Highest Waterfall in India: Kunchikal, Top 10 List
Kunchikal Falls in Karnataka is called India's highest waterfall at 455 m, but the World Waterfall Database measures the actual drop at only 183 m. Nohkalikai in Meghalaya is the tallest plunge fall at 340 m. This guide gives the top 10 with heights, rivers, states and the UPSC facts that get tested
Gajendra Singh Godara
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Highest waterfall in India by standard UPSC answer: Kunchikal Falls, Karnataka, 455 m
A caveat worth knowing: the World Waterfall Database records Kunchikal's measured drop at only 183 m
Tallest plunge waterfall: Nohkalikai, Meghalaya, 340 m
Second-highest overall: Barehipani, Odisha, 399 m, located inside Simlipal National Park
Karnataka has 544 waterfalls above 10 m, the most of any state
Most of India's major waterfalls are on the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats edges
The highest waterfall in India is Kunchikal Falls, in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, with a cited height of 455 metres (1,493 feet). That is also the standard answer to "tallest waterfall in India" in every UPSC answer key. That is the answer every standard reference gives, and it is what exam keys accept.
But there is a serious caveat UPSC aspirants should know. The World Waterfall Database, the standard international register, measures Kunchikal's actual vertical drop at only 183 metres (600 feet). The 455 m figure includes the total cascade and tiered boulder sections, not a single free fall.
Why this matters: the Varahi is dammed upstream at Mani Dam, so Kunchikal in full spate is rare; access is restricted because the falls sit inside a Karnataka Power Corporation hydroelectric catchment; and the "second tallest in Asia" claim repeated across Indian sites does not appear in international rankings.
What to write in an exam. Say Kunchikal, 455 m, Karnataka, because that is what the answer key will match. Noting the 183 m World Waterfall Database figure in a Mains answer about measurement controversies is a mark-earner, not a liability.
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# | Waterfall | Height | State | River |
1 | Kunchikal Falls | 455 m (1,493 ft) | Karnataka | Varahi |
2 | Barehipani Falls | 399 m (1,309 ft) | Odisha | Budhabalanga |
3 | Nohkalikai Falls | 340 m (1,115 ft) | Meghalaya | Rain-fed |
4 | Nohsngithiang Falls (Mawsmai) | 315 m (1,033 ft) | Meghalaya | Rain-fed |
5 | Dudhsagar Falls | 310 m (1,017 ft) | Goa-Karnataka | Mandovi |
6 | Kynrem Falls | 305 m (1,001 ft) | Meghalaya | Rain-fed |
7 | Meenmutty Falls | 300 m (980 ft) | Kerala | Chaliyar |
8 | Thalaiyar Falls | 297 m (974 ft) | Tamil Nadu | Manjalar |
9 | Barkana Falls | 259 m (850 ft) | Karnataka | Seetha |
10 | Jog Falls | 253 m (830 ft) | Karnataka | Sharavathi |
Three patterns UPSC tends to ask:
Western Ghats dominate. Six of the top ten are in Karnataka, Kerala, Goa or Tamil Nadu. The steep western scarp drops rivers abruptly from the plateau to the coastal plain.
Meghalaya accounts for three. Nohkalikai, Nohsngithiang and Kynrem are all in the East Khasi Hills, in the catchment that receives the world's highest monsoon rainfall.
Barehipani is the odd one. The only Eastern Ghats entry in the top ten, inside Simlipal National Park.
"Biggest" is not the same as "tallest", and the distinction gets tested.
Measure | Record holder |
Tallest (vertical drop) | Kunchikal Falls, 455 m, Karnataka |
Biggest by water volume (widest) | Chitrakote Falls, Chhattisgarh, nicknamed the "Niagara of India" |
Highest plunge in a single drop | Nohkalikai Falls, 340 m, Meghalaya |
Largest by total water discharge | Jog Falls in monsoon, Sharavathi River |
On Chitrakote. On the Indravati River in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, about 300 metres wide in monsoon. By volume it is the biggest waterfall in India. By height, only around 29 metres.
On Jog Falls. Four parallel streams called Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket, dropping 253 m on the Sharavathi. Historically huge in monsoon, but the Linganamakki Dam upstream now diverts most water for hydropower, so the falls are at their best only during releases.
So India's biggest waterfall depends on what "biggest" means. By height, Kunchikal. By width and volume, Chitrakote. Writing both into a Mains answer earns more than picking one, and that nuance is exactly what the name of the biggest waterfall in India question is really testing.
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Searches for longest waterfall in India and largest waterfall in India mean one of three things:
Longest tiered cascade: Kunchikal, since the 455 m total covers multiple drops rather than one plunge
Longest single drop: Nohkalikai, a vertical plunge of 340 m
Largest by width: Chitrakote, Niagara of India
Largest by discharge: Jog, in its natural state
For India's largest waterfall without qualification, the safest short answer is Kunchikal. The better answer is the distinction above.
Because UPSC sets geography questions on location-plus-feature, group the falls by physical setting rather than memorising the whole list.
Western Ghats (Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu)
The western escarpment is the single biggest waterfall-producing feature in India. The plateau sits around 600-900 m; the coast is at sea level; rivers flowing west drop the difference in short distances.
