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Dudhsagar Waterfall

Dudhsagar is one of the most breathtaking sites in the ‘sunshine state’ and is best visited under the mystical influence of the sun’s morning rays.
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Dudhsagar is one of the most breathtaking sites in the ‘sunshine state’ and is best visited under the mystical influence of the sun’s morning rays. Cascading over four tiers before plunging 2,000 feet down a mountain face, this is Goa’s highest waterfall, found in India’s Western Ghats, close to the Karnataka border. Dudhsagar Waterfall, Sanguem. Dudhsagar is one of the world’s most exquisite falls. It lies high up in the Mandovi River’s watershed and so are not particularly spectacular during the dry season. 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 fifth tallest waterfall and is 227th in the world at 310 m. The water plummets hundreds of metres (over a thousand feet) in large volumes during the rainy monsoon season, forming one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Goa. It is a major part of the Goa ecosystem. It is a four-tiered waterfall with a total height of 310 metres (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres (100 feet).

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. 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.

Dudhsagar Waterfall 1

The surrounding area is surrounded by a deciduous forest and many species of birds, insects, plants and animal abound here. Trekking in Dudhsagar is a famous tourist attraction. There are two abandoned shelters for the refuge of trekkers (left to the falls and right side beside the railway track). They are available on first-come-first-served basis. Medical and pure drinking water facilities are not available around Dudhsagar but one can approach the station master at Dudhsagar Falls railway station in emergency. There are 4 possible trek routes to reach Dudhsagar Falls, of which only two are accessible in monsoon.

The Falls can be reached by train from Karnataka state from Londa railway junction on Hubli-Madgaon-Vasco da Gama route. One can get down at Castle Rock station or Collem station and reach the Falls by road.

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