U see Chitrakut falls formed by the Indravati River, also known as the Indian Niagra. It is about 38 kms from Jagdalpur. Whilst going I took a local bus that left at 11am to reach Chitrakoot at
1.30pm. I was tired and irritated with the long bus drive, realized had made a mistake but got a first hand of experience of seeing local people.
I went in mid Dec when the peak season is over. Took some pics from a local photographer during monsoons when water is overflowing. U see one such picture. This was Sept 2012. What
a sight!
U see me with background of Indravati river and a rainbow formation on the right of pic.
The water flows down ahead. U see me with river and forests in background. Chhattisgarh Tourism has a good facility there. Although I spent a few hours it is recommended that
you spend a full day there from dawn to sunset.
Another view of the waterfalls. Chitrakot is a horse-shaped waterfall, best seen during the monsoons between July to October.
This spectacular fall is formed when the river Indravati abruptly collapses into a 100 feet deep cavern. The mouth of the fall, when in full profusion, is over 100 feet wide. Captions that are
about waterfall taken from Jaya Misra earlier album on Chitrakut Waterfalls.
This looks wow also. Water flowing from so many different points. One of the reasons why the bus drive took three hours was because it was a Friday when there is a weekly Haat market.
So you had adivasis and others taking their stuff to sell in the market, bus is the only means of transport for those who came from a distance. Try to visit on a Friday so you can visit the
haat market as well (keep about 2 hours for visit).
The point at which am standing is full of water during the monsoons. Me against the backdrop of the waterfalls.
Adivasi woman selling local products made out of wood. Impressive.
A few kms before Chitrakut Waterfalls is the Vanvasi Children Residential Hostel. I happened to see the board and walked in. They run a residential hostel for about 50-60 adivasi children
who study in the schools close by.
This is the hostel building. Hostel very clean, met some students who looked very happy, were busy studying. I like to support good work esp. when it is for the needy. Left a small donation.
Cost of running hostel for one years is app Rs 1.5 lakhs. If you like to make a contribution send cheque in the name of ''Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti'', Panchvati, behind Ayurvedic College, Raipur
492010. Chhattisgarh. Phone nos 0771 2262301. They run 5 hostels in district. This one, Langoda and Chhotidanger is for boys, Barsur and Bhanouri for girls. Donors get income-tax benefit
under section 80G of the Income-Tax Act.
I proceeded from the hostel to a village nearby for the weekly Haat market. Whilst walking came across this home where adivasis were celebrating Christmas as indicated by the cross that
you see in the pic. The last bus leaves Chitrakut at 4pm. I came to the main road and hitched a ride back to Jagdalpur. It took all of one hour on the motor-cycle.