How Were The Plitvice Lakes And Waterfalls Formed?

Plitvice Lakes: Tufa or Meteogene Travertine or Sedra (Croatian term): It is a porous variety of limestone deposits formed on waterbeds when calcium-rich water bodies create carbonates which form sticky layers on moss and algae present in the water. Over the years, these deposits form tower-like formations

Thermogene Travertine in Yellow Stone National Park

 Meteogene travertine (Tufa) vs Thermogene travertine

The main difference between meteogene travertine and thermogene travertine is that one is formed in unheated conditions and one is formed in a heated condition. Meteogene travertine is highly porous and spongy and is formed in cooler temperatures while thermogene travertine is less in porosity and needs very high temperatures for its formation. Meteogene travertine is a result of atmospheric and epigeal activities while thermogene travertine is a result of volcanic activities.

Source of image: Link The Plitvice region receives abundant rain feeding a continuous supply of water to the lakes and rivers which are rich in moss and algae which in turn supply carbon dioxide. The rich forest cover provides an abundance of oxygen which helps sustain life forms in the region. The Dolomite and Limestone rich soil supplies a high volume of calcium-rich ions. 

Process of Tufa creation

Ca++ (calcium ions in calcium rich water and soil) + H2O (water) = Ca(OH)2  (Calcium hydroxide)

Ca(OH)2 +CO2 (carbon dioxide from atmosphere and the aquatic life) = CaCO3 (calcium carbonate limestone / tufa) +H2O

In simple words, quicklime when mixed with water forms calcium hydroxide. This in turn converts to calcium carbonate when Carbon dioxide released by the aquatic organisms reacts with calcium hydroxide. The carbon dioxide released by the underwater organisms gets released to the surface in the colder seasons. The calcium carbonate deposits which are insoluble in water then start depositing on the moss and algae on the water surface eventually forming porous, spongy tufa. 

Tufa towers eventually form small tower-like structures creating barriers in the flowing water thus forming a series of lakes and waterfalls.

Karst in South Thailand

A landscape rich in tufa is called Karst. The main features of Karst topography are the abundance of soluble calcium in the form of limestone, dolomites, gypsum, etc,  clean water full of aquatic organisms and lifeforms, and a landscape with sink holes, fissures, underground streams, and caves.

Picture source: Link

More about Plitvice Lakes and Waterfalls

Plitvice National Park And Its Legends

 

A: Veliki Slap Waterfall (The highest waterfall in Croatia at 78 m)  B: Korana River C: Sastavci Waterfall D: Novakovica Lake

The Legend of the Black Queen

Legend has it, the Plitvice Lakes were magically created by the Black Queen of Croatia. The Black Queen was a cruel, mean-spirited ruler, who reigned over the region a long long time ago during the dark ages. During those times, this region was fed by the Black River, and the forest surrounding it was called the Devil's Garden (Vražji vrt), inhabited by magical creatures. As the dark ages grew darker, a long, deadly drought dried up the river and brought the people to the feet of the Queen begging for water and life. For once, the Queen gave up her mean spirit, showed mercy, and magically created a large Lake, promising that it will never dry.  The Lake was named Proscansko after the Croatian word Prositi which means "beg for".

How were the Plitvice Lakes and Waterfalls formed?

Schengen Visa:

As of January 2023, Croatia is an official member of the Schengen Countries and a Schengen Visa is required for entry to this country. We traveled to Croatia from Italy. More precisely, we were visiting Venice when we decided to head for the lakes in Plitvice, Croatia. We traveled to Italy from India on a multiple-entry Schengen tourist visa. Getting a Schengen Visa was not very difficult. It can be applied through VFS in Delhi. The VFS office is located at the Shivaji Stadium metro station. It took about a week between applying for the visa and receiving it. 

Mode of travel:

While there are multiple modes of travel to Croatia from Venice, we opted for the Bus. The bus ticket was booked online through Flix bus. We faced no issues getting the tickets, boarding, and traveling. The route was via Ljubljana, Slovenia. It took us about 5 hours to reach Zagreb.

The other options to travel to Croatia from Venice are, train, air, and ferry. While air travel is the quickest, it's the most expensive as well. Rail and waterway were long overnight journeys, hence we chose the bus.

