Varadhapalayam Falls alias Ubbalamadugu Falls Or Tada Falls is situated around ten kilometers inside the reserved forests near Varadhapalayam town and Tada, in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh state, India. It is one of the best weekend getaways for Chennai residents.

Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls or Tada Falls

Varadhapalayam Falls or Ubbalamadugu Falls is deep inside the “Kaambakam reserve forest”. Mud roads are there to go to the falls. Vehicles go through a scenic route with a large lake on your left side.

Entry Procedure to Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadapalayam or Tada Falls

You must get an entry permit for each person and vehicle at the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department entrance gate. Entry is allowed from 6 am up to 4 pm. You need to come out by 6 pm. The entry fee per person is rupees 50. The Two-wheeler entry fee is also the same. The car entry fee is 200 rupees. The rates are written at the entrance. There is a fee for the camera also. Please confirm the rates and pay the amount, at the counter only. The Forest department will issue you a receipt for the amount paid.

You must travel three to four kilometers from the entry gate to the parking lot. Some portions of the road are in off-road condition. On the left side of the parking lot, you will find a small temporary bridge to cross the stream.

You may see a few people bathing here on one side of this bridge. If you walk straight, you can see the stream on your left side. Keep walking. Whenever you feel like bathing, turn to your left and take a refreshing bath in the cold waters of the stream. A word of caution. The water flow is powerful even to carry adults. There are rocks along the path of the stream. Hence, take care.

These falls and the stream are one of the best falls I have seen in South India. Since the falls are hard to access (which needs to trek for a couple of hours along the stream-side), very few tourists go to the actual falls. The entry fee also prevents many from coming here. Many other nearby falls in Andhra Pradesh state line Kone Falls do not charge any entry fee, vehicle entry fee, camera fee, etc.

How Do I Go to Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls?

Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls, Or Tada Falls is close to Tada Town and Sri City. It is around 90 kilometers from Chennai city. Satish Dhawan Space Centre alias Sriharikota rocket launching station is close to Varadhapalayam and Sri City.

Always go via Tada. After crossing the Varadhapalayam government bus station, you will find a medium-sized signboard on the left side, written Ubbalamadugu Waterfalls.

If you ask locals near the state border in Tamilnadu, some of them may misguide you (out of ignorance of the falls) to go via Sathyavedu town. This route is circuitous and should be avoided. Right now (in 2019), from Sathyavedu to Tada Road, a large number of culverts are under construction. Hence, it is tedious to travel by this route, taking diversions.