Mandawa Waterfall, Jagdalpur, Bastar
Right Lateral view of Mandawa Photograph by: Jitendra Nakka
Adding an adjective to praise the beauty of Bastar, I will call it “Virgin Bastar”. It’s so ‘coz the more we try to unveil, the more it seems to have hidden in her laps. Now to the collection of her jewels, we are adding one more gem i.e. Mandawa Waterfall. Next to Chitradhara, this waterfall is one of the nearest waterfalls of Jagdalpur. It’s so beautiful, so fresh, so unseen site, that if properly promoted, it can be one of the most promising tourist paradises of Bastar.
Fig: Mandawa @ Downstairs Photograph by: Jeet Singh Arya
Where and How to Reach?
Mandawa waterfall is located in a place called Mandawa at village Dodrepal which is 5kms from Mavlibhata, a village on the left side of NH-16 (Jagdalpur-Geedam road), which is around 31kms away from Jagdalpur. One alternate way is…just 7kms from Raikote, but here you have to park/leave your vehicle 3kms before this waterfall. One more approach road goes from Tokapal (20kms from Jagdalpur). Due to its short distance, u can visit this place, and return back within few hours.
courtsey: www.mapsofindia.com
For lodging and boarding, there are many good resorts and hotels in Jagdalpur. Some of the hotels provide exciting tour packages also. For the ease of tourist and visitors, Govt. has made some good rest house and guest houses in Divisional Head quarter, Jagdalpur. Obviously for a waterfall, October to February is the best time to visit.
Photograph by: Ashish Gadpale
Being in Mandawa Waterfall:
Mandawa is just like a mystic beauty, a combination of a small short remote untrodden valley, a series of cascades, greenery on the both sides of valley…….isn’t it a big thing in a small package!! Just before this waterfall, there is a mountainous stream which has been bound by a nala bund, which has its origin 20kms away to the southwest from the mountains near Katenaar, Gumadpal, Pakhnaar, this stream(nala) is called Mungabahar nala, as there is one village called Munga, near the origin of this stream. In local language, a stream is also called as “Bahar”, hence this stream got its name as “Mungabahar”. Even being a short stream, this nala never gets dry.
Photograph by: Jeet Singh Arya
Right Lateral view of Mandawa Photograph by: Jitendra Nakka
In this Mungabahar nala itself, at Mandawa, the stream water flows step-wise and falls from a height of 70 ft to make a beautiful cascade called Mandawa Waterfall. The water from this waterfall collects there in a small reservoir(jalkund), but again disappears after some distance, as it meets Kanger river as its tributary and form two another waterfalls i.e. Tirathgarh and Kanger-dhara. The rocks on either sides of valley of this waterfall are as thick as up to 200ft wide, in some areas it is wide up to 300ft also. Due to its flat top and adjacent horizontal rocks, it is very easy to enjoy up to any extent of this waterfall, hence it is gradually getting fame, and now people have started opting this site as their picnic spot.
Photograph by: Ashish Gadpale
Photograph by: Ashish Gadpale
Photograph by: Jeet Singh Arya
On the flat top of this waterfall, there are some rock statues of Shivling and Nandi. Recently a small temple has also been made there in order to protect this idols and statues. Nearby there is one tree where there are a big oval shaped rock, people used to worship it as Shiv-ling, so you can also observe a half dozen of Nandi idols near this so called Shivling. Yes, of course, people and their faith, even I too bowed down my head here. There is a local belief that if any newly married couple or any childless couple comes here and pickup this shivling shaped rock, then they will be bestowed by a baby. Hence, this belief makes this place more worthy, spiritual and divine also. Yet another reason to visit this place isn’t it?
Photograph by: Jeet Singh Arya
Conclusion:
Gradually, people are becoming aware of this site also, youngsters and youth are opting this waterfall as their favorite picnic site…but as this is one of the upcoming tourist site of Bastar, the approach road is yet to be prepared and metalled. Govt. should proceed in order to promote this beautiful mystic waterfall.
Note: This blog is devoted for my frns- “Jeet Singh Arya” and "Ashish Gadpale" who helped me in getting data about this place and took so beautiful pictures of this site. Cheers to you guys.
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