Day 1: 

We were in Zagreb for a day. Our short stay was made deliciously memorable with freshly baked yummy pastries and a music festival, which we luckily got a chance to attend at the Zagreb square.

Day 2:

On day 2 early morning, we took another Flix Bus from Zagreb to Slunj. It took about 2 hours to reach Slunj. Zagreb has a good network of tram services and we didn't have any problem traveling around the city. Small tobacco stores near the tram stop/stations sell the tickets. When we traveled to Croatia in 2019, they were still using the Kuna as their currency. So, we exchanged some Euros at the bus station on our arrival the previous day. In January 2023, Croatia adopted the Euro as its official currency making life easier. 

Slunj is a small quiet quaint little town or maybe a village. I regret not planning a longer stay here. We booked a bread and breakfast here with a lovely river view room and lawn. I could have spent weeks here amidst nature's quiet beauty. Will share details of Slunj in another post.

 

Day 3:

On day 3 we booked a Flix bus to Plitvice Lakes. We waited at the bus stop at the said time, but the bus passed by without stopping to pick us up. We tried to enquire about the next bus or any other transportation options to the park but language proved a barrier since the locals were not well-versed in English. Most tourists travel to the park in rented cars or their own vehicles. After wasting almost 3 hours, we met a lady who understood English and helped us get another bus to the park. Our initial plan was to start early to avoid the afternoon sun. It was one of the warmest summers in Europe that year. Unfortunately, we started post 12:00 pm.

We finally arrived at the Lakes at 1:00 pm. The bus dropped us at the Ticket Office at entrance 1. They mentioned that the last bus left around 6:00 pm and if missed that, it might be a very long wait till late at night before we can get another bus. All restaurants closed around the time the park closed. There were very limited places of accommodation. This meant we had to ensure, we were back at the bus stop much before 6:00 pm since the buses here didn't quite follow the correct timings.

Entry Timings:

Summer timings (June and August) : 

7:00 am to 8:00 pm 

Last entry at 6:00 pm

Autumn/Fall (September and October) :

7:00 / 8:00 am to 6:00 / 7:00 pm 

Last entry at 4:00 / 5:00 pm

Winter timings  (November to March) :

8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Last entry at 2:00 pm

Spring timings (April and May) :

8:00 am -7:00 pm

Last entry at 5:00 pm

Ticket Prices are shared on the official website. Prices vary by season, entry timings, and age.

We entered the park around 1:00 pm and were out by 5:00 pm. We didn't want to risk missing the bus back but as a result, we skipped a few viewpoints and shorter treks. 

My suggestion is to pre-book the hotel at the park which is right across from the entrance 2 ticket office. It is a bit pricey and gets booked pretty fast in the peak summer season. Plan ahead and save the stress of missing buses. There are a few local taxis, at entrance 2, but they charge exorbitant rates.

The Lakes and the Waterfalls:

Must say the lakes, the waterfalls, and the park was gorgeous. All the trouble to get here was definitely worth it. 

There are about 8 trails that the visitors can take depending on how much they choose to see in a day. Details are available on the official park website. Since we planned a day trip and had wasted half a day thanks to the bus that ditched us, we opted for the C program with a slight change. Instead of going back to the starting point, we cut our hike short at ST2 and returned via entrance 2. We had to forgo some good views between St2 and Entrance 1. However, we managed to cover the entire park and took the boat ride on Lake Kozjak

I assume, starting the trek at entrance 2 is a wee bit better than entrance 1. Entrance 1 is close to the lower lakes and it's a climb all the way up to the highest lake, Proscansko. While from Entrance 2, it's a short climb to Proscansko and then a climb down to the lower lakes. 

Source of map: Official website https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/plan-your-visit/istrazite-jezera/activities/lake-tour-programmes/

The highest lake is at 637 m above sea level and the lowest lake is at 503 m above sea level 

Climbing up towards Lake Kaluderovac. The boardwalks are comfortable and safe. We went during peak summer when the boards were dry. They might get slippery during wet seasons.

Lake Kaluderovac at 505 m above sea level. The turquoise waters are clean and one can see the fishes and plants under water.

