Kuntala Falls is a two-tiered monsoon waterfall on the Kadam river in northern Telangana, reached at the end of a long stepped descent into a forested gorge. The state tourism department describes it as the tallest waterfall in Telangana, and for the weeks of heavy rain it runs as two broad white sheets dropping side by side. In the dry months it thins to a trickle, so when you go matters more here than almost anywhere else in the old Adilabad country.
Kuntala Falls is a waterfall near Kuntala Khurd village in Nirmal district, Telangana, formed by the Kadam (also spelt Kadem) river. Telangana Tourism lists its height at about 147 feet (roughly 45 metres) and calls it the tallest waterfall in the state. It flows at full volume only in the monsoon and the weeks just after.
Key takeaways
- Kuntala Falls lies near Kuntala Khurd village, Neredigonda mandal, in Nirmal district (part of the former undivided Adilabad district), northern Telangana, on the Kadam river.
- Telangana Tourism gives its height as about 147 feet (roughly 45 metres) and describes it as the tallest waterfall in Telangana; the English Wikipedia infobox records a much higher figure that appears to be a unit error, so treat the ranking as attributed, not measured.
- Best time is the monsoon and the weeks just after, roughly July to February, with peak flow about July to October; by summer the fall is nearly dry.
- Reaching the base means a steep descent of about 400 steps into the gorge; step counts vary by account, so allow time and water for the climb back up.
- It is about 40 km from both Nirmal and Adilabad towns and roughly 260 km from Hyderabad (a 5 to 6 hour drive); the nearest practical railhead is Adilabad.
- Deccan Chronicle reported deaths at the falls from slipping and swimming in spate; stay behind the barriers and do not enter the pool when the river is high.
About Kuntala Falls and the “tallest in Telangana” claim
Kuntala Falls is a waterfall on the Kadam river near Kuntala Khurd village, in Neredigonda mandal of Nirmal district, northern Telangana, set in dense forest that is home to Gond communities. The name comes from the local word for pond: according to the English Wikipedia entry, kunta means pond in Gondi and Telugu, and the fall is fed by a string of upland ponds that drain into the Kadam.
A note on the district is worth making up front, because published sources disagree. The falls sit in what was the undivided Adilabad district until the 2016 Telangana reorganisation split it into Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad districts. Telangana Tourism and the state’s own listings file Kuntala under the old Adilabad heading, and some references now place it in Nirmal district; a few newer travel pages assign it to Kumuram Bheem Asifabad. As of October 2026 the most common administrative placement is Nirmal district, but confirm it on an official map if the exact district matters for your plans.
The “tallest waterfall in Telangana” tag is the headline fact, and it is better attributed than stated flat. The Telangana Tourism blog describes Kuntala as the highest waterfall in the state with a height of 147 feet, and the Adilabad district page describes the Kadam cascading about 45 metres down. The English Wikipedia infobox, by contrast, records a 150-metre total height, which does not match any other source and reads as a metre-for-feet error. Treat about 45 metres, or roughly 147 feet, as the working figure and the ranking as a tourism-department claim.
| Location | Near Kuntala Khurd village, Neredigonda mandal, Nirmal district (former Adilabad), Telangana |
|---|---|
| River | Kadam (Kadem) river |
| Height | About 147 feet (roughly 45 m), per Telangana Tourism; figures vary by source |
| Type | Two-tiered monsoon cascade |
| Descent | About 400 steps from the entry point to the base |
| Best season | Monsoon and just after, roughly July to February |
| Nearest railhead | Adilabad, about 40 to 50 km |
The two-tiered cascade and the stepped descent
Kuntala falls in two steps, and after the heaviest rain it reads as two separate sheets of water dropping alongside each other. The English Wikipedia entry notes the river “cascade[s] down through two steps” and can be seen as two adjacent falls after the peak monsoon. Some local accounts give names to the two tiers and describe a naturally formed Shiva lingam, worshipped as Someshwara, at the foot of the lower drop; those names are folk usage rather than survey records, so take them as such.
Getting to the water is the real effort. A motorable road runs to the entry point on the gorge rim, where a viewing area looks down on the cascade. From there a stone stairway drops steeply to the base of the falls. Accounts of the climb vary: the English Wikipedia entry calls it about a ten-minute walk one way, while several travel guides describe a descent of about 400 steps, and one puts it at 408. The honest planning figure is “a long, steep staircase of roughly 400 steps,” which is easy going down and slow coming back up.
