Introduction to Waterfalls in India
Notes on India’s highest waterfalls might help you ace the static general awareness component of numerous competitive exams. Static general awareness is a part of most government exams. Candidates preparing for various government exams such as SSC, RRB, Bank, RBI Grade B, SBI Clerk, SBI PO, SEBI Grade A, and others are expected to come across 1 or 2 questions about India’s waterfalls. In this article, we are going to discuss the types of waterfalls, a list of waterfalls in India, and the highest waterfall.
What is a Waterfall?
A waterfall is a steep descent of a river or other body of water over a rocky ledge. Waterfalls are one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. They are perfect places for spending hours absorbing up the true splendour of the natural world, owing to their coolness, sound, and aroma. The wonderful part of exploring nature is that we always come away with a lot of questions about the science underlying it. The same is true of a waterfall. When we look at it, we are often startled by the way it works, the flow and motion that is so captivating.
Formation of a Waterfall
As a river flows through its stream bed, the water erodes the movable soil, sand, stones, boulders, and other things beneath it, causing them to move along with the current. As it continues on its path, it comes across massive rocks that cannot be moved, so it begins to flow over them, obliterating its original boundaries.
This is an excellent illustration of the second law of thermodynamics, which states that things are likely to incline more to a disordered state. That’s essentially how the river water acts here. It obliterates its original path and continues to flow outside of its boundaries until it reaches a cliff or an edge. Then it plummets down the cliff and crashes into a recently formed riverbed.
This is how a new dip and a waterfall are created.
List of Waterfalls in India
| Highest Waterfalls In India | |||
| Waterfalls in India | Location | Height Metre/Feet | Feature |
| Kunchikal Falls | Shimoga district, Karnataka | 455 metres (1,493 ft) | Tiered, Highest waterfall in India |
| Barehipani Falls | Mayurbhanj district, Odisha | 399 metres (1,309 ft) | 2 tiered waterfalls |
| Nohkalikai Falls | East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya | 340m (1115 feet) | tallest plunge type waterfalls in India |
| Nohsngithiang Falls or Mawsmai Falls | East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya | 315 metres (1,033 ft) | segmented type waterfalls |
| Dudhsagar Falls | Karnataka and Goa | 310 m(1017 feet) | 4 tiered waterfalls |
| Kynrem Falls | East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya | 305 metres (1,001 ft) | 3 tiered waterfalls |
| Meenmutty Falls | Wayanad district, Kerala | 300 metres (984 feet) | 3 tiered waterfalls/ segmented type |
| Thalaiyar Falls | Batlagundu, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu | 297 metres (974 ft) | horsetail type waterfalls |
| Vajrai Falls | Satara district, Maharashtra | 260 metres (853 ft) | 3 tiered, 2nd tallest plunge type waterfall |
| Barkana Falls | Shimoga district, Karnataka | 259 metres (850 ft) | tiered waterfalls |
| Jog Falls | Shimoga district, Karnataka | 253 metres (830 ft) | cascade waterfalls |
| Khandadhar Falls | Kendujhar district & Sundergarh district, Odisha | 244 metres (801 ft) | Horse tail type falls |
| Vantawng Falls | Serchhip district, Mizoram | 229 metres (751 ft) | 2 tiered waterfalls |
| Kune Falls | Pune district, Maharashtra | 200 metres (660 ft) | 3 tiered waterfalls |
| Soochipara Falls, Thoseghar Waterfalls | Wayanad district, Kerala, Satara district Maharashtra | 200 metres (656 feet) | 3 tiered waterfalls |
| Magod Falls | Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka | 198 metres (650 ft) | 2 tiered/Segmented waterfalls |
| Joranda Falls | Mayurbhanj district, Odisha | 181 metres (594 ft) | plunge type waterfalls |
| Hebbe Falls | Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka | 168 metres (551 ft) | 2 tiered waterfalls |
| Duduma Falls | the border of Koraput (Odisha) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) | 157 metres (515 ft) | plunge type waterfalls |
| Palani Falls | Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh | 150 metres (490 ft) | Surge waterfalls |
| Lodh Falls | Latehar district, Jharkhand | 143 metres (469 ft) | 2 tiered waterfalls |
| Bahuti Falls | Mauganj, Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh | 198 metres (650 ft) | 2 tiered waterfalls, tallest waterfall in Madhya Pradesh |
| Bishop Falls | East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya | 135 metres (443 ft) | 3 tiered waterfalls |
| Chachai Falls | Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh | 130 metres (430 ft) | on Beehad river, comes down from Rewa Plateau |
| Keoti Falls | Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh | 130 metres (430 ft) | segmented type waterfall |
Types of Waterfalls in India
- Plunge: Plunge waterfalls are vertically flowing waterfalls that do not touch the underlying cliff wall. Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
- Horsetail: Waterfalls with a “horsetail” shape tend to fan out as they descend a steep slope while remaining in contact with the underlying cliff face. Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
- Fan: This category’s waterfalls are very similar to the Horsetail. The waterfalls all have one thing in common: they plummet and tumble down a steep slope while staying in constant contact with the underlying cliff. Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.
