India is rich in its diversity of waterfalls. Jog Falls, Dhuandhar Falls, Chitrakoot Falls, Kutralam Falls, Rajrappa Falls, Hundru Falls are some of the important waterfalls in India. A waterfall is a section of a stream or river where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Meltwater falls over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf, forming waterfalls. Waterfalls are commonly formed where lakes flow into valleys in steep mountains in the upper course of a river. This article will explain to you about Important Waterfalls in India which will be helpful in preparing Geography for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Types of Waterfalls

• Ledge waterfall: Water descends vertically over a vertical cliff while maintaining partial contact with the bedrock in a ledge waterfall.
• Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall known as a cataract.
• Horsetail:As the water falls, it maintains some contact with the bedrock.
• Plunge: Water that is moving quickly descends vertically and loses contact with the bedrock surface.
• Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river, forming a block.
• Multi-step: A series of approximately equal-sized waterfalls, each with its own sunken plunge pool.
• Segmented: As the water descends, it separates into distinct streams.
• Cascade: Water cascades down a series of rock steps.
• Punchbowl: Water falls in a constricted form before spreading out into a larger pool.
• Tiered: Waterfalls in a series of distinct steps or falls, which are called tiers.
• Fan: As it descends, water spreads horizontally while remaining in contact with the ground.
• Moulin: A moulin is a glacier waterfall.

List of Important Waterfalls in India

Kunchikal Waterfalls

• Kunchikal Falls is located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, in the Nidagodu village near Masthikatte.
• According to the world waterfall database, Kunchikal Falls cascades down rocky boulders and has a total height of 455 metres.
• The Varahi river creates India's highest waterfall, Kunchikal Falls.

Athirapally Waterfalls

• On the Chalakudy River in Kerala's Thrissur district, the famous Athirapally Waterfalls can be found.
• It comes from the Western Ghats' upper reaches, near the entrance to the Sholayar ranges.
• It is Kerala's largest waterfall, standing at 80 feet tall and dubbed "The Niagara of India."
• The debate over a proposed state hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River above the waterfalls started in the 1990s and lasted until 2021.

Jog Falls

• Jog Falls is a waterfall on the Sharavathi River in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, near Sagar Taluk in Shivamogga District.
• It is India's second highest plunge waterfall.
• It is a segmented waterfall that becomes a plunge waterfall depending on the rain and season.

Dhuandhar Falls

• The Narmada River narrows as it passes through the world-famous Marble Rocks before plunging into the Dhuandhar waterfall.
• It is located in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
• The roar of the plunge, which creates a bouncing mass of mist, can be heard from a long distance.
• When the moonlight falls on the white marble rocks, they take on a silvery appearance.

Rajrappa Falls

• Bhairve (Bhera) joins the river Damodar where it falls from a height of 30 feet in the Hazaribagh District, Jharkhand.
• Chinnamasta Temple is a well-known temple in the area.
• This area has some impressive rock formations.

Hundru Falls

• Hundru Falls is a waterfall in Jharkhand, India. It is located in Ranchi district.
• It is India's 34th highest waterfall.
• It is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the area.
• The beauty of the area has been enhanced by the various rock formations that have resulted from erosion caused by the constant flow of water.

Hogenakkal Falls

• Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in South India that is located on the Kaveri River near the border of Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district and Karnataka's Chamrajnagar district.
• It is 127 kilometres from Bangalore and 152 kilometres from the Kolar Gold Fields.
• It is sometimes referred to as India's Niagara Falls, and it is a popular tourist destination with bathing areas and rented boat rides. This site's carbonatite rocks are thought to be the oldest in South Asia and one of the oldest in the world.
• The Tamil Nadu government proposed that the falls be converted into a source of drinking water for the state.

Kempty Falls

• Kempty Falls is a waterfall in the Tehri Garhwal District of Uttarakhand, India, located in Ram Gaon and to the south of Kempty.
• On the Chakrata Road, it's 13 kilometres from Mussoorie and 45 kilometres from Dehradun.
• At 78° 02' East longitude and 30° -29'North latitude, it is nearly 1364 metres above sea level.

Chitrakoot Falls

• The Chitrakoot Falls is located near Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.
• They are located on the Indravati River and are 29 metres high.
• Chitrakoot Falls look majestic during the monsoon season.
• It is also called the Niagara of India.

Teerathgarh Falls

• It is the highest waterfall of Chhattisgarh.
• The Kanger River's Teerathgarh Falls is a block type waterfall.
• In a single drop, the water drops 91 metres (299 feet).

Rakim Kund Falls

• Rakim Kund Falls is situated in Bihar.
• This waterfall is created by Gayghat river which is a tributary of Ausane river.
• It is 168 m high.

Shivasamudram (Cauvery falls)

• The Shivanasamudra Falls are located in Malavalli, Mandya district, Karnataka, India.
• It is located along the Kaveri River, which serves as a border between the Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts.
• The Shivanasamudra Falls flows through the Deccan Plateau's rocks and ravines, dropping off to form waterfalls.
• This is a segmented waterfall.

