India is a home to some of the magnificent waterfalls. The falls are torrents which can carve, shape or break the rocks, smash the trees and logs coming in between to make the way for gushing water but we still feel they are the most captivating marvels of nature. The sight of the flowing crystal clear water, thundering roaring sound; not only brighten up eyes and soul but makes body relaxed and rejuvenated after the tiring day too. On our recent trip to Mukteshwar town, we visited one such newly discovered, endearing fall known as the Bhalu Gaad waterfall.
The Bhalu Gaad fall is a 60 feet high fall from the undiscovered source. It is a mixture of horseshoe and plunge shaped waterfall. The water flows continuously throughout the year maintaining contact with the rock bed before turning to Plunge at the bottom. Indeed, the waterfall completely turns to plunge shaped when the water flow increases during the rainy season. Being recently discovered it is cleaner & less touristy as compared to other waterfalls of Uttarakhand.
But slowly the Mukteshwar town is gaining attraction, and the fall will enlist in the attractions of Mukteshwar. There is rainbow seen at the bottom of Bhallu Gaad Waterfall, so locals name it a Rainbow waterfall.
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Description
The word Bhalu Gaad comes from two words Bhalu and Gaad where the word Bhalu means Bear and Gaad means stream in the Kumaoni language. So, it is believed to be a good location for Bear sightseeing. But luckily or unluckily we didn’t spot any during our trail walk.
How to reach Bhalu Gaad Waterfall
The Bhalu Gaad waterfall lies 10 kilometers from Mukteshwar town and 5 kilometers from the Club Ten pine lodge Mukteshwar. To reach the falls, drive from town to village Dhari. Park your vehicle in the open area near a roadside shack and from there trek for almost 2 kilometers into the woods.
The hike is a beautiful walk through the dense jungle with continuous ascents, and descents. The river flows along the trail and birds chirp throughout making the whole walk and place idyll. We crossed three streams in between the trek and at the end, there are huge rock boulders, which need to be climbed up and down to touch the natural clear pool filled with chilling water.
The total time to complete one side trek lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.
Tips for Visiting Bhalu Gaad Waterfall
- The hike is of an easy level, considering you need to cross the stream and climb rock in between.
- Ideally, visit the fall only between sunrises to sunset.
- There are no shacks near the fall, which is really good. So, carry your water bottle and snacks along. And remember not to litter around. Bring your wrappers and bottles back, to keep the fall and trails clean.
- The guide is available at the shack at Rs. 200/-. Hire him only, if you don’t want to catch the wrong trails and reach the unexplored villages.
- Entry to the Bhalu Gaad waterfall is free and the site can be accessed throughout the year.
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Overall, the walk to newly discovered Bhalu Gaad waterfall is adventurous and it is a bird lover paradise too. We would have loved camping and watching stars near the fall, provided it was allowed.
If you like Bhalu Gaad Waterfall, please share it with your family and friends.
Also Read, post on Mukteshwar Town.
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