Lake Gavanovac at 514 m above sea level. Swimming is prohibited in the lakes. Water from the rivers and the lakes at the park is supplied as drinking water to the municipalities of Rakovica and Plitvicka

The Legend of the Gavanovo treasure

Local legends suggest,  at the bottom of Lake Gavanovac lies the hidden treasure trove of a magician named Gavan, after whom the lake gets its name. Gavan, the wizard had a treasure box of fairies and spirits with magical powers. Gavan was a kind and honest person and used this power for the welfare of his people but one day the Black Queen, heard about his treasure and sent her men to capture him. Fearing, the queen will misuse the powers, Gavan gave the box to his faithful servant Juraj and asked him to hide it in the deep forest. While escaping the Queen's men, Juraj fell into the lake releasing the fairies and the spirits. The fairies saved him, Gavan, and they kept the lake protected from the reach of the Black Queen. It is said the box still lies in the bottom of the lake and the fairies are heard singing in the stillness of the starry nights at the lakes.

Milanovacki slap Waterfall and Lake Milanovac at 524 m above sea level

Slapovi Milke Trnine Waterfall was named after Katarina Milka Ternina a famous Croatian Soprano (1863-1941)

Lake Kozjak at 535 m above sea level. It is also the deepest (47 m) and the largest (81.5 ha) lake in the national park. We took a boat from P1 boat point to P3 boat point. There is a rest area and a gift shop with ice cream and snacks near P1.

Veliki Pstavac Waterfall seen from Lake Burgeti at 545 m above sea level

Gradinsko Lake at 554 m above sea level 

Veliki Prstavac Waterfall (28 m high)

Milino Jezero Lake at 576 m above sea level

Galovacki Buk Waterfall and Galovac Lakr at 585 m above sea level

Bird's Eye view Picture clicked in 1937 Source: Link There are 6 small lakes between Proscansko and Galovac lakes at different heights. Vir at 500 m asl, Malo at 605 m asl, Veliko at 607 m asl, Baltinovac at 610 m asl, Okrugljak at 613 m asl and Ciganovac at 625 m asl

Proscansko Jezero at 627 m above sea level the highest lake. 

 

We took the shuttle back to entrance 2 from ST3 shuttle point near Proscansko. We were short on time, hence, chose to cut short a part of the trail between ST2 and Entrance 1. Perhaps will plan a visit in winter or fall. I heard the colors are grander in fall and the frozen lakes in winter are a surreal experience.

The Missouri River

The Missouri River is the longest River in North America with a length of 3767 km. It joins the Mississippi in St Louis to form the fourth-longest water system in the world. The name Missouri was coined by French explorers to simplify the original Algonquian (A family of Native American language) term 8emessourit which means 'people with canoes'.  The Native Americans called the river Pekitanoui which means 'Muddy Waters'

Missouri flows through 7 states before merging with Mississippi in St. Louis

Missouri is formed by the confluence of the Jefferson River and the Madison River at the Headwaters State Park near Three Forks. It is joined by the Gallatin River near Ling Rock Ferry Crossing

Jefferson River originates from the Confluence of many rivers. The first spring starts in the Centennial Mountains and forms a creek called Hell Roaring Creek near Bower's spring

From St. Louis Missouri becomes a part of Mississippi and finally joins the Gulf of Mexico

The Mississippi River

The second longest and second largest River in North America is The Mississippi. It is 3766 km long. Mississippi -Missouri water system is also the 4th longest water system in the world. This river flows across 10 states and there are at least 42 cities along its banks.

The origin of the name comes from the Native American name of the river Ojibwa-Misi-Sipi, The Great Waters. The river is said to have been formed some 70 million years old as per studies done on zircons found in the river. The river is supposed to have been formed from the Laurentide Ice Sheets (Large sheets of ice that covered parts of North America during the Ice Age). As it melted it formed lakes and surface springs. Today the river is fed by The Itasca Lake and the springs that form the lake.

Headwaters of the Mississippi are fed by this lake system

The Story of The Mississippi

We went on a camping trip to Itasca a few years back during the July 4th long weekend. Itasca Park is a state Park in Minnesota that is built around Lake Itasca. Lake Itasca is the source of North America's second-longest river, The Mississippi. Legend has it, that the lake was originally called Omashkoozo-zaaga’igan - The elk lake in the Native American language. Schoolkraft rechristened the lake as Itasca which meant 'True Head'! Other legends say, that the lake was formed by the tears of Hiawatha's daughter Iteska, hence the name Itasca.

