Notiapani waterfall, cascading nearly 20 feet beside the Ashokjhar–Talanagada road, has emerged as the most prominent attraction
JAJPUR: The monsoon has brought alive five seasonal waterfalls in the Nagada hills of Jajpur district, drawing visitors to a little-known landscape where cascading streams, mist-covered slopes and forested roads create a striking natural spectacle.
The waterfalls, located along the Ashokjhar–Talanagada road at the foothills of Satkulia, have become visible in their full flow since the last week of June. They are spread across a stretch between Ashokjhar and Naliadab, about 5.5 km from Ashokjhar on the approach to Nagada.
Among them, Notiapani waterfall has emerged as the principal attraction. Water plunges from a height of nearly 20 feet and splashes towards the roadside, offering visitors a close view of the cascade. On sunny mornings, rays falling through the spray often create a rainbow, adding to the visual appeal of the waterfall.
The waterfalls are expected to remain in flow and retain their charm through December, depending on rainfall.
The surrounding hills, frequently enveloped in monsoon clouds, add another dimension to the landscape. The winding hill road through the mist and greenery has begun attracting visitors looking for a seasonal nature experience away from the more established tourist destinations.
Water source and traditional significance
For the local Juang tribal community and other indigenous residents, however, Notiapani is more than a scenic attraction.
The spring has traditionally served as a source of drinking water for people travelling through the Satkulia hills towards Nagada, Naliadab and Guhiasal. Travellers climbing the hills have long relied on its clear water to quench their thirst.
The area also carries considerable cultural and religious significance. According to local traditions associated with the Juang and Suryavanshi Shabar communities, an ancient Shaiva shrine is believed to exist at the Kamundeithal hill peak near Naliadab.
The hill has a distinctive crown-like formation. A large rock at its front, viewed from a distance, is said to resemble a temple. From Naliadab, Kamundeithal lies about 2 km further into the hills towards the north-east.
The site attracts devotees during Maha Shivaratri, when pilgrims climb the hill and light traditional lamps. Naliadab itself has a centuries-old tradition of a three-day Jagar festival.
For pilgrims and trekkers heading towards Kamundeithal, Notiapani forms a natural stopping point along the forest trail.
A landscape gaining wider attention
The waterfalls have also begun to attract attention beyond the local communities.
At an Independence Day programme organised by Mission Trust at Naliadab on August 15, Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Shailaja Ravi described the waterfalls and their surrounding landscape as exceptionally picturesque.
The location has also featured in accounts of visits to the otherwise difficult-to-access Nagada and Guhiasal hills.
In 2007, during a polio immunisation programme, Dr Ravi Narayan Senapati, then a gynaecologist at the Sukinda health centre, travelled to the remote settlements of Nagada and Guhiasal. Recalling the visit, he said he had to spend a night in Nagada and had, without hesitation, drunk water from the Notiapani spring.
The recollection underscores the longstanding importance of the spring to people travelling through the hills, even before the area began receiving attention as a potential tourist destination.
With the monsoon turning the streams into waterfalls and covering the hills in mist and greenery, Nagada is now drawing a new kind of visitor. But for the communities who have lived around these hills, the waterfalls remain part of a landscape woven into everyday life, travel, tradition and faith.
The growing interest in the area also brings into focus the need for responsible tourism, particularly in a landscape with ecological sensitivity and strong tribal cultural associations.