With the Mangalam Falls coming alive at Pachamalai, the Forest Department has reopened the little-known picnic spot in Tiruchi district for visitors. The falls recently got a new access road from Chinnamangalam Road, providing a shorter and easy access to visitors from Top Sengattupatti.

The waterfall is located about 15 km from Top Sengattupatti, which is accessible by road from Tiruchi via Thuraiyur and Uppilliyapuram. From Top Sengattupatti, visitors must pass through Chinna Pakkalam, Periya Pakkalam, and Chinnamangalam to reach the falls, which attracts a steady stream of picnickers whenever there is water flow.

“The falls is getting modest flows, but it is good enough for bathing. Once the monsoon sets in and hills get more rains, the flow will improve,” said N. Saravanan, a resident of Thuraiyur, who visited the falls over the weekend.

Recent visitors to the falls were in for a surprise as a new access road has been provided to the falls from Chinnamangalam. The new 1.1-km road from Chinnamangalam, with four minor bridges, has been laid at a cost of ₹2.09 crore under the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Scheme 2025-26 by the Gangavalli Panchayat Union in Salem district.

“Visitors from Top Sengattupatti no longer need to go via Periyamangalam. The new road is now the easiest and shortest access route to the falls. It reduces the distance by about 3.5 km,” said Mr. Saravanan.

Last year, the Forest Department had undertaken maintenance and development work at the waterfall as part of a tourism development project involving the Forest, Tourism, and Rural Development departments. The project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of about ₹4 crore under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives and included components on basic infrastructure at Koraiyar and Mangalam Falls.

“The accessibility to Mangalam Falls has been improved; safety handrails and change room were provided at the falls last year. However, there is a need for providing public toilets, drinking water supply, and parking lots for the benefit of visitors,” Mr. Saravanan added.