Marker at the headwater

Headwaters

We, camping in the park

Fishing, boating, rafting, and multiple activities are allowed on the park premises. We rented a motor boat for a lake tour

110-foot tall Fire / Observation tower in the park. We climbed up to the top. The view is worth it. Shall look up the pics and update them here

A common whitetail male dragonfly / Long-tailed Skimmer. Though common all across North America, they are one of the oldest insects on this planet

The Mississippi Delta or Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Pillottown is the last town where the original pilots were built. After the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, the pilots were rebuilt in Venice, a town up north 

10 Days Trip To Odisha (Orissa)

We started our trip from Asansol, West Bengal. We were kids in school back then and every summer holiday my parents planned a road trip. That year in 1993, we decided to go to Odisha. On the way, we stopped by the famous terracotta temples of Bankura and Bishnupur in West Bengal. It took us about 2 hours to drive from Asansol to Bankura. 

Terracotta temples as the name suggests are baked clay structures. 

Source of base map: https://nbsslup.icar.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/Publications/District_Reports/Bankura.pdf

The Bishnupur area is rich in red laterite soil with a clayey texture. The terracotta temple architecture evolved in Bengal around the 15th - 16th century under the patronage of the Malla rulers (interesting history of the Mallas) during the revival of the Vaisnavism / Krishna bhakti movement. The temples were built in different styles. Bengal temple architecture follows 8 distinct styles: 

1. Chala (roof in Bangla): Curved roof style. The Chala style has different forms as well.

a. Dochala - two roofs

b. Char Chala - four roofs

c. Aath Chala - eight roofs

d. Baro Chala - twelve roofs

e. Jorbangla - Twin roofs

f. Ratnasaho jorbangla - Twin roofs with tower

2. Ratna (jewel/crown in Bangla): This style has domical pinnacles. The different forms of this style include:

a. Ek Ratna - one pinnacle

b. Panch Ratna - 5 pinnacles

c Nabo Ratna - 9 pinnacles

d. Ekadash Ratna - 11 pinnacles

e. Trayodosh Ratna - 13 pinnacles

f. Saptodash Ratna - Seventeen pinnacles

g. Ekush Ratna - Twenty one pinnacles

h. Panchish Ratna - Twenty five pinnacles

3. Dalan (Courtyard in Bangla): This style has a courtyard/s in the temples 

4. Mancha (stage/ podium in Bangla): These temples were built in a gallery or podium style with a high-raised platform.

5. Matha (monastery in Bangla): The Matha temples were built on big complexes with various sections.

6. Mishro Riti (fusion): As the name suggests its a fusion of different styles

7. Nijoshyo Riti (Unique): Unique styles are not in line with any of the standard styles.

Different Styles of Bengal Temple Architecture Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Classification_of_Bengal_Temple_Architecture_12.jpg

Radha Lalji Temple - Ekratna style - Single pinnacle temple architecture

Ras Mancha Temple - Mancha style temple architecture It is one of the first art galleries in India. This Temple is built in brick, laterite stone, and terracotta art work.

Jorbangla Temple - Chala with Ratna style temple architecture

We stayed in Bankura for two days. From Bankura we headed to Chandipur. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Integrated Test Range (ITR) is located in Chandipur. Most missile launches in India are done from Chandipur ITR. Chandipur is also famous for its vanishing beach. 

The vanishing beach of Chandipur is a unique occurrence due to high and ebb tides. It occurs every day a couple of times as per the moon cycle. During low ebb tide, the seawater recedes more than 5 km and is back during high tide. The beach is famous for horseshoe crabs as well. Horseshoe crabs are found in very few places Chandipur being the only one in India. These crabs are actually of the spider family and are not related to the crab family at all. They are a very important part of the coastal ecology. Their eggs are the main food source of coastal migratory birds.

From Chandipur we went to Cuttack. We stayed there overnight. The next day we headed for Bhubaneshwar. This temple city is the capital of Odisha State. This City is home to more than 700 temples. Most of these temples were built between the 8th-12th century and were influenced by Shaivism  The architectural style prevalent in Odisha is the Kalinga Nagara Style. This style comprises of two distinct parts a curvilinear or flat tower called deul in Odiya and a walled hall called the Jagmohan in Odiya. The Kalinga Nagara style has three forms based on the type of the deul.

1. Rekha deul - In this style, the tower is tall and curvilinear with  a pinnacle on top made of two parts called amalaka and kalasha.

