Every monsoon, the Indian subcontinent turns into a land of natural marvel. Cascading waterfalls, dense greenscapes and the smell of earth take over life and seep into the mind’s eye as ever-lasting impressions of beauty and wonder. One such awe-striking monsoon phenomenon is the reverse waterfall that takes place along the western ghats of the country. In seeming defiance of laws of physics, the flow of water takes an upwards course against the pull of gravity.
Reverse waterfall in Visapur, Malvali, Maharashtra. Photo: Saurabh Chatterjee/Flickr
The reverse flow of water occurs when a cataract descends towards the river body and strong monsoon winds push a large volume of its water upwards. The spray created is dense enough to match a mini waterfall in volume, and the upwards shooting gives the effect of the water flying towards the sky. In India, the most popular sight for catching a reverse waterfall is the Naneghat mountain pass stretching between the Konkan coast and the Deccan Plateau. Hosts of tourists throng the ghat to catch a glimpse of the torrential rains and strange plays of water. Some 20kms from Nashik, the quiet village of Anjaneri also boasts an upside down waterfall on the way to Tahuli peak.
Naneghat waterfall. Photo: Praneet Gawari/Flickr
Samrad village in Sandhan Valley near Mumbai is also home to a reverse waterfall that sits at a height of 2,000 ft. Near Pune, Kavalshet Point hosts about 10 small cascades and a string of reverse waterfalls that stud the greenery like jewels of silver. Sightings have also been detected near Sinhagad Fort along Malshej ghat between Kalyan and Ahmednagar of Maharashtra.
Waterfall in Sandhan Valley.
The strange yet mesmerising phenomenon has been spotted time and again across the globe as well. From Sydney to Kinder Downfall in England and in Maule region of Chile, reverse waterfalls take over the landscape during monsoon rains and make the headlines every year. Keep a lookout.
References
# Outlook Traveller
# The Times of India
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