List of Waterfalls in India

India is a land of natural wonders. It has a diverse range of geographical features that attract tourists from all over the world. One of the most breathtaking natural wonders of India is its waterfalls. These waterfalls range from the mighty Himalayas to the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. India is home to some of the tallest and most majestic waterfalls in the world.

In this article, we will look into the list of waterfalls in India. We will also provide a map of waterfalls in India.

What is a Waterfall?

A waterfall is an area where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. This occurs in the course of a stream or river. Waterfalls can also form where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. They are commonly found in the upper course of a river. Here, the water flows into valleys in steep mountains.

A plunge pool, also known as a plunge basin or waterfall lake, is a deep depression in a stream bed. It is located at the base of a waterfall or a shut-in. This pool is created by the erosional forces of cascading water. The impact of the water on the rocks at the formation’s base shapes the plunge pool.

Importance of a Waterfall

Waterfalls are an important factor in determining the distribution of lotic organisms, such as fish and aquatic invertebrates. They may restrict dispersal along streams. The presence or absence of certain species can have cascading ecological effects. This can lead to differences in trophic regimes above and below waterfalls. Additionally, certain aquatic insects specialize in the environment of the waterfall itself. Thus, knowing the important waterfalls in India is crucial.

Types of Waterfalls

There are various kinds of waterfalls in India based on the behaviour of their flow.

Types of Waterfalls	Description
Block Waterfalls	These are waterfalls where the water drops vertically. They create a single, broad block of falling water. These waterfalls are usually wide and have a lot of water flow.
Cascade Waterfalls	Cascade waterfalls have a series of steps. These steps create small drops that produce a cascading effect. The water flows over several tiers. This creates a beautiful and picturesque view.
Tiered Waterfalls	These waterfalls have several drops. They form a stair-like pattern. Often, they happen when a river flows over a series of hard rock layers.
Plunge Waterfalls	Plunge waterfalls are characterized by a straight drop of water from a height. They often form when a river flows over a vertical cliff. These waterfalls can also occur when water cascades down a steep slope.
Punchbowl Waterfalls	Punchbowl waterfalls have a concave shape. This shape creates a circular pool at the bottom. They form when water falls into a depression. The depression is bowl-shaped.
Horsetail Waterfalls	Horsetail waterfalls have a single, vertical drop of water. This drop maintains contact with the bedrock throughout its descent. These waterfalls are often compared to the tail of a horse.
Fan Waterfalls	Fan waterfalls are characterized by a wide, spreading flow of water. This flow creates a fan-like shape. They are formed when water flows over a wide area of rock. As the water falls, it gradually spreads out.
Ledge Waterfalls	Water descends vertically over a vertical cliff. It maintains partial contact with the bedrock.
Cataract Waterfalls	A large, powerful waterfall.
Multi-Step Waterfalls	There is a series of waterfalls. They fall one after another, and each waterfall is roughly the same size. Each waterfall has its own sunken plunge pool.
Segmented Waterfalls	Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
Moulin Waterfalls	A moulin is a waterfall in a glacier.

List of Waterfalls in India

Below is the list of waterfalls in India:

