The Patalpani Waterfall is a waterfall on the

Choral River The Choral River is a tributary of the Narmada River of Central India. Course Choral river rises in the Vindhyachal Range of Indore District and after flowing in northeast direction through the mountains, it turns south after exiting the Vindhy ...

, a tributary of the Narmada, located in the

Mhow Mhow, officially Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, is a town in the Indore district in Madhya Pradesh state of India. It is located south-west of Indore city, towards Mumbai on the old Mumbai-Agra Road. The town was renamed as ''Dr. Ambedkar Nagar'' in 20 ...

Tehsil of Indore district in the state of

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

The falls

Patalpani is a waterfall in

. It has an approximate 91 metres (300 ft). It is on the

. The water flow is highest immediately after the rainy season (usually after July). It goes almost dry in the summer season, and the stream is reduced to a trickle. The area around Patalpani is a popular

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

and trekking spot.

Etymology

According to folklore, the pit (''kund'') at the bottom of the falls goes as deep as '' patal'' (the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

in Indian mythology). Therefore, the falls are called ''Patal-pani'', ''pani'' being the

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

word for water.

Location

The nearest airport is Indore International Airport which is situated at a distance of roughly 40 KM from the falls. The rest of the distance has to be covered via road or rail transport means. Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (MHOW) is the nearest town.

Rail

The nearest railway station is

Patalpani railway station The Patalpani railway station (station code: PTP) is one of the local railway stations of Indore City in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The station consists of two platforms. The platforms are not well sheltered. It lacks many facilities including ...

near the falls at a distance of 200 m on the Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Railway Station (MHOW)-

Sanawad Sanawad is a city in the Khargone district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a popular center for the trade of cotton and wheat. Nearby cities include Barwaha, Khargone, Khandwa and Indore. In the Khargone district Sanawad is the thir ...

metre gauge train line. Two trains run on these route, one being the Heritage Train from Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Railway Station (MHOW) till Kalakund and the local train between Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Railway Station (MHOW) and

. The heritage train offers views of the Ghats, the Valleys, the

and the rail line itself which more than a century old. It returns back the same day to Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (MHOW) from Kalakund in the evening.

Road

To reach there via road, one has to first reach Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (MHOW) town in Indore District. From where, the waterfall is situated at a distance of 8 KM on internal country roads.

Accidents

Deaths in 2011

During monsoon season (July-September), the area is prone to

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

s. On 17 July 2011, heavy rains occurred in the catchment area of the upstream. Over 50 visitors, many of them on a picnic, were sitting near the waterfall at that time. The local villagers warned them about the risk, and asked them to move away from water. Most of the visitors managed to get to safety, but five people were not able to move away in time. However, as they were crossing the stream, they were washed away in a sudden gush of water. Only two of them survived. The bodies of the victims were found over the next week: Chavi Dhoot of 22 years (18 July), Chandrashekhar Rathi of 55 years (19 July) and His daughter Mudita Rathi of 22 years (20 July). A video of the accident went viral. Subsequently, the local administration constructed a bridge and a staircase to avoid similar mishaps.2011 tragedy still fresh in people's mind
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References

{{Coord, 22.5039, N, 75.7987, E, display=Title Waterfalls of Madhya Pradesh Tourist attractions in Indore district