Dudhsagar Falls and Mollem (with Tambdi Surla)
A tiered waterfall and a basalt temple in the Ghats forest
A Dudhsagar Falls tour in Dharbandora pairs Goa's tallest waterfall with Mollem National Park's forest and the black-basalt Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple.
Overview
Dudhsagar Falls drops more than 300 metres in tiers on the Goa and Karnataka border, inside the 240 square kilometre protected area of Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Dharbandora taluka, South Goa. A Dudhsagar Falls tour suits waterfall seekers, birdwatchers and anyone curious about Goa's inland history, and November to March, after the rains have eased, is when the forest side of the trip is most workable.
The falls are the reason most people come, and a railway viaduct crosses the face of the cascade. The name means sea of milk, a reference to the white water, and the stream that feeds it is the Mahadayi, known downstream in Goa as the Mandovi. Access is controlled by the Goa Forest Department and follows the season: the department has shut the falls circuit when the south-west monsoon arrives, and the jeep route to the base is advised only from January to May. Confirm current arrangements before fixing a date.
The protected area around the falls is the largest unbroken stretch of wildlife habitat in Goa. The sanctuary was declared in 1969 and the core of it became a national park in 1978. Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, sambar and barking deer are among the large mammals recorded, though sightings are never promised, and early morning or late evening gives the best chance of seeing animals. Devil's Canyon, where the river runs through rock channels below the falls, and Sunset Point are the other named stops, and trails inside the park run from about 2.5 km to 14 km.
Tambdi Surla belongs on the same trip but is a separate leg. The Mahadev Temple stands in forest at the foot of the Anmod Ghat in Sattari taluka, about 12 km from the Mollem border crossing and some 65 km from Panaji. It was built by the Kadamba dynasty in the 12th or 13th century from dark basalt brought across the mountains from the Deccan plateau, and carvings of lotuses and elephants cover its pillared hall. Mahashivratri is marked at the temple every year.
For planning, Dabolim is the closest airport, Collem is the rail stop for the falls and Madgaon Junction is the main railhead. The road from Ponda runs through Dharbandora, and the site lies roughly 53 to 60 km from Panaji. A full day covers the falls and the temple if you start early.
Known for
A tiered waterfall of more than 300 m on the Goa and Karnataka border
Happening soon
Updated Oct 3, 2026Mahashivratri at the Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla
festivalLocal worshippers mark the night of Shiva at the basalt Mahadev Temple, a Kadamba-era shrine in forest near Mollem in Sattari taluka.
Quick facts
Hot and humid, with more than 90 per cent of Goa's roughly 3,048 mm of yearly rain falling in the south-west monsoon from June to September, and temperatures at Mollem of about 17 to 36 C across the year.
Goa International Airport, Dabolim (GOI); Manohar International Airport, Mopa (GOX) is also an option
Collem is the rail stop for the falls; Madgaon Junction (MAO) is the main railhead
About 53 to 60 km from Panaji and 54 km from Margao by road. From Ponda the route runs through Dharbandora. The track to the falls from Collem is a dirt road of about 10 km.
Confirm current access to the falls with the Goa Forest Department before setting a date, as the falls circuit sits inside the protected area and has been closed when the monsoon begins
Plan Tambdi Surla as its own leg of the day, since the temple is in Sattari taluka, about 12 km from the Mollem border crossing, and the route leaves the main park road
Plan wildlife viewing for early morning or late evening, and the cooler months from November to January, which suit sightings best
Plan a trip to Dudhsagar Falls and Mollem (with Tambdi Surla)
Tell us your dates and we will shape the route.