Important Waterfalls in India	Location	Feature
Kunchikal Falls	Shimoga district, Karnataka	Tiered, the Highest waterfall in India
Barehipani Falls	Mayurbhanj district, Odisha	2-tiered waterfalls
Nohkalikai Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	tallest plunge-type waterfalls
Nohsngithiang Falls or Mawsmai Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	segmented type waterfalls
Dudhsagar Falls	Karnataka and Goa	4-tiered waterfalls
Kynrem Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	3-tiered waterfalls
Meenmutty Falls	Wayanad district, Kerala	3-tiered waterfalls/ segmented type
Thalaiyar Falls	Batlagundu, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu	horsetail type waterfalls
Vajrai Falls	Satara district, Maharashtra	3-tiered, 2nd-tallest plunge-type waterfall
Barkana Falls	Shimoga district, Karnataka	tiered waterfalls
Jog Falls (Gersoppa Falls)	Shimoga district, Karnataka	cascade waterfalls
Khandadhar Falls	Kendujhar district & Sundergarh district, Odisha	Horse tail type falls
Vantawng Falls	Serchhip district, Mizoram	2-tiered waterfalls
Kune Falls	Pune district, Maharashtra	3-tiered waterfalls
Soochipara Falls, Thoseghar Waterfalls	Wayanad district, Kerala, Satara district, Maharashtra	3-tiered waterfalls
Magod Falls	Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka	2-tiered/Segmented waterfalls
Joranda Falls	Mayurbhanj district, Odisha	plunge-type waterfalls
Hebbe Falls	Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka	2-tiered waterfalls
Duduma Falls	The border of Koraput (Odisha) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)	plunge-type waterfalls
Palani Falls	Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh	Surge waterfalls
Lodh Falls	Latehar district, Jharkhand	2-tiered waterfalls
Rajrappa Waterfalls	Ramgarh district, Jharkhand	Rajrappa is a Hindu pilgrimage centre
Bahuti Falls	Mauganj, Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh	2-tiered waterfalls, the tallest waterfall in Madhya Pradesh
Bishop Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	3-tiered waterfalls
Chachai Falls	Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh	On the Bhadra River, it  comes down from the Rewa Plateau
Keoti Falls	Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh	segmented type waterfall
Kalhatti Falls	Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka	–
Beadon Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	3-tiered waterfall, twin of Bishop Falls
Keppa Falls	Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka	Fan-type waterfall
Koosalli Falls	Udupi, Karnataka	6-tiered waterfall
Dabbe falls	Shivamogga, Sagar, Karnataka	–
Pandavgad Falls	Thane, Maharashtra	Plunge waterfall
Rajat Prapat	Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh	horsetail type waterfall
Bundla Falls	kaimur district bihar	–
Vantawng Falls	Serchhip district, Mizoram	2-tiered waterfalls
Shivanasamudra Falls	Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka	segmented type
Lower Ghaghri Falls	Latehar district, Jharkhand	cascade waterfalls
Hundru Falls	Ranchi district, Jharkhand	segmented type
Sweet Falls	East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	horsetail type
Agaya Gangai	Namakkal, Tamil Nadu	1 tiered/segmented waterfalls
Coutrallam Falls (Kutralam)	Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu	Chittar River
Gatha Falls	Panna district, Madhya Pradesh	–
Teerathgarh Falls	Baster district, Chhattisgarh	Block type Waterfall
Kiliyur Falls	Yercaud, Tamil Nadu	Fan-type waterfall
Kudumari Falls	Udupi district, Karnataka	horsetail type waterfall
Muthyala Maduvu Falls	Bangalore rural district, Karnataka	–
Gokak Falls	Belagavi district of Karnataka	located on the Ghataprabha River
Chunchanakatte Falls	Mysore district, Karnataka	on the Kaveri River
Tirathgarh Falls	Bastar district, Chhattisgarh	horsetail type waterfall
Langshiang Falls	West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya	–
Talakona falls	Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh	The highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh
Kakolat Falls	Nawada district, Bihar	cataract waterfall
Athirappilly Falls	Thrissur district, Kerala	Block/Segmented type waterfall
Chuliya Waterfall	Rajasthan	Chambal River

Waterfalls in India: Interesting Facts

The highest waterfalls in India play an important role in shaping the geological landscape of India. Below are some waterfalls in India facts:

1. Kunchikal Falls in Shimoga District, Karnataka, is the highest waterfall in India, with a height of 1493 feet.

2. The Kunchikal Falls is formed by the Varahi River.

3. Dudhsagar Falls is known as the ‘Sea of milk’; it is formed from the Mandovi River.

3. Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, is known as the city of waterfalls in India.

4. Nohkalikai Falls located near Cherrapunji, is the tallest plunge waterfall in India. Its height is 1115 feet (340 metres) and is one of the wettest places on Earth.

5. The Western Ghats are known as the Cherrapunji of South India.

6. Nohsngithiang Falls (also known as the Seven Sisters Waterfalls or Mawsmai Falls) is a seven-segmented waterfall located 1 kilometre south of Mawsmai village in East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya.

Waterfalls in India: Map

Below is the map of waterfalls in India:

Important Waterfalls in India: List

Below is a list of some of the important waterfalls in India:

1. Kunchikal Waterfalls

• Kunchikal Falls is situated in Nidagodu village, near Masthikatte, in the Shimoga district of the state of Karnataka.
• Kunchikal Falls cascade down rocky boulders, and the total height of the falls is 455 meters, according to the World Waterfall Database.
• The highest waterfall in India
• Kunchikal Falls is formed by the Varahi River.

2. Athirappally Waterfalls

• The famous Athirappally Waterfalls are located on the Chalakudy River in the Thrissur district of Kerala.
• It originates from the upper reaches of the Western Ghats at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges.
• It is the largest waterfall in Kerala, which stands tall at 80 feet and is nicknamed “The Niagara of India”.
• Controversy over a state-proposed hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River, above the waterfalls, began in the 1990s and continued through 2021.

3. Jog Falls

• The highest untiered (Single Plunge ) falls (253m) of India, located on the Sharavati River in the Shimoga District of Karnataka
• Also called Gersoppa or Jogda Guindi
• Famous tourist attraction
• An HEP Project has been established near it

4. Dhuandhar Falls

• Located on the Narmada River at Bheraghat town, just 20 km away from Jabalpur

5. Rajrappa Falls

• Located in the Hazaribagh District, where Bhairve (Bhera) joins the river Damodar, falling from a height of 30 ft.
• In the vicinity lies a famous temple called the Chinnamasta Temple
• There are some impressive rock formations in this area

6. Hundroo Falls

• Located in the Ranchi district
• A panoramic view of it is enchanting and attracts many tourists
• 320 feet falls on the Subarnarekha, the highest waterfalls of Jharkhand
• 45 km from the city of Ranchi

7. Hogenkkal Falls

• Located on the Cauvery in the Dharampuri District of Tamil Nadu, near the Karnataka border
• The most beautiful fall in southern India
• Downstream of it, we have the Stanley Reservoir and the Mettur Dam.

