Bastar - Part 10 - Chitrakoot Falls : Niagara of India

January 22, 2022

As mentioned in my previous blog, we started off early in the morning to Chitrakoot falls from Mendri Ghumar.

We reached the parking of Chitrakoot falls in around half an hour time. From the parking lot, we started walking towards the falls. Since it was early morning, we could see fog around this area.

As we continued to walk and the fog started clearing slowly, at one point we could see the top view of the falls and it was sheer beauty.

Chitrakoot falls is located on the Indrāvati river. The 30 feet high falls is called “Niagara of India” because of its horseshoe shape.

After walking few more steps ahead, we reached the main camping place. Here we could see lot of tents by “Unexplored Bastar” and we could imagine the crowd that we would be anticipating here today. But luckily, they were just waking up.

We then got down to the base of the falls through the clearly crafted steps by the tourism department to visit the cave beneath the waterfall where you will find lot of deities which people worship.

This place is situated on the left bank of the waterfalls. It was interesting to watch stone idols kept in different shapes and sizes.

By this time, we noticed that the boatmen had arrived and they were setting the boats ready for the rides.

We went to the spot, put of our life jackets, and hopped onto one of the boats.

While the initial ride was smooth sailing, as we approached the mighty falls, we could hear soothing roars of the waterfall and water sprinkling on us. I was recollecting the "Maid of the Mist" experience I had at Niagara Falls many years ago when I was in US. But this was in typical desi style and we had lots of fun. Sharing videos below because the experience cannot be captured in photographs😊

After this visit, we took the steps and reached the guesthouse where Unexplored Bastar team had arranged breakfast for us.

We were served Poha here and it was a great experience having hot breakfast on top of the guesthouse with enchanting view of Chitrakoot falls.

There are good rest room facilities here too.

Post relaxing a bit, we started back to Raipur. On the way we took a pit stop at an artisan’s place in Kondagaon to watch their terracotta artwork and the finished products they prepare.

Terracotta Artwork, Kondagaon

Terracotta is made out from the finest quality clay taken from Indrāvati river. These are handcrafted by the local artisans here and the items mostly depict deities, lamps, elephants etc.

Some of our travelers picked up some interesting stuffs to take back home as souvenirs.

Lunch Time

We then stopped for lunch at a Punjabi Dhaba. Here we were served lip smacking samosas, parathas and lassi.

Bye bye Bastar

After heavy lunch, we dozed off in our vehicle and were woken up once we reached Raipur airport. Some interesting exhibits at Raipur airport shared below.

So, it was time now to bid adieu to this amazing most memorable offbeat place which is very less known. But now I hope I have created some awareness about this place through my blogs.

Bastar has so much to offer and to quench the thirst of all kind of travelers - with its exclusive handicrafts, mysterious caves, hikes, waterfalls, quaint tribal villages, rich culture, traditional cuisines, dense forest walks and many more interesting things a traveler would crave for. Those who long for “Experience Driven Travel”, then you must plan and visit Bastar for sure.

So, signing off now with a bag full of incredible memories from Bastar.

Trip Summary: Sharing a glimpse of the places we covered during the last few days in Bastar so that you can plan accordingly😊.