The upper viewpoint on the rim is the safe place to take in the full two-tier drop, and in spate it is also the loudest. Lower platforms and the pool at the base give the close view but are slippery and exposed when the river is high. Allow about two to three hours at the site if you intend to walk all the way down and back.
The Shakuntala legend, as legend
The best-known story about the name is a legend, not history, and should be read that way. According to local belief recorded on the English Wikipedia entry, the falls are linked to Shakuntala, wife of King Dushyanta from the Mahabharata and Kalidasa’s play, who is said to have bathed here, and locals hold that “Shakuntala” softened over time into “Kuntala.” Wikipedia itself flags this name-change claim as unverified.
A plainer and better-supported explanation sits alongside it. As noted above, kunta means pond in the Gondi and Telugu spoken across this forest belt, and kuntalu means several ponds, which matches the way the fall is fed by a chain of upland pools. Both stories are worth knowing; only the second rests on language rather than folklore. Either way, the Shakuntala tale is part of why the place draws visitors, and it is fine to enjoy it as a legend.
Best time to visit Kuntala Falls
The best time to visit Kuntala Falls is the monsoon and the weeks just after, roughly July to February, when the Kadam is high and both tiers run full. Travel coverage consistently puts peak flow at about July to October; one guide gives July to February as the broad window, and the state tourism material points to the period after the peak rains for seeing the two separate sheets. By the hot months before the next monsoon the river shrinks and the fall can dry to a thin thread, which is why summer visits are discouraged.
There is a trade-off inside the season. At the height of the monsoon the volume is greatest but the steps are wettest, the pool is dangerous, and heavy rain can cut visibility. Late monsoon into the cooler months, roughly October to December, usually gives strong flow with safer footing and gentler weather. The figures here reflect published guidance as of October 2026; always check the recent rainfall before a trip, since flow depends entirely on the current monsoon.
| July to September | Peak monsoon; fullest flow and the two-tier view, but wettest steps and the most dangerous pool |
|---|---|
| October to December | Late monsoon to winter; strong flow, cooler weather and safer footing — the sweet spot for most visitors |
| January to February | Reduced but still worthwhile flow; pleasant days, thinner crowds |
| March to June | Dry and hot; the fall can shrink to a trickle — not recommended |
How to reach Kuntala Falls
Reach Kuntala Falls by road, as there is no station or airport at the falls themselves. The site lies about 40 km from both Nirmal and Adilabad towns and roughly 260 km from Hyderabad, a drive of about 5 to 6 hours. The usual route from Hyderabad runs north on NH44 towards Nirmal, then turns off towards Neredigonda and the falls; the last stretch is a forest road, and travel accounts warn there is little or no signage near the turn-off, so ask locally.
By rail, the nearest practical station is Adilabad, cited at about 40 to 50 km, on the line towards Secunderabad and beyond; from there you hire a taxi for the final leg. Basar, with its temple, and Nizamabad are the other rail reference points to the west, though they are further from the falls. (The Incredible India portal lists Karimnagar as the nearest station, which is well off; Adilabad is the sensible choice.) The nearest airport is Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International, and you drive north from there.
For buses, the English Wikipedia entry notes TSRTC weekend services from Hyderabad with pick-ups at MGBS, JBS, Bowenpally, Suchitra and Kompally, and Sunday services from Nizamabad, Adilabad and Nirmal bus stations. Timetables change, so reconfirm with TSRTC before relying on a bus; a self-drive car or a hired taxi gives far more freedom to pair Kuntala with Pochera on the same day. If you are building a wider trip, our Telangana travel guide sets this corner of the state in context.
| From Nirmal | About 40 km by road |
|---|---|
| From Adilabad | About 40 to 50 km by road |
| From Hyderabad | About 260 km (5 to 6 hours) via NH44 |
| Nearest railhead | Adilabad, about 40 to 50 km |
| Nearest airport | Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi International) |
The Adilabad waterfall circuit: Pochera and Gayathri
Kuntala is the anchor of a short waterfall circuit in the old Adilabad country, and the natural pairing is Pochera Falls, about 22 km away. Pochera, in Boath mandal of Nirmal district, is cited at about 37 km from Nirmal town and 47 km from Adilabad; it is a lower, broader fall where the water spreads across a granite wall and drops roughly 20 metres in two steps. Travel coverage notes that the tourism department maintains a small park there and that a motorable road runs right up to the falls, which makes it far easier to visit than Kuntala.
