Kone Falls or Konai Falls or Kona Waterfalls alias Kailasakona Falls, as it is known officially, is an excellent place for those looking for a Chennai Weekend Getaway destination. This waterfall is after crossing the Andhra border and is an ideal one-day trip location for residents of Chennai.

Kone falls is also spelt as Kona falls. It’s a small perennial waterfall near Puthur or Puttur (see the last paragraph for details about this famous place) in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh state, India.

There is no specific Konai fall season time. Unlike many other falls, water is there all around the year, at this falls.

Main Kone Falls alias Kailasakona falls.

The main fall is having a height of anywhere between 40 to 60 feet. It is situated around two kilometers from the main road. There is a Lord Shiva and Parvati temple (on your right side of the picture above), at the foot of the falls. This temple is known as the Kailasakona Temple. You must cross this temple to go to the falls.

A group of 4 or 5 people can bathe freely at the main falls simultaneously. The main fall and the temple can be easily accessed by walking around 100 meters from the parking lot. It’s safe to walk at night, as lights are on your way to the main falls and the nearby temple. It is advisable to carry an alternate light source like a torchlight or a mobile phone if you are going to this fall at night.

Anybody, irrespective of age, can go to the main falls. The risk factor is the least among the falls in south India. Avoid taking the family in the night, as it’s a forest area and no houses or shops are there at night. Those carrying tents with them can put up tents in the parking area.

Kone Falls is also known as Konai Falls. Kone Falls near Andhra is an ideal tourist location for those interested in going for a day’s picnic from Chennai. Koni Falls season time is all through the year.

Occasionally, snakes and scorpions were reportedly seen near the falls. I have seen King Cobras near the temple (on the way to the falls), a few years back. In August 2018, my friends saw a scorpion sitting on a rock near bathing people. A small snake (green in color) was also seen on the same day (around 8 p.m.). One guy took it with a stick and threw it away.

How Do I Go to Kone Falls, The Great Chennai Weekend Getaway Destination?

If you are traveling from Chennai to Kone Falls, Kone Falls near Chennai can be reached via Red Hills, Periyapalayam, and Uthukotai. It is ten kilometers ahead of Puthur. While coming from Chennai, take a left immediately after the signboard, which says ‘Puthur 10 KMS’ (the signboard is on the right side of the road). Kone Falls to Chennai’s distance is around 90 kilometers.

Kailasa Kona alias Kona Falls Entrance on the main road.

The road to the Falls is a single-lane road, and there is a rectangle-shaped concrete arch put up by Harita Valley Resort, on the left side of the main road, if you are coming from Chennai via Uttukottai, as seen in the above picture. (Even though the above image shows a blue board ‘Toll Gate’, there is no toll gate on the road to the falls.) If you have missed the road to the falls, take a U-turn when you see the bridge. (The second bridge on your way from Uttukottai to Puthur. The first bridge may be around 20 to 30 feet in length, while the second one is much lengthier.)

Kailasakona Falls, or Koney Falls, is around 100 kilometers from Chennai city and takes about 2.25 hours to drive from Chennai. There are buses available up to the main road, from where you may go by a share auto. Kone’s main falls are around two kilometers from the main bus route, and there is a good motorable road up to 100 meters from the main falls. The last stretch of 100 meters has a well-laid pathway with steps of around 20.

Puttur railway station, with station code “PUT”, is the nearest railway station at around 13 kilometers distance from the falls. Tirupati Airport is the nearest airport at around 44 kilometers distance from KailasaKona Falls. Chennai International Airport is the nearest major airport to the falls.

Accommodation Near Kone Falls alias Coney Falls or Kailaskona Falls.

Konai Falls rooms are available close to the falls. A.P. Tourism Department hotel is close to the main falls parking area. The first left road takes you to the Kailasnathkona Haritha Hotel (when returning from the Kone main falls parking area). This Kailasanatha Kona resort is situated very close to the parking area, around a quarter kilometer distance from the parking area.

There are quite a large number of hotels and restaurants in Puttur or Puthur town, around ten kilometers from Kone Falls.

