waterfalls of madhya pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is one of the least visited states of India despite having the potential to emerge out rocking. It has a variety of marvels for the tourists of today, both domestic and international, but here I am only going to concentrate on the waterfalls.  The rivers of Madhya Pradesh (Narmada, Tapti, Tamsa, Chambal, Son, Ken, Betwa etc) take monstrous shape in the monsoon and thus the best time to visit the waterfalls would be after June.  Though a catalog of the waterfalls in the state is not kept but after much data collection the following are the top ten.

Bahuti falls (142 m, Odda river, Rewa)

bahuti falls

It is probably the tallest waterfall from the state falling from a height of 142 m on the Odda river in the Rewa plateau. Odda is a tributary of the Bihad river which in turn joins the Tamsa river. It is located very near to two other falls of much the same height, Chachai and Keoti, which rounds off the top three from the state. The trio is relatively unknown owing to their location amidst thick jungles and proximity to areas marred by left-wing extremism. World Waterfall Database doesn’t make a mention of this waterfall though it surely exists!

another view of bahuti falls

A video can be seen here

Chachai falls (130 m, Bihad river, Rewa)

chachai falls

It is the second tallest waterfall from the state and can be accessed from the town of Rewa. The internet is full of pictures that show the Chitrakoot falls of Chhattisgarh (Bastar) as the Chachai but they are located much farther apart. One can though definitely say that Chachai, Keoti and Bahuti bear resemblance owing to the same topography and waterfowl the year around! The heights are also almost the same.

A video can be seen here

Keoti falls (130 m or 98 m, Mahana river, Rewa)

keoti falls

It is interesting to note that three of the tallest waterfalls from the state are located in close proximity and in the same district which saves much on time and expense if a tourists decides to visit. Mahana is a tributary of the Tamsa in the Rewa plateau. All the top three are examples of knick point falls.

keoti falls (front view)

A video can be seen here

Rajat Prapat (107 m, Hoshangabad)

rajat prapat

Rajat is a Hindi word which means silver and prapat is the Hindi for waterfall and it is thus named because of its appearance as a thin line of silver when the sun rays fall on it. It is located at the famous hill station of Pachmarhi (1015 m) and the trip can be coupled with a view of sunrise and sunset from Dhupgarh (1350 m), the highest peak of the Satpuras and the whole of Madhya Pradesh. Another popular but small waterfall, the Apsara Vihar lies nearby.

A video can be seen here

Gatha falls (91 m, Panna)

gatha falls

It is the fifth tallest waterfall from the state and can be accessed via NH 75 from Panna or Khajuraho. Information on the river and the actual frontal view of the fall is not available.

Tincha falls (90 m, Indore)

tincha falls

It is the sixth tallest waterfall in the state and located near the city of Indore and an ideal weekend destination for picnickers. It attracts quite a plentiful number of tourists owing to easy accessibility but the nearby Patal Pani falls is far more popular. Information on the river is not available.

A video can be seen here and here

Purwa falls (70 m, Tamsa river, Rewa)

purwa falls

Yet another waterfall in the top ten from the district of Rewa and nestled in the Rewa plateau. Its proximity to places associated with the Indian epic Ramayana means that tourists flock the area year around but since waterfall tourism in India is yet to take off most miss this fall and not just this even the top three which are located nearby. Left-wing extremism which has been thriving in the jungles of central and east India is another cause why tourists keep away.

A video can be seen here

Patal Pani falls (61 m, Indore)

patal pani

One of the most visited waterfalls in Madhya Pradesh owing to its proximity to the commercial capital of the state. It is believed that the pool of water formed at the base leads to hell (patal in Hindi) and reports of drowning are often reported from the fall. It nevertheless is a popular picnic spot for the citizens of Indore and nearby areas. Information on the river is not available.

Kapil Dhara falls (31 m, Son river, Anuppur)

kapil dhara

It is located in the holy town of Amarkantak where three of the state’s important rivers emerge out including the Narmada, the Son and the Johila. It rivals the Patal Pani, the Tincha and the Dhuandhar in terms of popularity and number of visits and is believed to be the place where the famous sage, Kapil lived and wrote the Sankhya philosophy. It’s a place of immense natural beauty with forests, caves and numerous water bodies all around and also a huge number of temples and pilgrims.

Pandav falls (30 m, Panna)

pandav falls

Located within the Panna national park on a tributary of the Ken river it gets its names from the legend which says that the Pandav brothers visited the place during the Mahabharata period. There are many caves nearby where the five brothers are supposed to have lived with their mother. It can be coupled with a trip to the famous temple town of Khajuraho and the beautiful falls of Gatha and Raneh that are nearby. Information on the river is not available.

Raneh falls (30 m, Ken river, Panna)

raneh falls

One of the most exotic waterfalls from the state forms a canyon 5000 m long and 30 m deep made of pure crystalline granite in varying shades of colors. There is a series of waterfalls in the canyon some of which run throughout the year and merge together in the monsoon. The Ken Gharial wildlife sanctuary is located down the fall where the Ken meets the Khudar river.

Though the above completes the top ten from the state there is another waterfall which is quite popular among tourists and definitely deserves a special mention. It is a beauty to behold and often called the Niagara of Narmada.

Dhuandhar falls (Narmada river, Jabalpur)

dhuandhar falls

Located at Bhedaghat and not far from the state’s 3rd largest city, Jabalpur, it is quite renowned for its volume and scenic beauty. A visit to the famous Marble Rocks and the Chausath Yogini temple rounds of a trip to the area.

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