The widest waterfall in India drops into the Indravati in Bastar district

Background

Chitrakote Waterfalls on the Indravati River is called the 'Niagara Falls of India' for its horseshoe shape. It lies 38 kilometres from Jagdalpur, in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It is described as the state's largest and India's widest waterfall. In the monsoon the fall stretches nearly 300 metres across, and the water takes a 30-metre plunge. The name is traced to 'chitar', the word for deer in Halbi, because herds of deer once lived around it. In the rainy season the water turns a reddish hue, while in summer moonlight it looks white. The water comes down in at least three and up to seven streams on its rocky ledges at different times of the year. In the dry season boat rides run below the falls, and small Shiva Lingas and iron trishuls stand on the banks of the pond beneath.