically heralds River Indus as an icon of National Integrity and Communal Harmony.  

A joint association of Ladakh Buddhist Association; Christian Moravian Church; Hindu Trust; Shia Majlis; Sunni Anjuman and Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee organize the ceremonies, rituals and programs on all 3 days of the festival. The celebrations include:

• A Prayer conducted on the river banks by 50 senior Buddhist Lamas.
• A sightseeing tour of River Indus and its environs plus a bonfire by the river.
• Cultural Programs performed by artists from various parts of the country.
• Puja of River Indus.
• Symbolic representation of mingling cultures – people from other parts of the country bring water from their respective rivers and pour into River Indus symbolizing unity in diversity.

If you’re planning a vacation to Leh / Ladakh in June then be there for the Sindhu Darshan festival when you can see people of multi-faith backgrounds converging at River Indus to pay respects to the River. You’re guaranteed to get some Kodak-moments here.

Pix courtesy Parallelozero, Nomadier, Thrillophili.