Dudhsagar India's 5th tallest waterfall | Dudhsagar Waterfall

Dudhsagar Waterfall

Dudhsagar India's 5th tallest waterfall 

About Dudhsagar Waterfall :

The magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall is perched in the high peaks of the Western Ghats and is a sight to behold especially in the monsoons when it is in full and furious flow. From a distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing down the mountainside. The exhuberent and spectacular waterfall is located in the Sanguem taluka.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 5th tallest waterfall,and is 227th in the world at 310 M. The water plummets hundreds of feet in large volumes during the monsoon season, formingone of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Goa. 

Dudhsagar Waterfall

Measuring a mighty 600m from head to foot, this waterfall on the Goa-Karnataka border, attracts a steady stream of visitors from the coast into the rugged Western Ghats. After pouring across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a foaming torrent that splits into three streams to cascade down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.

The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means "sea of milk", derives from clouds of milky foam which rises up at the bottom of the falls. Dudhsagar is set amidst breathtaking scenery overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine tropical forest, that is only accessible on foot or by train.

Like most places in Goa, the Dudhsagar waterfall too has a legend attached to its name. The legend tells the story of this powerful and wealthy king who ruled a kingdom in the Western Ghats. His lavish and opulent palace in the hills was surrounded by vast gardens which were full of deers and gazelles.

The King had a beautiful daughter, who used to enjoy taking a bath during the hot summers, in the picturesque lake near the forest on the edge of the King's palace grounds. It was her habit to finish her bath and have a jugful of sugared milk in a jug made of pure gold.

One day when she was finishing her usual jug of milk she found herself being watched by a handsome prince standing amongst the trees. Embarassed by her inadequate bathing attire, the resourceful Princess poured the sugared milk in front of her to form an improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of the maids rushed to cover her with a dress.

Thus was the legend born. The sugared milk (dudh) poured down the mountainside and continued to flow in torrents as a tribute to the everlasting virtue and modesty of the Princess of the Ghats. The Dudh Sagar (Sea of Milk) continues to flow to this day and attracts thousands of visitors to one of the most popular and famous tourist spots in the state of Goa.

A number of private operators offer special trips to the Waterfalls and the tours operated by GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corpn) also have Dudhsagar Waterfalls as one of the tour stops.

The falls can also be reached by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. At Collem, in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary near Mollem, there is a railway station where the train stops to pick up passengers for the journey to the waterfalls. There are two trains a day that stop at Dudhsagar Station and it's possible to catch a morning train up and spend several hours at the falls before taking an afternoon train back.

Near the top of the falls, the railway line from Vasco to Londa crosses the mountainside, with excellent views from the train. There also a couple of pools that you can swim in, making Dudhsagar a great place for a day full of fun and frolic. The alternate way of reaching the falls is only advisable between January and May, when the level of the water in the rivers abates enough to permit jeeps to approach the base of the falls.


Best time to visit: 

The good time to visit this magnificent falls and soak in its beauty is the Monsoon when the falls become active. It might get risky travelling to the waterfall during monsoon as the roads get slippery. However, visiting the Dudhsagar after the Monsoons form October to Mid December is a great idea as the roads are dry and safe and the fall still full of water.

How to reach Dudhsagar falls by Bus: 

Being the most popular waterfall in Goa, Dudhsagar forms a major sightseeing option on a tour organized by the Goa tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), or any other Private operators. The Dudhsagar falls is easily accessible by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. The train stops at Colllem in the Bhagwan Sanctuary near Mollem before reaching Dudhsagar falls. If you want reach the spot by the road then you can take jeep from the railway station of Collem. The roadway is recommended only between January and May when the level of the water permits the jeep to reach the base of the Dudhsagar falls. The interstate bus stand is at Ponda. Buses and taxis are also available from panaji to reach the Dudhsagar falls.

How to reach Dudhsagar falls by Train:  

It is 10 kilometers from Kulem Railway Station. This waterfalls lies on the Londa-Madgaon railway route. To view this waterfalls from close distance, travel by Delhi-Goa express (12780), Pune-Ernakulam Express(11098), Chennai-VascoDaGama Express or Miraj-Castle Rock passenger train which starts from Miraj rail junction. The falls is border for Karnataka and Goa states. One can also reach from Karnataka. The only accessible connectivity is Train. The station route is Hubli->Dharwad->Londa (or Belgaum->Londa)->Castle Rock->Kannai Ghat-> Doodha Sagar.