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A bewitching beauty called Dudhsagar

By Anil Sastry

PANAJI, AUG. 24. As the train passes through a thick layer of clouds amid the tall mountains of the Western Ghats, the traveller can see Dudh (milk) gushing down the mountains and forming a Sagar (Ocean) at the foothills, when the clouds disappear for a moment. This is Dudhsagar, said to be the tallest waterfalls in the country, which drops from a height of 600 metres through a near vertical cliff to enter the coastal region. Situated on the Karnataka-Goa border, Dudhsagar is at its best during the rainy season.

Cascading streams

The water forms a foaming torrent while entering Goa from Karnataka. It fans into three streams before cascading down a deep green pool. Located in a tropical jungle, these magnificent falls are not easily accessible.

There is a train from Goa (Margao-Sanvordem-Colem-Dudhsagar) as well as from Karnataka (Londa-Castle Rock-Dudhsagar). One can reach the falls by road too, but the journey can be tedious. There is a kutcha road from Colem that passes through jungles. But it is nearly impossible to drive on this road during rainy season.

Dudhsagar derives its name from the clouds of foam that form at the waterfalls. According to the legend, a powerful king who ruled the Western Ghats had his palace in the forest. The king's daughter used to bathe in the picturesque lake. She would have a jug full of sugared milk after the bath.

Once while she was just having her milk after a bath, a handsome prince saw her. Embarrassed, the princess poured milk in front of her so that it could form a curtain while one of the maids rushed to get her the dress. Since then, the sugared milk (Dudh) poured by the princess is believed to be flowing in torrents as a tribute to the modesty of the princess.

Special coach

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has extended Dudhsagar Rail Tour. A special coach with a seating capacity of 108 is attached to Amaravati Express (Vasco-da-Gama to Vijayawada).

It leaves Vasco on every Saturday. The train leaves Vasco at 6.50 a.m. and Margao at 7.15 a.m. to reach Dudhsagar at 9.30 a.m.

The train leaves Dudhsagar at 4.35 p.m. to reach Margao at 6.30 p.m. and Vasco at 7 p.m.

L.C. Kavlekar, Deputy General Manager (Marketing), GTDC, said: "We wish to attract those tourists who love to be amidst the nature during the monsoon. At times, the occupancy rate in the train is around 50 per cent and still we conduct the tour not to disappoint tourists."

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