Goa - The Undiscovered Places

We have been to Goa many times and always thought that Goa had only beaches, temples and churches to offer as tourist spots besides the sea food. We were wrong when we discovered that there was one such spot which was different and unique - The DudhSagar Falls. We decided to visit this place and set out one morning with an extra pair of clothing and towels. We hired a cab and the cabbie informed us that a Mahadev Temple at Tambdi Surla was worth visiting. We agreed to go along with him, though we were more eager to see the falls rather than visit any temple as we had been visiting many temples in the course of our journey. As we drove from Panjim, the winding roads of the Anmod Ghat (Western Ghats)  flanked on both sides with lush greenery, were a treat to the eyes and lifted our spirits. The drive was long one and we reached a place which looked like a wild life sanctuary. Later we learned that the place was known as Molem Wildlife Sanctuary and was on the bank of a stream of river Surla. We walked through the lush green surroundings and down a small bridge on the glistening waters of stream. Just as we turned a cornered we saw one of the most gorgeous pieces of relic from ancient India in the Golden Era.

Way to the temple

The temple stands in all its glory on one of the best locations in Goa. The first glimpse of the temple from the forest itself leaves an indelible memory. The beautiful greyish black rock of the temple shines against the backdrop of the lush green mountains and a beautiful manicured lawn surrounds the temple giving it a glorious look.

The Temple was built by the Kadambas of Goa in the 13th century AD. It is placed on a plinth and has intricate carvings on its pillars and walls. The temple consists of a garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) , a small antarala (ante chamber ) and a nandi mandapa. The ceiling is decorated with carvings of lotus flowers and the pillars with rosettes. In the garbagriha there is a small lingam mounted on a pedestal. We walked around the precincts of the temple and sat on the plinth taking in the scenery.

The rosettes on the ceiling

We then decided to go to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls as it was late in the afternoon. This waterfall is located in the Sanguem , Goa. One can go by road or rail to Kulem railway station and then trek to the waterfall or hire a jeep with a driver to get closer in, however, there will still be a walk through rocks and rough paths to reach the base of the falls. This waterfall is also known as Tambdi Surla to some of the local people. The jeep ride is bumpy and goes through rough rocky terrain and streams and lots of fun for people looking for some adventure. We had to leave the jeep and walk for 20 mins to get to the waterfall and as we neared we could hear the sound of gushing and swirling water. Round a corner and you can see the majestic cascade of white water, gushing over the steep, nearly vertical face of the mountain from a spectacular height of 1017ft. The river Mandovi, which is the main river of Goa, begins on the Deccan plateau in the state of Karnataka.

The Dudhsagar Waterfall

Winding its way through the Western Ghats, this river plummets over the highest peaks on the border of Goa and Karnataka, thus forming the Dudhsagar falls. The pool formed at the base of the falls is very tempting and many people were seen swimming in it for hours. There is a lot of force in the water during the rainy season and it is not safe to swim in the pool or go under the fall. After an hour we decided to return to the jeep before it got too dark.

The trip was truly a memorable one and we yearned to go back.

Tips:

1) If visiting around monsoon, be prepared for occasional showers, carry a raincoat. Always carry an extra pair of clothes.

2) There is no direct way to reach Dudhsagar, you either take a train to Londa junction. From there, you need to take a local bus/taxi/train to either Kulem or Castle Rock. This takes about 3 hours. The trek starts from here, a trek on track for over 12 kms to reach the waterfalls .

3) Trek from Castle Rock station is about 14 kms and about 12 kms from Kulem station.

4) In case you plan to trek, come prepared with a good pair of walking shoes, the tracks look easy to walk on but the gravel can be quite a pain when walking for long distance.

5) The jeep ride is also rough and is about 20 mins. of bone rattling experience.

6) The terrain near the falls is very rocky and hence requires a lot of hop, skip and jump.