The third fall, Gayathri (also spelt Gayatri), is the hardest and the one to treat with respect. It lies near Tarnam Khurd village, cited at about 19 km from Kuntala and roughly 38 to 42 km from Nirmal, and reaching it means driving a rough track and then walking several kilometres through forest. Local accounts advise taking a villager as a guide so you do not lose the trail; it is not a casual stop, and it should not be attempted alone or in poor weather. A fourth, smaller cascade, Kortikal, is a seasonal roadside fall cited at about 15 km from both Kuntala and Nirmal.
| Fall | Where | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Kuntala | Neredigonda mandal; ~40 km from Nirmal | The tallest fall in the circuit; two-tier drop, long stepped descent |
| Pochera | Boath mandal; ~37 km from Nirmal, ~22 km from Kuntala | Broad granite cascade with a maintained park and road access |
| Gayathri | Near Tarnam Khurd; ~19 km from Kuntala | Remote forest fall (~100 ft); needs a local guide and a forest walk |
| Kortikal | ~15 km from Nirmal and Kuntala | Seasonal roadside monsoon cascade, an easy add-on |
Safety at the falls
Kuntala rewards caution, because the same monsoon flow that makes it worth the trip is what makes it dangerous. Deccan Chronicle, in an August 2015 report, called the site a “death point” and described visitors falling or drowning, mostly while taking photographs or swimming; it put the toll at five deaths in twenty days that season. Those are press figures from one season, not an official running count, but the pattern is clear and recent incidents elsewhere in Telangana follow the same script.
Travel references note that safety barriers were installed around the viewing area after a run of accidents. The sensible rules follow from all this: stay behind the barriers at the rim, do not step past them to the water’s edge when the river is in spate, and do not swim or wade in the pool during or just after heavy rain, when a sudden rise upstream can sweep you off your feet. The gorge is remote, so help is slow to arrive. Keep children close on the wet steps, wear shoes with grip, and turn back if the stairway is running with water.
Where to stay and budget
There is no stay at the falls, so base yourself in Nirmal or Adilabad town, both roughly 40 km away, or treat Kuntala as a long day trip from Hyderabad. Nirmal and Adilabad have the usual small-town spread of budget lodges and a few mid-range hotels near the bus stand and highway; neither is a resort town, and rooms are functional rather than scenic. As of October 2026 we could not verify live tariffs from an official source, so the bands below are planning estimates only and should be reconfirmed when you book.
Indicative room rates, as a planning estimate to reconfirm: budget lodges in Nirmal or Adilabad run roughly ₹800 to ₹1,500 a night, and the better mid-range hotels roughly ₹1,500 to ₹3,500. There is no true luxury tier in these towns; for more comfort, people often stay in Nizamabad or return to Hyderabad, which our Telangana itinerary planner can help you slot a falls day into. Book ahead on monsoon weekends and public holidays, when day-trippers fill the few decent rooms. Carry enough cash, as noted below.
| Item | Budget trip | Comfortable trip |
|---|---|---|
| Room (1 night, Nirmal/Adilabad) | ₹800–₹1,500 | ₹2,000–₹3,500 |
| Car/taxi for the falls circuit (per day) | ₹2,500–₹3,500 (shared) | ₹3,500–₹5,000 (private) |
| Meals and water (two people) | ₹500–₹800 | ₹900–₹1,500 |
| Parking/local charges | Nominal, if any | Nominal, if any |
| Rough total | ₹4,300–₹6,600 | ₹7,300–₹11,000 |
Entry, timings and rules
No official entry fee or fixed timings for Kuntala Falls could be verified from a primary source as of October 2026, so plan on open, daylight-hours access with at most a nominal parking or local charge, and reconfirm on the spot. This is a natural site in forest country rather than a ticketed monument, and no special permit such as an inner-line or protected-area permit applies to the falls themselves. Treat the following as indicative house guidance, not a published rule book.
Visit in daylight and start the descent with enough time to climb back before dark, as the gorge has no lighting. Carry out everything you carry in; the area has no shops and litter is a real problem at Telangana’s popular falls. Avoid loud music and alcohol on the steps and at the pool, both for safety and out of respect for the lingam shrine at the base and for the Gond villages nearby. If you plan to fly a drone, check the current DGCA rules and any forest-department restriction first, since this is forest land near a tiger-reserve landscape.
Practical tips
This is remote country, so come prepared. Mobile network and data are patchy on the forest roads and in the gorge, so download maps offline and tell someone your plan. Carry enough cash: ATMs are in Nirmal and Adilabad towns, not at the falls, and UPI depends on a signal you may not have. There are no reliable shops at the site, so bring water and food from Nirmal or the Boath crossroads, especially if you are pairing Kuntala with Pochera.
