Catherine Falls is a double-cascaded
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
located in
Kotagiri
Kotagiri is a hill station and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the India, Indian state, Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiri hills have been the traditional home of the "Kota" tribes. The name 'Kota-giri' itself means 'mountains of the kotas'. ...
,
The Nilgiris District
The Nīlgiris district is one of the 38 districts in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri () is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The Nilgiri Hi ...
, in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. It is a major tourist spot, located on the Mettupalayam road branching off at
Aravenu. The upper fall drops to the floor, and is the second-highest in the
Nilgiri Mountains. The waters from the upper stream of the
Kallar River
Kallar may refer to:
Places
India
* Kallar, Kanhangad near Kanhangad, Kerala, India
* Kallar, Trivandrum in Trivandrum district in Kerala, India
* Kallar River, a tributary of the Neyyar river in India, flowing through Tamil Nadu and Kerala
* K ...
are crossed by the Mettupalayam-Ooty road beyond the mountains in the southwest. The combined height of both falls is about .
It has been generally claimed that Catherine Falls is named after the wife of
M.D. Cockburn, who is said to have introduced
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
plantations to Kotagiri, however the name St. Catherine's Falls was in use even in 1852 while Catherine Jane Cockburn née Lascelles died in 1879. The native name of Catherine Falls is Geddhehaada Halla, meaning "Foothills Dale River". The entire waterfall can clearly be seen from the top of
Dolphin's Nose. It is also possible to take a road to the top of the falls.
See also
*
List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
*
List of waterfalls in India
This is a list of waterfalls in India sorted by state. The Indian state of Karnataka has more waterfalls than any other state. Karnataka has 544 waterfalls which are at least 10 meters in height. With a height of 1493 feet, Kunchikal Falls in ...
*
Kotagiri
Kotagiri is a hill station and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the India, Indian state, Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiri hills have been the traditional home of the "Kota" tribes. The name 'Kota-giri' itself means 'mountains of the kotas'. ...
*
Kodanad View Point
Kodanad view point is a tourist spot near Kotagiri, Nilgiris district, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territo ...
*
Rangaswamy Peak and Pillar
References
Waterfalls of Tamil Nadu
Tourist attractions in Nilgiris district
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