Chitrakoot Falls, Natural waterfall near Jagdalpur, India

Chitrakoot Falls is a waterfall on the Indravati River, about 38 kilometres west of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. The river drops roughly 30 metres over Archaean granite and gneiss, not sandstone. In the monsoon the falls form a single horseshoe-shaped sheet nearly 300 metres wide; in the dry season it splits into three braids over a stepped, horizontally banded rock face.

The rocks around this waterfall belong to some of the oldest geological formations in India, dating back to the Archaean period. Granite and gneiss structures nearby show how the riverbed was shaped over millions of years.

On the left bank stands a small Hindu shrine to Shiva, and below the falls the pond banks hold many small Shiva lingas in niches plus rusted iron trishuls. A rock ledge on the left bank leads down to a niche with stone slabs carved with deities, and a straw hut shelters Shiva images and rusted Ganesha figures. Local boatmen paddle visitors beneath the spray.

Visiting between July and October offers the highest water flow and the best photo opportunities, while trails along the cliffs may become slippery after rain. Accommodations and small boats are available on site to explore the surroundings from the water.

The horseshoe-shaped cascade generates a constant mist during the monsoon season, in which multiple rainbows often form at the same time when sunlight hits. The spray sometimes reaches several meters beyond the rock edges and drenches the surrounding plants with fine water droplets.