Do I Need to Get a Permit to Visit Kone Falls?

You are not required to get any permit to visit Kone Falls in Andhra. You can go to the three falls here: Main Falls or the two small falls (mentioned below).

Small Fall-cum-Pond on HalfWay to Kone Main Falls

There is a small fall around 3 feet in height and a small pond at around 1 kilometer ahead of the main falls on your way to the main falls. You need to go straight at the first major right turn. Park your car here and walk through the mud road to this falls-cum-pond. Be wary of the rock pieces and stones thrown all around, which fall from the hills atop during the rainy season.

The pond has a depth of only 2 to 4 feet and is very popular among tourists to Kone Falls. The small pool is cool and gets fresh water from the small fall at one corner of the pool. One can bathe or swim inside this pool. Few small fish will try to bite you. These fishes will not harm you. It may at the most irritate you initially, after which you get used to it and don’t bother much. People of all ages, from kids to senior citizens, bathe here.

This pond and the  Falls can be accessed by walking around 10 minutes from the main road, which is hardly around 150 meters from the road to the main falls. People of all ages can easily access these small falls. It’s unsafe at night as there may be poisonous snakes on the path to the pond.

Second Falls-cum-Pond Above the Previously Mentioned Fall, KailasaNatha Kone Falls

Those who are adventurous can go trekking to the top of a small hill situated close to the pond mentioned above. Another fall is called Kailasanatha Kone Falls, and a pond exists here. Overflowing water from this pond forms the first falls (and the pond) mentioned in the previous paragraph, about 15 feet below the top pond.

Are There Any Shops on the Road to Kone Falls?

There is a building with a shop cum hotel at around 0.75 kilometers distance from the main road towards the falls. You can buy oil, soap, shampoo, cigarettes, water bottles, biscuits, etc., from this shop. There are a couple of petty shops near the parking lot selling cigarettes, juices, etc.

Kone Falls Hotels

There are not many hotels near the falls. The only hotel on the road to the falls is the shop mentioned in the above paragraph. You will also get vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, provided you order it in advance. There are quite a few hotels on the main road (Uttukottai – Puttur – Tirupathi state highway)

Other Falls Near to Kone Falls

Tada Falls, alias Kambakam Falls or Ubbalamadugu Falls, is a beautiful fall around 12 kilometers from Varadaiahpalem town. Talakona Waterfalls is another nearby major fall at around 49 kilometers from the temple town, Tirupati. Apart from the above-mentioned falls, there are several other falls, which are not so famous, in around 50 kilometers of the radial distance of Kone Falls.

Famous Temples Near to Kone Falls, Great Chennai Weekend Getaway Places

The Famous Kalahasti Shiva temple, which was originally built by the great Pallava kings and later renovated by the Great Chola Kings Kulothunga Cholan I, II & III in the 11th century, is very close to Kone Falls, near Uthukottai. Kalahasti Temple is the World’s only temple open on Solar and Lunar Eclipses. The world-famous Tirupathi Lord Venkateshwara temple is also close to Kone Falls. Varadaiahpalem Oneness Temple is another famous temple nearby, which has the largest meditation hall in Asia without pillars.

Puttur or Puthur Kettu Near Kone Falls

Puttur is famous for Puthur Kettu, the equivalent of Orthopedic plastering/surgery, which is very popular in the neighboring regions of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka states. Hundreds of people go to Puthur daily to get their fractures set right.

2018 Update

2018 January Update

I traveled to Kone Falls on  21st January 2018 and found that the roads to Kone Falls from Uttukottai in Andhra Pradesh state are severely damaged. It may be due to the floods last year. Upto the border in Uthukottai, the roads are good. Once you cross the Tamilnadu state border, the roads are too bad. Encroachments near the Uthukottai junction were being demolished when I went on that day.

2018 May update – Kone falls current status

The road from Uttukottai to Kone Falls is now re-laid and is in good condition. I have visited Kone main falls and the small fall cum pond on the 20th of May, 2018.  Water is there in both the falls.