Tamil Nadu, the southern state in India, is the 11th largest state in the country. Known for its varied beauty, Tamil Nadu has a long tradition of venerable culture. It is the second largest tourism industry in India. There are innumerable tourist destinations that include wildlife sanctuaries, waterfalls, temples, forts, hill stations, historic places and palaces and others. The picturesque waterfalls located here adorn the beauty of this state. Tourists can also bath here. Discussed elaborately below are some of the popular waterfalls of Tamil Nadu:

Hogenakkal Falls
Often referred to as the "Niagara of India", the Hogenakkal Falls is one of the popular waterfalls in Tamil Nadu that is situated in the Dharmapuri district on the Kaveri River. The word Hogenakkal is an amalgamation of the two Kannada words, "Hoge" meaning smoke and "Kal" meaning rocks, which when combined together means "smoky rocks".

The falls has about 14 channels with drops varying between 15 and 65 ft. The ideal time for visiting this falls is from monsoon till winter, when the tourists can indulge in coracle riding, which is one of the main attractions in the area.

Agaya Gangai
Agaya Gangai is located in Puliacholai of Kolli hills of Eastern Ghats Mountain Range. It is a 300 ft waterfall that remains enclosed by mountains on all its sides. The fall is located in Namakkal district. The Arapaleeswarar temple is located in the vicinity.

Ayyanar Falls
Ayyanar Falls is situated 10 km south of Rajapalayam in the Virudhunagar District. Located in the Western Ghats, the falls receives water during the North East Monsoon. The water is pollution free and is used for drinking purpose. It also serves as a beautiful tourist spot. The water from the falls is also used for irrigation in Rajapalayam. There is a small forest temple called Ayyanar Temple located near the falls.

Catherine Falls
Also known as Geddhehaada Halla by locals, this waterfall is named after Catherine Cocburn, the wife of M.D. Cocburn, who had introduced coffee plantation to the areas of Kotagiri and Yercaud. The Catherine Falls is a double cascade fall located 7 km from Kothagiri of Nilgiris district. The spot serves as a major tourist spot. The first or the upper waterfall cascading down is the second highest waterfall in the Nilgiri Hills. The waterfall is almost 250 ft in height.

Kiliyur Falls
Kiliyur falls is located in Eastern Ghats and is about 2.5 km from Yercaud Lake of Salem District. It is in the Shevaroy Hills and is 300 ft in height.

Kumbakkarai Falls
Kumbakkarai falls is in Palni hills and is about 9 km from Periyakulam of Theni District. Being close to the Madurai- Kodaikanal road, the Kumbakkarai Falls serves as the base camp for trekkers venturing into the hills of Kodai. Located close to the falls there is a 500 year old temple dedicated to Goddess Thadagai Nachiamman and also an amusement park, both of which attracts tourists.

Kutladampatti Falls
One of the lesser known waterfalls in Tamil Nadu, the Kutladampatti falls is an artificial waterfall, which is located 40 km away from Madurai. The water falls from a height of about 27 m.

Kutrallam Falls
Known for its several waterfalls, Kutrallam or Courtallam is said to have 9 waterfalls, out of which Peratuvi or the Main Falls is the most popular. The waters of Kutrallam are believed to have medicinal qualities as it flows through forests of herbs.

Monkey Falls
Situated near the Aliyar Dam between Pollachi and Valparai in the Anaimalai Hills, the Monkey Falls cascades from a height of 60 ft. Surrounded by evergreen forests, the ideal time to visit these falls is from the months of October to March.

Pykara Lower and Upper Falls
Created by the river of the same name, the Pykara Falls is a popular attraction and is located on the downstream of the Pykara Dam. Providing a unique beauty to the stream, the falls drops down into two sections from a height of 55 m and 61 m through multiple layers on the rocky bed.

Beemanmadavu Falls
With an interesting mythological history, the Beemanmadavu Falls is a nature tourism site in South India. It is located in the Tiruvanamalai district and is part of a reserve forest which is renowned for sandalwood and fruit bearing trees.

Siruvani Falls
Siruvani waterfalls also known as Kovai Kutrallam is located 40 km from Coimbatore. It is on Western Ghats. There is a reservoir at Siruvani that was built for Tamil Nadu by the Kerala Government to serve the drinking water requirements of Coimbatore.

Suruli Falls
Suruli falls is located at a distance of 56 km from Theni and 123 km from Madurai. Also known as Cloud Land falls and Meghamalai falls. The waterfalls cascades from a height of 150 feet and is situated amidst a rich flora fauna.

Thalaiyar Falls
Thalaiyar falls also known as Rat Tail falls is located in Palni hills of Dindigul district. It is 975 feet tall and is the highest water fall in Tamil Nadu and the third highest in India. Thirupaeappu Falls
Thirupaeappu falls is located in Kanyakumari district on Kodayar River. It is located 13 km from Pechiparai dam and descends from a height of almost 50 feet.

Some of the other waterfalls of Tamil Nadu are the Ullakarvi Falls, Vaideki Falls, Vattaparai Falls, Manimuthar Falls, Pambar Falls, etc.