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Being a native of Odisha, we have many advantages when it comes to Travel. We have Eastern Ghats, a huge Coastline with Blue Flag Beach , Unexplored mountains, National Parks, Mangroves ,Tallest waterfalls in the country etc. We also have an advantage that we share borders with states with equally Stunning but varied landscapes and One such gem of a place is Jagdalpur in Bastar District of Chhattisgarh. Its Just 6 hrs away by road from Balangir , my native in Western Odisha.
27th Dec 2021- We started from Balangir after having a sumptuous breakfast at around 8.30 am. The roads are butter smooth all the way till Jagdalpur.A Quick Tea and snacks break at Bhawani Patna fuelled us for the rest of the journey. At around 2.00PM we reached Nowrangpur and we decided to have our lunch in the town. Hotel Manisha is right on the Highway and is a clean and Hygienic place to have lunch. They serve delicious food both Veg and Non Veg. Jagdalpur is just 80 km from here and we reached there by 3.45pm. That's when we decided lets head to the Chitrakote Falls instead of the resort. The falls are at a distance of 30km from Naman Bastar- a quaint resort.
The excitement was at its peak to have a glimpse of the Niagara of India. Its a small walk of 200-300 meters from the parking area to the falls view point. As we approached, we could hear the gushing waters and then what a view!!I will let the pics define the beauty .
Next we headed to the resort as we were dead tired and we called it a day. A bonfire in the garden ensured a much needed family time under the starry nights.
Next day we woke up to be engulfed by dense fog. The resort wore a fresh look and the air was crisp with the right temperature as we headed to Tirathgarh Waterfalls inside the Kange Ghati National Park.
Situated 35 kilometers from Jagdalpur, Tirathgarh is a stunning waterfall. Located on the river Munga bahar, this waterfall falls on the 300 feet below the stilted hillside of natural structures, the natural fountain of milk foam and water droplets made from the fall of the water soothe the tourists. Thousands of years ago, the cliffs of downstream down the river were struck down by a lunar crater with an earthquake, and the staircase made by it, Numa Valley created this panoramic waterfall.
As you reach the gate of the Kanger Ghati National Park, Pay the entry fees of Rs 300 and head towards the falls. They again charge Rs50 for parking near the falls.
There are multiple places to across this area to view the waterfalls and each one is unique. We spent nearly 4 hours and even took bath under the falls. The person who enjoyed the most was my father who enjoyed swimming under the falls a lot.
By the time we returned to the parking area, we were dead hungry. The small shacks run by local people near the parking area offer delicious hot lunch. We were greeted with so much warmth for a hearty lunch - steaming rice, local style chicken curry , dal , a local sabji , pickle - All for Rs 100.
After having a great time at tirathgarh falls , we decided to head towards the Chitrakote Falls for boating(We decided to skip Jeep ride inside Kanger ghati NP as it was already late and the wait time for the Jeep was more than an hour. We thought of returning next day morning to enjoy the jeep ride.)
It took us close to an hour and half to reach Chitrakote Falls from KGNP. We headed straight down the cliff to the river for boating. There is a well marked Nature trail with close to 200 stairs which takes you near the river . There are row boats available which takes you near the falls. The boat charges are-Rs50 per person or Rs700 for an entire Boat for Personal use. They give lifejackets as the depth near the falls is close to 90/100 Feet. The ride duration is 15/20 min and this is a must do activity while visiting Chitrakote Waterfalls. Please Note there is no boat ride during monsoon as the water volume is very high.
There is a Shiva temple near the falls and is a must visit. During the winter months as the water level is low in the Indravati river , you can actually walk to the top of the falls. It is barbed for safety reasons.
We had breakfast and headed towards the Kanger Ghati National Park. It is famous for Kotumsar cave , Kanger dhara. The park opens at 8 am and you can book a jeep ride for rs1500 at the gate or online. The jeep ride duration is close to 1 and half hours. Kanger Dhara is a small waterfall on the river Kanger. The Jeep driver allows to spend aound 20 min there and then will head towards the Kotumsar caves- A limetsone cave formed by kanger river. The stalactites and stalagmites formed inside the cave is spectacular. The Entrance of the cave is quiet narrow and makes people claustrophobic.but once you are inside the cave, its huge . There are guides near the cave and the cost of the jeep ride includes their charges. Taking a guide with is a must else you will be lost inside the cave.
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