- Cataract: A big, strong waterfall known as a cataract. Waterfalls in this category basically descend along a sloped surface.
- Block: Water descends from a reasonably wide stream or river, forming a block. Sometimes called rectangular waterfalls.
- Multi-step: A succession of approximately equal-sized waterfalls, each with its own sunken plunge pool
- Segmented: As the water lowers, it separates into distinct streams. This category of waterfalls involves the descending watercourse splitting up into two or more parallel segments or threads.
- Cascade: Water descends down a series of rock steps
- Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form before spreading out into a larger pool
- Tiered: Water drops in a sequence of distinct stages or falls which are called tiers
Highest waterfall in India
Kunchikal Falls in Shimoga District Karnataka is the highest waterfall in India with a height of 1493 feet. It lies in the Shimoga district of Karnataka near Agumbe. The Varahi River creates the largest waterfall. Agumbe Valley is one of India’s rainiest regions, and it is home to the country’s only permanent rain forest research station.
Most Popular Waterfalls of the World
Angel Falls located in Venezuela is 979 metres in height, is the ‘s largest waterfall. Niagara Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, is just 51 meters tall. Iguazu Falls and Victoria Falls are two other well-known waterfalls.
The physics of a waterfall can also be seen in other places, such as a hydropower plant that uses falling water to generate kinetic energy. The energy drives the turbines, which generate power that can be utilized right away or stored.
Key Facts About Waterfalls
- Athirapally waterfalls, located in Kerala is called the Niagara of India
- The “Cascata delle Marmore” located in the province of Terni, Italy is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. It has a total height of 541 feet (165 metres), making it the world’s tallest artificial waterfall.
- The tallest waterfall in the United States is Yosemite Falls, which is located in California. It has a vertical drop of 739 metres or 2425 ft.
- Kaieteur Falls, in Guyana’s jungle (Amazon RainForest, Brazil), is the world’s greatest single drop water cascade based on the amount of water flowing over it. Its average water flow rate is 663 cubic metres per second or 23,400 cubic feet per second.
- Ban Gioc – Detian Falls, on the border between Vietnam and China, ranks fourth among the world’s greatest cross-border waterfalls. It is preceded by Niagara, Victoria, and Iguazu Falls. It stands at a height of 98 feet (30 metres).
- Horsetail Falls is located in Yosemite National Park in California. When the sun sets in the second week of February, the ray hits the waterfall at just the correct angle, turning the water red and orange. This rare natural phenomenon is known worldwide as the Firefall.
- Waterfalls can be grouped into 10 broad classes based on the average volume of water going overfalls. Class 10 waterfalls include Niagara Falls, Khone Falls and Inga Falls. Victoria Falls (Class 9), Gullfoss (Class 8), Angel Falls (Class 7), Yosemite Falls (Class 6), Sutherland Falls (Class 5).
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