Chitrakote Waterfalls: India's Niagara falls

VIJAY SINGH

Hailed as the Niagara Falls of India, Chitrakote Waterfalls in Chhattisgarh is located to the west of Jagdalpur in Bastar district. The Chitrakote Falls is a natural  and the widest waterfall in India. It  reaches a width of nearly 300 metres  during the monsoon season.Because of its width and its widespread "HORSE SHOE" shape, it is  called the "Niagara Falls of India". During the rainy season, from July to October,  one can also see the beauty of the Nature when rainbows are created with sun rays reflecting on mist from the waterfall.

This extremely pleasing fall is situated on the Indravati River. The river originates from Kalahandi district of Odisha, in the Vindhya Range of hills, flows westward, and then forms a free fall from a sheer height of about 30 meters at Chitrakoot. From this place onwards it enters Telangana and finally flows into the Godavari River at Bhadrakali.

Because of its horseshoe shape, it is often compared with the world-famous Niagara Falls in the United States, and is given the nickname "THE SMALL NIAGARA FALLS".  Local boat facilities operating below and under the falls in a misty atmosphere provide views of the falls under an early morning sun in reflected sunlight and in a blue hue.

But the irony is that despite being the prime attraction... not only of Chhattisgarh but of entire India, the public  trasnport connectivity to this wonderful Chitrakote falls is very scanty. Moreover being the extrimists infested area... the  Moaists are a big block for prospering tourism causing very low footfalls.  One will have to be daring  to veer into  this fabulous MINI  NIAGARA FALLS OF INDIA.

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