Chitrakoot Falls, Chhattisgarh — Timings, Best Time & Travel Guide

Chitrakote Falls — also spelt Chitrakot — is a broad horseshoe waterfall on the Indravati River in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It's the widest waterfall in India, stretching close to 300 metres at the height of the monsoon, which is why it gets called the Niagara of India.

The drop is about 30 metres into a deep gorge below. Viewing platforms are built at several points along the rim, so you can see the horseshoe from a few different angles without scrambling anywhere.

When to go

Volume and width peak between July and October, when the Indravati is in full flow and the falls span the entire cliff face. The trade-off is spray and mud.

From November to February the river narrows into separate streams over the rock, and that's when local boatmen run short rowboat rides to the base — the best way to feel the scale of it from below. Those rides don't operate at full monsoon.

What to expect on the ground

The setting is dense forest and rocky terrain typical of the Bastar plateau. Facilities are basic: a handful of local food stalls, minimal signage, and a government-run resort close by. The site is barely commercialised, which is the point — it's a raw look at central India rather than a managed attraction.