Dudhsagar Falls is a tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of
Goa on Goa's border with Karnataka state. It is four-tiered. It is 60 km from Panaji
city by road and 46 km from Madgaon railway junction by train and 60 km from Belgaum by
train and 55 km from Belgaum by road.
Etymolgy and Legend As the cascading waters appear white like
milk, the waterfall is called Dudhsagar, Doodh being the Hindi word for milk.
Legend has it that a beautiful princess lived in the forest in a palace. She loved and enjoyed
bathing in a lake nearby and used to drink "sweetened milk" from her "golden jug" after
finishing with her bath. One day while enjoying her jug of milk she found herself being watched
by a prince, who was standing amongst the trees. Red with embarrassment at her inadequate
bathing attire, she poured the jug of milk in front of him to form an improvised curtain
to hide her body while the maids National Park|Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary]]
at Mollem in South Goa in the western ghats. The waterfall is on the border of Karnataka
and Goa states. The roads leading to it are maintained by the Goa Forest Department. A
small resthouse is maintained in the forest by the Karnataka Forest Department and is
the only place to stay there. Roads are closed in the rainy season from June to September
as fast flowing streams cross the roads and make them dangerous to drive. The roads are
again opened in the month of October. At the base of the waterfall, there is a small pond.
One can bathe in it only during non-rainy days, that too at one's own risk. However,
such a risk is not advisable. There are fish in the pond, the water is very cold and the
pond is slippery. The surrounding area is surrounded by a deciduous
forest and many species of birds, insects, plants and animal abound here.
The waterfall
Dudhsagar is one of the world's most exquisite falls. It lies high up in the Mandovi River's
watershed and so are not particularly spectacular during the dry season. During the monsoon
season however, the falls are transformed into one of the most powerful falls in India.
Dudhsagar Falls is listed as India's fifth tallest waterfall and is 227th in the world
at 310 m. The water plummets hundreds of metres in large volumes during the rainy monsoon
season, forming one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Goa. It is a major part
of the Goa ecosystem. It is a four-tiered waterfall with a total height of 310 metres
and an average width of 30 metres. How to reach
The Waterfall can be reached both by road and rail. It can be reached by road from Panaji
or Madgaon by National Highway NH4A and by train from Madgaon railway junction or Londa
railway junction. There is a railway station called Dudhsagar[dont get confused with dudhsagar
waterfalls station(station code dwf).Trains do not stop at dwf]where trains stop for a
minute or so for technical reason but no tickets are issued to or from this station and it
is not a commercial halt for trains. The next railway station is Collem on Madgaon-Castle
Rock-Londa track, 13 km from the Falls. The railway route for reaching the falls from
Goa is Madgaon-Collem- Dudhsagar Falls. One can reach the falls from Collem railway station
by a much shorter 6 km long road. The other route is from Carambolim - Dudhsagar Falls.
Ordinary cars are not suitable for the drive to the Falls and within the forest sanctuary.
One should use a four-wheel drive vehicle as the road is a jungle track that has fast-flowing
streams criss-crossing it at several points. The motorable track stops a kilometre before
the Falls and one has to walk 1 km crossing over small paths carved through the rocks
at the foot of the Falls. The Falls can be reached by train from Karnataka
state from Londa railway junction on Hubli-Madgaon-Vasco da Gama route. One can get down at Castle
Rock station or Collem station and reach the Falls by road. However, one can get down at
Dudhsagar Falls railway station itself that lies between Castle Rock and Collem and walk
the short distance to the falls. Then one can come back to the same station and take
a freight train by requesting the guard and taking his permission. All the trains including
freight trains stop at Dudhsagar Falls railway station while going towards Madgaon.
While returning(to Castle Rock or Londa), the 12779 Goa express halts at Dudhsagar Station
at 5pm for 2mins to pick up the passengers/tourists. This is the only passenger train that halts
at dudhsagar station while going towards Castle Rock.
Trekking Trekking in Dudhsagar is a famous tourist
attraction. There are two abandoned shelters for the refuge of trekkers. They are available
on first-come-first-served basis. Medical and pure drinking water facilities are not
available around Dudhsagar but one can approach the station master at Dudhsagar Falls railway
station in emergency. There are 4 possible trek routes to reach Dudhsagar Falls, of which
only two are accessible in monsoon. Route 1
This is the most famous route during the monsoon. Reach Castle Rock station and start a Scenic
14 km hike to Dudhsagar Water falls along the railway track. It normally takes 5–6
hours to reach. The route passes through a number of railway tunnels, a board reading
"Welcome to Goa" and offers a great view of the Valley. One has to be careful of trains
while walking along the railway track. Route 2
This is equally scenic but less popular as compared to Route 1. One has to get down at
Kulem railway station(Station Code: QLM) and walk towards the falls which is about 11 km
away. It normally takes 4–5 hours to reach. The famous photograph of Trains passing through
before the waterfalls can be seen in this route and also the complete stretch of the
falls is visible while hiking towards the waterfalls.
Route 3 In Kulhem one can hire a 4X4 SUV to reach
the foot of Dudhsagar waterfalls. There is a taxi stand called 'Dudhsagar Taxi stand'
where one can hire a vehicle and get down near the falls which is just 1 km hike away.
This is suitable for large groups with kids, but it cannot be used during monsoon season.
Route 4 This is the most adventurous route and cannot
be attempted in monsoon since one has to cross Mondovi river during the hike. The hike starts
from a village called Kuveshi around 10 km from Castle Rock railway station. The hike
is through thick jungle and is difficult to complete without experience. By this route,
one can reach Dudhsagar Railway station which is 1 km from the falls.
See also List of waterfalls in India
List of waterfalls in India by height Braganza Ghats
Notes ^ "World's highest waterfalls". World Waterfall
Database. Retrieved 2006-11-11. ^ "Dudhsagar Falls – World Waterfall Database:
World's Tallest Waterfalls". www.world-waterfalls.com. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
External links Dudh Sagar Waterfall travel guide from Wikivoyage
HD Video of DudhSagar Waterfall, August 2014. World Waterfall Database - Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar falls railway track trekking! Photo
A bewitching beauty called Dudhsagar Video of falls
The last tier of dudhsagar Pics of falls
A guide to the falls Trekking from Castlerock to Dudhsagar
Itinerary of DudhSagar Tour Goa