Arvalem Caves and Waterfalls, Offbeat Places to Visit in Goa

   We were  heading back from our  short Goa trip  during which we had visited mostly the places it is famous for, the beaches and the forts obviously. Along our way back, we happened to see a  Dept.of Tourism Board , Goa , directing us towards Arvalem Falls and  a Rock Cut Temple . Definitely, we were curious to know about these places and proceeded further.

    Arvalem is a small village located in Valpoi Taluk, North Goa District.  It is about 60 kms from Panaji . The major attractions of this place are the rock cut caves and  the Arvalem Falls. While one of the rock cut caves is a major attraction, there are few more around this place.

    The rock cut cave is known as " The Pandavas Cave". It is believed that, the Pandavas of Mahabharata (epic) sought shelter in these caves after being exiled . The existence of the cave has been traced to the 7th century AD. The cave has five compartments with one Shiva  linga in each  compartment . 

The Arvalem Caves

Shiva Linga

Shiv Linga

 Here on, moving  further about a kilometer took us to  the small village of Arvalem . There is a  Rudreshwar temple here, which most likely was recently renovated. The main deity  worshiped here is Shiva in the form of a Linga. A small walk ahead will lead us to the Arvalem Falls, cascading from a height of about 60 ft . The sound of the falls was by itself very refreshing. There is a platform from where one can freshen up from the waters of Arvalem.

There were also remains of a previously working micro hydel  generation project here dedicated to Smt. Indira Gandhi . 

Arvalem Waterfalls

Micro Hydel Generation Project

Trip Date : 09 Dec, 2008  .
Places to visit nearby : Ponda, Old Goa ,The Many Many Beaches Around , Fort   Aguada , Chapora Fort , Alorna Fort, and many more!