2. Pidha deul - In this style the tower is not very tall and has a flatter stepped pyramidical pinnacle comprised of a ghanta and pidha.

3. Khakhara deul - Khakharu means gourd in Odiya and in this unique style the low tower pinnacle is elongated barrel-like or horizontally halved inverted gourd 

The famous Lingaraj Temple - The rightmost tall tower is an example of rekha deul and the shorter pyramid like structure next to the rekha deul is an example of pidha deul.

Aerial view of Lingaraj temple

The Vaithala temple is an example of Khakhara deul style

Other than the Shiva temples, Bhubaneshwar has many temples and monuments built by Jains and Buddhists. Khandagiri and Udaigiri are famous Jain caves. There are a total of 33 caves that were used as abodes for Jain monks. There is also a Buddhist shanti stupa on Dhauligiri mountain. The foundation of this pagoda was laid by the Great Emperor Ashok at the end of the Kalinga war. 

Aerial view of Khandagiri (left) and Udaigiri (right)

Picture source: https://www.toursorissa.com/monuments-in-odisha/udayagiri-khandagiri-caves-bhubaneswar/

Bhubaneshwar also has a large zoological park called Nandankanan which is home to white tigers and lions among other animals. We stayed in Bhubaneshwar for two days and then drove down to Puri.

Puri is a coastal city. It's famous for the holy Jagannath temple and the coastal beaches. Puri is considered one of the four holiest pilgrimage destinations or Dhamas in India. Staunch Hindus believe that visiting the four dhamas in one's life will help achieve moksha/nirvana. The four Dhamas represent the four great epochs noted in early Hindu texts. These epochs were defined by the way dharama changed over the years. According to Hindu texts, Dharma (duty) of a human being is comprised of four elements - a. Satya (truth), b. Gyan (knowledge) c. Niti (morality) and d. Daan (sacrifice). The satyug marked the age where humans embodied all four elements of dharma. Satyug was followed by treta yug where satya was no more a distinct part of dharma because humans learned to lie. Treta yug was followed by Dwapar yug which saw the end of gyan because humans started becoming ignorant. Finally came the Kaliyug when dharma was left only with Daan because humans let go of morality as well. Dhama of Satyug (the age of truth which lasted for four thousand years) is Badrinath, Uttarakhand. Dhama of Tretayug (which symbolizes the three legs or triads of morality and lasted for three thousand years) is in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. Dhama of Dwaparyug (The age of the two which lasted for two thousand years) is in Dwarka, Gujarat. The fourth dhama of Kaliyug (The age of darkness which lasted for one thousand years) is Puri, Odisha.

Pic source: From the web https://velivada.com/2017/07/11/quislings-jagannath-temple-puri/ (since my old photos file got corrupted)

The Jagannath temple is considered one of the holiest temples in India and is dedicated to Lord Jagannath another form of Lord Krishna (incarnation of Lord Vishnu), his sister, Subhadra, and his brother, Balbhadra. This temple was built in the 12th century by King Anata Varman Chodaganga  Deva. This temple is also built in the Kalinga Nagara style.

We stayed in Puri for 5 days of which one day we visited Konark and one day we visited the Chilika lake.

Konark is famous for the Konark Sun temple. As the name suggests this temple is dedicated to Sun God and is built in the form of a chariot with 24 wheels led by 6 horses. This temple is an example of the Pidha deula form of Kalinga Nagara Tstyle architecture. This temple was built in the 13th Century by King Narasimhadeva 1.

Aerial view of Konark Sun Temple

Picture source: Web (https://zeenews.india.com/india/konark-sun-temple-purana-quila-among-100-asi-sites-to-be-lit-up-bear-g20-logo-as-india-assumes-its-presidency-2542188.html)

The Chilika lake is considered the largest saltwater lagoon lake in Asia. It is most famous for the Irrawady Dolphins, migratory birds including flamingos, and many varieties of fishes. Chilika prawns and lobsters are very famous. It is UNESCO heritage site because of its biodiversity and is home to many rare, endangered, and threatened species of birds and aquatic animals, and fishes like the green sea turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, and limbless skinks among many others.

Photo source: The Web (https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/navin-patnaik-shares-mesmerising-photos-of-chilika-lake-in-odisha-3458916)

From Puri, we headed back to Asansol with a stopover midway.