waterfalls of madhya pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has a variety of marvels for the tourists of today, both domestic and international, but here I am going to concentrate only on the waterfalls.  The rivers of Madhya Pradesh (Narmada, Tapti, Tamsa, Chambal, Son, Ken, Betwa etc and their various tributaries) take monstrous shape in the monsoon and thus the best time to visit the waterfalls would be post-Monsoon.  A catalog of the tallest waterfalls from the state perhaps doesn’t exist but after much data collection the following have been ranked in a descending order.

Bahuti falls (142 m, Odda river, Rewa)

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 near two other falls of much the same height, Chachai and Keoti, which round off the top three from the state. The trio is relatively unknown because waterfall tourism is still not a big thing in India and none of them are located near cliched tourist destinations. The nearest town is Mauganj. I couldn’t visit this waterfall during my trip to Rewa becasue of lack of time. World Waterfall Database doesn’t make a mention of this waterfall though it exists!

A video can be seen here

Chachai falls (130 m, Bihad river, Rewa)

chachai falls

It is the 2nd tallest waterfall from the state and can be accessed from the town of Rewa or Satna. 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 an uncanny resemblance owing to the same topography and water flow the year around! The heights are also almost the same.

I visited this waterfall on 18th October, 2013 via Satna and realized that the Bihad river has been damned behind this to feed irrigation canals and the majesty has been considerably reduced though the pool at the bottom and the canyon that follows is a delight to watch along with the Egyptian Vultures encircling overhead. There is a small resthouse with an old man passing off as the caretaker.

A video can be seen here

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

keoti falls

It is interesting to note that four 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 tourist decides to visit them all. Mahana is a tributary of the Tamsa in the Rewa plateau. These are examples of knick-point falls and look somewhat similar in full flow.

I visited this waterfall on 18th October, 2013 via Satna and realized there is an old fort near the waterfall. There are no barricades much like Chachai and no one to man the area. A dangerous waterfall and one needs to be very careful here. A huge pool is formed at the bottom followed by a majestic canyon. People often make merry near the top of the edge of the waterfall which can prove fatal.

A video can be seen here

Rajat Prapat (107 m, Hoshangabad)

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) within the Satpura National Park (SNP) and the trip can be coupled with a view of sunrise and sunset from Dhupgarh (1352 m), the highest peak of the Satpuras and the whole of Madhya Pradesh, along with other marvels SNP has to offer.

rajat prapat from near the base via the jungle trek

I visited this waterfall on 14th October, 2013 and since we had to trek to its base, which is possible through the jungle, we visited again on 15th October, 2013. The trek is a little arduous and a registered guide of the Satpura National Park is a must in case you don’t want to get lost in the jungle. We also bathed at the pool formed by the waterfall and it had to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life thus far.

A video can be seen here

Gatha falls (91 m, Panna)

It is the 5th 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 6th 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. It can be accessed from Satna or Rewa and the nearest town is Semaria (Rewa district). It’s located near the pilgrimage spot of Basaman Mama, a yaksha who is revered and worshiped by locals and thus receives a considerable amount of tourists. Lately the edges have been marked off by railings but it’s still a dangerous place. One needs to be very careful near all the waterfalls of Rewa.

I visited this waterfall on 18th October, 2013 via Satna. There was another huge waterfall a few miles downstream and locals called it the Chachai falls which actually is located a few miles away from Purwa on the road that leads to the town of Sirmaur. I had a near-fatal slip at the edge of a cliff here but fortunately fell at the other side and escaped with a minor injury only. The cliffs here are ideal for Egyptian Vultures and they are often seen hovering in the sky.

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 both Indore – the commercial capital of the state and Mhow. 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 nearby areas. Information on the river is not available.

Jamuna Prapat (46 m, Hoshangabad)

jamuna falls aka bee falls

It’s located near the much taller Rajat Prapat at the hill town of Pachmarhi in Hoshangabad district in the buffer area of the Satpura National Park. It’s a hit with picnickers who throng the place for bathing underneath it. It’s locally called the Bee Falls for the stinging effect of water on people who bath here.

I visited this waterfall on 14th October, 2013 and also bathed underneath it. Considering the height, the stinging effect was rather moderate. The huge crowd of people pissed me off for most of them had made the surroundings a garbage bin. The height is often quoted at 46 m but it certainly looked taller – at least 60 m for sure.

Kapil Dhara falls (31 m, Narmada 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.

Dhuandhar falls (30 m, 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.