Ranchi: the waterfalls of India's tribal capital

Capital of Jharkhand, a state with strong indigenous tribal populations, Ranchi preserves spectacular waterfalls in the surrounding plateau.

The center, not far from the waterfalls of the Indian tribal capital, is visited comfortably by motorized rickshaw.

The Hundru Falls, which plunge over ninety-eight meters, remain the most celebrated and photographed waterfall on Ranchi plateau during monsoon season.

Just minutes away, the Tribal Research Institute Museum displays tools, costumes, and art of the numerous tribal populations inhabiting Jharkhand.

Moving inland you visit the Jagannath Temple, built in miniature following the style of the more famous temple in Puri, Odisha.

In the evening, Kanke Lake, artificial, animates evening strolls around its wooded shores.

Jharkhand, of which Ranchi is the capital, has the highest percentage of indigenous tribal population of all India, with over thirty distinct ethnic groups maintaining their own languages, dances, and traditions still very visible in surrounding villages.

The waterfalls around Ranchi, fed by rivers descending from the Chota Nagpur plateau, reach their maximum flow during the summer monsoon season, when thousands of local visitors crowd the viewpoints.