This waterfall is famous as the tallest plunge falls in India and the fifth highest waterfall in the country. With a height of 340 meters, the majestic Noh Ka Likai falls is located in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya.
'Noh Ka Likai,' translated, is 'The Leap of Likai.' So, what's behind this name? Read on...
"Likai, a Khasi woman, was the resident of village Rangjyrteh, located upstream from the present-day Noh Ka Likai fall. Her husband, a porter, had died, leaving Likai and a little baby daughter behind. She had taken up the porter's job herself to make ends meet, and life was difficult. So, the other women of Rangjyrteh persuaded her to remarry, which she did.
But, the new husband was a green eyed monster, jealous of the attention Likai showered on her baby. So, one day while his wife was out, the monster killed the baby, chopped her up, threw away her bones and cooked her flesh. But, he forgot her little fingers in a kwai (areca nut) basket.
When Likai came home, he offered her the prepared food, which she ate and relished. Out of the habit of chewing kwai, she reached out to the basket only to find to her horror, the severed, little fingers of her daughter. Likai realized what she had eaten and was full of remorse. Hurt, heartbroken, desperate and furious, she cried all her way to the edge of the waterfall, screaming with anguish and agony, and jumped to her death."
Thus, a name was coined and a legend was born.
Setting aside the tragedy, Noh Ka Likai is a trekker's paradise. Don't just look at it from the top. Take the stairs and the trekking trail to the base of the fall and relish the beauty. No worries if you don't like to trek. There are other options for bird watching, photography, angling, swimming, and camping, too!
For the best view, avoid the rains and visit Noh Ka Likai during September-October. Here's a video of the beautiful waterfall:
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| The majestic Noh Ka Likai Falls |
"Likai, a Khasi woman, was the resident of village Rangjyrteh, located upstream from the present-day Noh Ka Likai fall. Her husband, a porter, had died, leaving Likai and a little baby daughter behind. She had taken up the porter's job herself to make ends meet, and life was difficult. So, the other women of Rangjyrteh persuaded her to remarry, which she did.
But, the new husband was a green eyed monster, jealous of the attention Likai showered on her baby. So, one day while his wife was out, the monster killed the baby, chopped her up, threw away her bones and cooked her flesh. But, he forgot her little fingers in a kwai (areca nut) basket.
When Likai came home, he offered her the prepared food, which she ate and relished. Out of the habit of chewing kwai, she reached out to the basket only to find to her horror, the severed, little fingers of her daughter. Likai realized what she had eaten and was full of remorse. Hurt, heartbroken, desperate and furious, she cried all her way to the edge of the waterfall, screaming with anguish and agony, and jumped to her death."
Thus, a name was coined and a legend was born.
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| The legend of Noh Ka Likai |
For the best view, avoid the rains and visit Noh Ka Likai during September-October. Here's a video of the beautiful waterfall:
Video source: YouTube
Incredible Meghalaya, incredible India!