Kapildhara Falls

• Kapildhara Falls is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• The Narmada Kund is 6 kilometres away from the waterfall.
• The Narmada River's sacred waters cascade from a height of 100 feet, forming a waterfall.
• The rivers Kapila and Erandi also join the Narmada to form the Kapildhara waterfall.

Gokak Falls

• The Gokak Falls is a waterfall on the Ghataprabha River in Karnataka's Belagavi district.
• Gokak town is six and a half kilometres away from the waterfall.
• The Ghataprabha river, after a long winding course, leaps 52 metres over a sandstone cliff in a picturesque gorge of the rugged valley, resembling Niagara Falls on a smaller scale.
• The crest of the waterfall is horseshoe-shaped, with a flood width of 177 metres.

Kutralam Falls

• Courtallam Falls (also known as Kutralam/Kuttalam Falls) is a waterfall in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi district, which borders Kerala's Kollam district.
• The falls are located on the river Chittar in the Western Ghats and are known as a "medical spa" due to the medicinal odour of the waters.
• There are nine falls in total, the most notable of which are Peraruvi, Aintharuvi, and Puli Aruvi.
• Animals such as tigers and panthers frequent the area, which can be seen on the way from Coutrallam Falls to Papanasam, which are both close to the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

Keoti Falls

• Keoti Falls (also spelled Kevti) is located in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is India's 24th highest waterfall.
• The Mahana River, which flows down from the Rewa Plateau, is a tributary of the Tamsa or Tons River.
• It stands at a height of 98 metres (322 ft).
• The waterfall is 130 metres high, according to the World Waterfall Database (430 ft).
• With a single drop, it's a segmented waterfall.

Johna / Gautamdhara Falls

• The Jonha Falls (also known as Gautamdhara Falls) is a waterfall in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India.
• The Jonha Falls, located on the edge of the Ranchi plateau, are an example of a hanging valley falls.
• The Ganga River forms the falls by hanging over its mainstream, the Raru River.
• The water falls from a height of 43 metres (141 ft).
• The Jonha Falls is an example of a rejuvenation nick point.

Chachai Falls

• The Chachai Falls, which are more than 130 metres high and located near Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, are located on the River Bihad.
• These falls are the second highest in Madhya Pradesh and one of India's highest single-drop waterfalls.
• It's an example of a nick point that has fallen as a result of rejuvenation.

Dudma Falls

• It is a 157 m high waterfall on the Machkund River in the state of Orissa.
• Dudma Falls supports a large hydro electric project.
• It is an important pilgrimage site.
• This falls is also called Matsya Tirt.

Dudhsagar Falls

• The four-tiered Dudhsagar Falls (lit. Sea of Milk) is located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa.
• With a height of 310 metres (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres, Dudhsagar Falls is one of India's tallest waterfalls (100 feet).
• The falls is found in the Western Ghats' Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
• The falls mark the end of the Mandovi River's journey from the Western Ghats to Panjim, where it joins the Arabian Sea.
• The area is surrounded by biodiversity-rich deciduous forests.
• Tambdi Surla is another name for this waterfall among the locals.

Vajrai Waterfalls Falls

• The Bhambavli Vajrai Waterfall is a waterfall that can be found on the Urmodi River.
• It is located approximately 27 kilometres from Satara (city), Maharashtra, near the Bhambavli village and Sahyadri hill.
• The combined height of the three tiers of the waterfall is 560 metres, making it India's second highest plunge waterfall after the Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya, which has a drop of 335 metres (1100 ft).

Kunohikal Falls

• Kunchikal Falls, also known as Kunchikal Abbe and Kunohikal Falls, is located near Masthikatte-Hulikal, on the border of the Karnataka districts of Udupi and Shimoga.
• The Varahi River creates Kunchikal Falls.
• Kunchikal Falls is a 455 metre- high waterfall that cascades down rocky boulders.

Significance of Waterfalls

• Waterfalls have a way of signalling or announcing an ecosystem's health.
• Waterfalls purify the water as they flow into various rivers.
• Purification of water provides oxygen to various aquatic life forms, allowing them to thrive.
• So, without waterfalls and their purification of water, we wouldn't have any fish to eat, and other aquatic animals would perish, causing the Ecosystem to suffer.
• Since waterfalls can limit dispersal along streams, they are an important factor in determining the distribution of lotic organisms like fish and aquatic invertebrates.
• Certain aquatic insects also specialise in the waterfall's environment.
• Water from the waterfalls can be used for washing clothes, utensils, and other items around the house.
• They also aid in the irrigation of various crops throughout the country, as a result of changing weather that affects farmers.
• The waterfalls provide water for irrigation purposes.

Conclusion

Waterfalls also aid in the conversion of waste that flows in the water into nutrients that aid plant growth. This is possible because they pass over rocks before flowing into rivers and lakes, allowing bacteria to grow and aid in the decomposition of waste. Above all farmers can easily cultivate their land and get good yields of crops, which are sold in different parts of the country to earn a living, thanks to the moist nature of the surrounding areas caused by the waterfalls.