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Hanuman image
on festive occasion. The Ranes still live in the old family
house next to temple.
Dudhsagar
Waterfalls
The magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall is perched in the high
peaks of the Western Ghats and is a sight to behold especially
in the monsoons when it is in full and furious flow. From a
distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing
down the mountainside. The exhuberent and spectacular
waterfall is located in the Sanguelim district. Measuring a
mighty 600 m from head to foot, this waterfall on the Goa-Karnataka
border, attracts various visitors. After pouring across the
Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a
foaming torrent that splits into three streams to cascade down
a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool. The Konkani
name for the falls, which literally translated means "sea of
milk", derives from clouds of milky foam which rises up at the
bottom of the falls. Dudhsagar is set amidst breathtaking
scenery overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley
carpeted with pristine tropical forest, that is only
accessible on foot or by train. Like most places in Goa, the
Dudhsagar waterfall too has a legend attached to its name.
According to the legend, a powerful and wealthy king ruled a
kingdom in the Western Ghats. His lavish and opulent palace in
the hills was surrounded by vast gardens which were full of
deers and gazelles. The King had a beautiful daughter, who
used to enjoy taking a bath during the hot summers, in the
picturesque lake near the forest on the edge of the King's
palace grounds. It was her habit to finish her bath and have a
jugful of sugared milk in a jug made of pure gold. One day
when she was finishing her usual jug of milk she found herself
being watched by a handsome prince standing amongst the trees. Embarassed by her inadequate bathing attire, the resourceful
Princess poured the sugared milk in front of her to form an
improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of the maids
rushed to cover her with a dress. Thus was the legend born.
The sugared milk (dudh) poured down the mountainside and
continued to flow in torrents as a tribute to the everlasting
virtue and modesty of the Princess of the Ghats. The Dudh
Sagar (Sea of Milk) continues to flow to this day and attracts
thousands of visitors to one of the most popular and famous
tourist spots in the state of Goa. The falls can also be
reached by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. At Collem, in
the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary near Mollem, there is a railway
station where the train stops to pick up passengers for the
journey to the waterfalls. There are two trains a day that
stop at Dudhsagar Station and it's possible to catch a morning
train up and spend several hours at the falls before taking an
afternoon train back. Near the top of the falls, the railway
line from Vasco to Londa crosses the mountainside, with
excellent views from the train. There also a couple of pools
that you can swim in, making Dudhsagar a great place for a day
full of fun and frolic. The alternate way of reaching the
falls is only advisable between January and May, when the
level of the water in the rivers abates enough to permit jeeps
to approach the base of the falls.
How to reach Sanguelim
By Road
Sanguelim is situated about 8 kms south east of Dicholim.
By Rail
Colem Railway Station is the nearest railway station on the
Konkan railway. |