Wear shoes with good grip for the wet steps, and pack a light rain layer in the monsoon and sun protection in the shoulder months. The nearest hospitals of any size are in Nirmal and Adilabad towns, so carry a basic first-aid kit and any personal medicines. Solo women travellers should prefer the busier late-monsoon and winter weekends, when there are other visitors on the steps, keep to daylight hours, and ideally travel with a hired driver who knows the route rather than relying on sparse buses.
Nearby places
Kuntala pairs well with the region’s temples and wild country beyond the waterfall circuit. The obvious halt on the way in from the west is Basar (Basara), the Gnana Saraswati temple town on the banks of the Godavari in Nirmal district, cited at about 70 to 72 km from Nirmal and 33 to 35 km from Nizamabad; it is one of the few major Saraswati shrines in the country. To the east lies the Kawal Tiger Reserve, which the National Tiger Conservation Authority describes as lying along the Godavari over a total area of about 1,015 sq km, carved from the former Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in old Adilabad.
For a broader route through the state, our guide to travelling in Telangana links this northern belt to Hyderabad and the Deccan heartland.
| Place | Distance | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Pochera Falls | ~22 km | Broad granite cascade with a maintained park and easy road access |
| Basar (Gnana Saraswati temple) | ~70 km from Nirmal | Major Saraswati shrine on the Godavari; a common halt from the west |
| Kawal Tiger Reserve | East of the falls, old Adilabad landscape | Forest and the Godavari belt; an NTCA tiger reserve of about 1,015 sq km |
| Nirmal town | ~40 km | Base town; famous for Nirmal toys and lacquer paintings |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kuntala the tallest waterfall in Telangana?
Yes, Kuntala Falls is widely described as the tallest waterfall in Telangana. The Telangana Tourism blog states this directly and gives the height as 147 feet (about 45 metres). Treat the ranking as a tourism-department claim rather than a surveyed certainty, since the English Wikipedia infobox records a much higher, apparently mistaken, figure.
When is the best time to visit Kuntala Falls?
The best time is the monsoon and the weeks just after, roughly July to February, when the Kadam river is high and both tiers run full. Peak flow is about July to October; late monsoon into winter, roughly October to December, gives strong flow with safer footing. By the hot months the fall can dry to a trickle, so summer visits are discouraged.
How many steps are there at Kuntala Falls?
Reaching the base of Kuntala Falls means descending a steep stone stairway of about 400 steps from the entry point, though published accounts vary and one cites 408. The English Wikipedia entry calls it roughly a ten-minute walk one way. Going down is quick; the climb back up is slow, so carry water and allow time.
Which district is Kuntala Falls in?
Kuntala Falls lies near Kuntala Khurd village in Neredigonda mandal, in what is now generally Nirmal district, Telangana. The area was part of the undivided Adilabad district until the 2016 reorganisation, which is why many sources still file it under Adilabad; a few list it under Kumuram Bheem Asifabad. Confirm on an official map if it matters.
How do I reach Kuntala Falls from Hyderabad?
Drive north from Hyderabad on NH44 towards Nirmal, then turn off towards Neredigonda and the falls; the trip is about 260 km and takes 5 to 6 hours. The last stretch is a forest road with little signage, so ask locally. The nearest railhead is Adilabad, about 40 to 50 km away, from where you hire a taxi.
Is it safe to swim at Kuntala Falls?
No, swimming at Kuntala Falls is not safe in or just after heavy rain. Deccan Chronicle reported deaths at the site from slipping and swimming, and safety barriers were later installed at the viewing area. Stay behind the barriers, keep off the slippery lower rocks, and do not enter the pool when the Kadam river is in spate.
Last updated and sources
Go in the late monsoon or early winter, when the two tiers run strong and the steps are safer, and keep the visit to daylight hours. Pair it with Pochera for an easy day, and leave Gayathri to those with a guide and time to spare.
Last updated: 14 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.
Sources: Telangana Tourism — Kuntala & Pochera waterfalls; Telangana Tourism — Kuntala waterfalls (Nature in Adilabad); English Wikipedia — Kuntala Waterfall; English Wikipedia — Nirmal district; Incredible India — Kuntala waterfalls; Deccan Chronicle — “Kuntala waterfall turns death point” (August 2015); National Tiger Conservation Authority — Kawal Tiger Reserve brief; English Wikipedia — Basara, Telangana. Accessed October 2026.