8. Kamtee Falls

• Located in the Mussoorie Valley, just 15 km from Mussoorie city.

9. Chitrakoot Falls

• Located near Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh on the Indravati River
• 29m high
• Called the ‘Niagara of India’
• Falls for the full stretch of the river
• Look majestic in the monsoon season
• A place of Hindu pilgrimage

10. Teerathgarh Falls

• A waterfall at Kanger Ghati on the Kanger River, just 35 km southwest of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.
• Plunge for 91m in a single drop
• The highest waterfalls of Chhattisgarh

11. Rakim Kund

• Located on the Gayghat River, a tributary of the Ausane River
• At the edge of the Rohtas Plateau, where a series of waterfalls is formed
• Located in Bihar

12. Shivasamudram (Cauvery falls)

• The second biggest waterfalls of India
• Located in the Mandya District of Karnataka
• Gardens and parks developed in it add to its beauty.
• The falls are surrounded by the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary.

13. Kapildhara Falls

• Waterfalls located on the Narmada River, in Madhya Pradesh, where it descends from the Amarkantak Hill
• A distance of 8 km from the origin of the river Narmada, the river falls from a height of 100 feet, creating a fall. It is believed that the Kapil Rishi meditated here.

14. Gokak Falls

• Waterfalls located on the Ghatprabha River in the Belgaum district of Karnataka
• 52m high, resembling the Niagara Falls on a smaller scale
• Horse-shoe shaped at the crest
• Power generation is being conducted nearby.

15. Kutralam Falls

• Located on the Western Ghats at an elevation of about 167m in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu
• It has nine falls
• Nicknamed ‘the Spa of South India’, as its water is believed to have medical properties

16. Keoti Falls

• Located on the Mahana River, a tributary of the Tons, in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh
• It’s a knick point fall at the edge of the Rewa Plateau
• 98m high
• Segmented type of waterfall with a single drop

17. Johna / Gautamdhara Waterfalls

• Situated at the edge of the Ranchi Plateau, it is a hanging valley fall
• The Gunga River hangs over its master stream, the Raru River, and forms the falls
• Drops from a height of 43 meters
• An example of a nick point fall caused by rejuvenation.

18. Chachai Falls

• Located in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh on the Bihad River, a tributary of the Tons
• Comes down from the Rewa Plateau for 130m.
• It is an example of a nick point fall caused by rejuvenation.

19. Dudma Waterfalls

• 157 m high waterfalls on the Machhkund River in Orissa
• Supports a large hydroelectric project
• An important place of pilgrimage
• It is called Matsya Tirth

20. Dudhsagar Waterfalls

• A tired waterfall on the Mandovi River, located in Goa near the border with Karnataka
• 60 km from Panaji
• 310m high – four-tiered
• During the monsoon season, it forms one of the most spectacular natural scenes

21. Vajrai Waterfalls

• These are located just 27km away from Satara in Maharashtra, over the Sahyadris.
• These are the highest waterfalls in India.

22. Kunohikal Falls

• These are located in the Shimaga district in Karnataka.
• These are the highest waterfalls in India.
• These are the second-highest waterfalls in India after Vajrai Falls (Maharashtra).

Conclusion

Waterfalls in India are natural wonders. They are also vital ecological and cultural landmarks. The Kunchikal Falls in Karnataka are one of the tallest. Meghalaya and Kerala are home to enchanting cascades. These waterfalls offer varied experiences for tourists and nature enthusiasts. Many of these sites are important for local tourism. They also serve as wildlife habitats. Additionally, they contribute to hydroelectric power generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the highest waterfall in India?

The highest waterfall in India is the Kunchikal Falls, located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. It has a total height of 455 meters (1493 feet).

2. Where is Jog Falls located, and what is its height?

Jog Falls is located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, India. It has a total height of 253 meters (829 feet) and is the second-highest waterfall in India.

3. What is the height of Nohkalikai Falls, and where is it located?

Nohkalikai Falls is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, India. It has a total height of 340 meters (1115 feet) and is the third-highest waterfall in India.

4. Where is Dudhsagar Falls located, and what is its height?

Dudhsagar Falls is located on the Mandovi River in the state of Goa, India. It has a total height of 310 meters (1017 feet) and is the fourth-highest waterfall in India.

5. Which place is known as the Cherrapunji of South India?

The Western Ghats are known as the Cherrapunji of South India.

6. Where is the Kunchikal Fall?

The Kunchikal Fall is in the Shimoga District of Karnataka.

7. Which waterfall is known as the “Niagara of India”?

Athirappilly Falls in Kerala is often referred to as the “Niagara of India” due to its impressive flow and scenic beauty.