Nohkalikai Falls

Nohkalikai Falls is a spectacular plunge waterfall situated in Sohra, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, at 1,400 meters above sea level. Plunging from a height of 340 meters down a sheer sandstone cliff, it is the tallest single-drop waterfall in India and one of the highest in Asia.

The Tragedy of Ka Likai

The name Nohkalikai translates from the Khasi language as "The Leap of Ka Likai." According to Khasi oral tradition, a young widow named Likai worked as a porter to support her baby daughter. Her jealous second husband killed the child while Likai was working, cooking the flesh and serving it to her. Upon discovering the baby's fingers in a betel basket, Likai went mad with grief and plunged off the cliff into the waterfall.

Karst Hydrology and the Turquoise Pool

The waterfall is fed by a stream that flows across the deforested grasslands of the Sohra plateau. Because the soil does not retain water, the flow varies dramatically. It is a roaring wall of water during the monsoon (June to September), but shrinks to a thin thread in winter (December to February).

The water drops clear of the cliff face, landing in a deep plunge pool at the base. The pool has a striking turquoise-green color caused by dissolved calcium carbonate minerals and the sheer depth of the rock basin.

Infrastructure and Base Trek

A paved viewing gallery sits on the opposite ridge, offering panoramic views of the falls and the distant plains of Bangladesh. For experienced hikers, a steep trekking path descends through dense jungle to the base of the falls, taking about 2 hours one way.

Experience Nohkalikai Falls on our Meghalaya Waterfalls & Living Roots Journey.