Kunchikal (Karnataka, Varahi), Jog (Karnataka, Sharavathi), Barkana (Karnataka, Seetha)
Dudhsagar on the Goa-Karnataka border (Mandovi)
Athirappilly, Kerala, 24 m, the "Niagara of Kerala" (Chalakudy)
Meenmutty, Kerala (Chaliyar); Thalaiyar, Tamil Nadu (Manjalar)
Our Western Ghats map is worth keeping open alongside this list, and the Karnataka map shows the Shimoga district where three of these sit.
Meghalaya plateau
The plateau's southern edge drops sharply into the Bangladesh plains, and the orographic rainfall feeds vertical plunge waterfalls rather than cascades.
Nohkalikai, East Khasi Hills, tallest plunge in India
Nohsngithiang, East Khasi Hills, also called Mawsmai Falls, a seven-strand segmented fall
Kynrem, East Khasi Hills, three-tiered
All three sit near Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, among the wettest places on Earth.
Eastern Ghats and Central India
Barehipani and Joranda (150 m) in Simlipal National Park, Odisha, on the Budhabalanga
Chitrakote, Chhattisgarh, on the Indravati
Hundru, 98 m, Jharkhand, on the Subarnarekha
Himalayas and North-East
Bhagsu, Himachal Pradesh, near Dharamshala
Vantawng, 229 m, Mizoram, tallest in the north-east
Dhuandhar, Madhya Pradesh, on the Narmada at Jabalpur, 30 m but famous for the marble-rocks gorge below
For river placement, see our major rivers in India map.
For a UPSC aspirant the best waterfalls in India are the ones that come up most in current affairs, environment and GS Paper I geography.
Waterfall | Why it matters beyond height |
Jog Falls | Linganamakki Dam controversy; shows the trade-off between hydropower and tourism |
Athirappilly | At the heart of a long-running debate over a proposed hydroelectric project in a Shola forest zone |
Dudhsagar | Inside Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park; the proposed railway double-tracking project through the Ghats affects it |
Chitrakote | On the Indravati, which straddles the forest areas of Bastar; a recurring reference in tribal rights and Naxal-affected area questions |
Dhuandhar | On the Narmada at Jabalpur; shows a classic gorge-and-fall formation after the marble rocks |
Nohkalikai | Linked to the rainfall record of Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, a staple geography question |
Barehipani and Joranda | Inside Simlipal Tiger Reserve, a biosphere reserve and the site of major 2021 forest fires |
Prelims tests:
Waterfall paired with river and state (Kunchikal-Varahi-Karnataka, Jog-Sharavathi-Karnataka, Dudhsagar-Mandovi-Goa)
Tallest vs biggest distinction
Niagara of India (Chitrakote) and Niagara of Kerala (Athirappilly)
Falls inside national parks and tiger reserves (Barehipani in Simlipal, Dudhsagar in Mollem)
Plunge vs tiered vs segmented vs horsetail classification
A classifier worth learning:
Type | Definition | Example in India |
Plunge | Water drops vertically without contact with the rock face | Nohkalikai |
Tiered | Several distinct drops in sequence | Kunchikal |
Segmented | Flow splits into multiple parallel streams | Nohsngithiang, Jog |
Horsetail | Water maintains contact with the rock throughout | Dudhsagar |
Cascade | Series of small drops down a sloping bed | Many Western Ghats falls |
Mains asks evaluation: the trade-off between hydropower development and waterfall conservation (Jog, Athirappilly), the impact of dams on monsoon flow, and waterfalls as components of ecotourism in biodiversity hotspot states.
The biodiversity hotspots in India page covers the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalaya context, and the tiger reserves in India page covers Simlipal.
Build answers using our guide to UPSC Mains answer writing practice, and pull past questions by topic from our previous year questions. For visual revision the full UPSC maps library sits in one place.
Frequently asked question (FAQs)
Which is the highest waterfall in India?
What is the name of the biggest waterfall in India?
Which is the tallest plunge waterfall in India?
What is India's largest waterfall by water volume?
Which waterfall is called the Niagara of India?
The highest waterfall in India is a cleaner question than it sounds. Kunchikal at 455 m is the exam answer; the WWD figure of 183 m is a more defensible drop. Both are true, and understanding why they differ is more useful than memorising either.
For the exam, four things carry the marks. The Kunchikal-Nohkalikai distinction, tallest overall versus tallest plunge. The river-state pairings for the top ten. The Niagara of India and Niagara of Kerala identifications. And the tallest vs biggest distinction, which almost every reference blurs.
Learn the top five with their rivers, know the four nicknames, and the rest is pattern.
Waterfall heights follow standard Indian references including NCERT physical geography, the Geological Survey of India where cited, and Wikipedia's state-wise list. Where international measurements differ, as with Kunchikal, the article says so. Figures for falls on dammed rivers describe the fall itself, not current discharge.
Gajendra Singh Godara
Ex-UPSC Aspirant | Exam Preparation Expert
Gajendra Singh Godara is an IIT Bombay graduate and a UPSC aspirant with 4 attempts, including multiple Prelims and Mains appearances. He specializes in Polity, Modern History, International Relations, and Economy. At PadhAI, Gajendra leverages his firsthand exam experience to simplify complex concepts, creating high-efficiency study materials that help aspirants save time and stay focused.
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