By Nitin Kanish · 16 October 2026
South of Indore, the Malwa plateau ends suddenly. Past the old cantonment town of Mhow, the land breaks into forested ravines, and at Patalpani a river drops about 300 feet into a gorge. Right beside the falls is a small railway station. From here, a short metre-gauge line winds down through tunnels and tight curves to Kalakund, a village known for the milk sweet that shares its name.
Since 30 September 2026 the heritage train on this line has run five days a week. That makes an easy day trip possible: drive to Mhow and Patalpani in the morning, ride the old line to Kalakund, and be back in the city before dark. A self-drive car rental in Indore handles the road part and lets you set your own pace. Book a car in Indore for your date, then use the plan below.
Key Takeaways
- Distance: open-source routing (OSRM) puts central Indore (Rajwada) about 30 km from Patalpani. Mhow is on the way, roughly 25 km from the city.
- Train: the Patalpani–Kalakund heritage train (52965/52966) runs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It leaves Patalpani at 11:05 am, reaches Kalakund at 1:05 pm, leaves Kalakund at 3:34 pm and gets back to Patalpani at 4:30 pm.
- No train on Monday or Thursday. Over the long weekend from 17 to 20 October, pick Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday, not Monday 19 October.
- Waterfall: the flow is strongest after the rains and drops through winter. Stay behind barriers and away from the edge.
- Car: on 16 October 2026 the lowest car rate on the Hire N Ride Indore page was ₹2,352 per day for a 2026 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Tour S, with 250 km a day included and a deposit from ₹5,000.
Why this day works best with a car
Patalpani has a station, but the heritage train only covers the 9.5 km between Patalpani and Kalakund. It does not connect to Indore. Without a car you would be piecing together a bus to Mhow, an auto to the falls and the same in reverse. With a car the day is simple. Drive out, park near the falls, ride the train, and drive home when you are ready.
A car also gives you a choice that most visitors miss. You can take the train both ways, or one person can drive down to Kalakund and meet the others there. More on that below.
First stop: Mhow and Bhim Janmabhoomi
Leave Indore by about 8 am and head south on the Mhow road. Mhow, officially renamed Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, is where B. R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891. The memorial at his birthplace, Bhim Janmabhoomi, is a white circular building with a golden statue at its entrance. Its foundation stone was laid on 14 April 1991, his 100th birth anniversary, and it was inaugurated on 14 April 2008. Inside there are photographs and panels on his life. It is commonly listed as open from 8 am to 8 pm.
Half an hour is enough for a quiet visit. Park where you are directed, since much of Mhow is still an army cantonment. Remove your shoes where asked, and keep your voice low. If you skipped breakfast in Indore, Mhow is a good place to stop for tea and a bite.
Patalpani: the falls after the rains
From Mhow it is about 6 km to Patalpani. The Indore district administration's Patal Paani page describes a waterfall about 300 feet high that is at its fullest just after the rainy season and almost dry by summer. In mid-October you can expect a real waterfall rather than the full monsoon torrent. The gorge, the greenery and the viewpoints are at their best before the dry months set in.
Patalpani and the other waterfalls around Mhow have seen fatal accidents. Every monsoon the district bans entry to risky spots, and in 2026 that order covered places such as Tincha and Choral falls from 25 June to 22 August. The ban has ended, but the rules of common sense have not:
- Stay on the marked paths and behind railings. Do not climb down to the edge of the pool or the lip of the falls.
- Never enter the water. Rock surfaces stay slippery long after the rain stops.
- Keep children close and keep food out of sight. Monkeys are common around the parking area.
- Take your rubbish back to the car.
Near Patalpani there is also a temple to Tantya Bhil, remembered locally as Tantya Mama. He was a Bhil folk hero who fought British rule in the forests of central India in the 1880s. The station itself has been renamed in his honour, although railway notices still call the service the Patalpani–Kalakund heritage train.
The heritage train to Kalakund
The line is older than it looks. According to The Indian Express, Patalpani station was the first to be built on the Holkar State Railway, between 1874 and 1878. Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II had offered a loan and free land to bring the railway to Indore. In 2008 the Ratlam–Mhow–Khandwa–Akola corridor was approved for conversion to broad gauge, but this hill section proved too difficult to convert. Indian Railways kept it as a metre-gauge heritage line instead, and the first heritage train ran on 25 December 2018. A new broad-gauge alignment is being built around it.
The 9.5 km stretch has four tunnels, 24 sharp curves, six major bridges and 35 minor ones. The train moves at about 5 to 10 km/h, which is why the trip takes two hours. Try to get a seat on the valley side. The route passes deep gorges, high embankments, the Patalpani falls and natural springs, with forest and dark tunnels in between.
Train days, timings and fares
- Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Ratlam division of Western Railway moved the train from three to five days a week from 30 September 2026, as The Times of India reported.
- Down train 52965: leaves Patalpani at 11:05 am and reaches Kalakund at 1:05 pm.
- Up train 52966: leaves Kalakund at 3:34 pm and reaches Patalpani at 4:30 pm.
- Fares: when the service restarted in August 2026, a non-AC seat was reported at ₹20 and an AC chair car seat at about ₹265 per person.
- Booking: check seats on the official Indian Railways portal or the RailOne app, especially for weekends.
Timings and running days can change, so check the schedule the evening before you go.
Kalakund: kalakand and a long lunch
The name is not a coincidence. The region is known for kalakand, the soft, grainy milk sweet, and the station takes its name from it. With about two and a half hours between the arrival at 1:05 pm and the return at 3:34 pm, you have time for lunch, a walk around the station and a box of sweets for later. Facilities may be basic, so carry water and some snacks from Indore or Mhow.
Option: one driver meets the train at Kalakund
If someone in your group would rather skip the train, this is where the car helps. OSRM puts the road distance from Patalpani to Kalakund at about 29 km, roughly 50 minutes of driving. The driver can see everyone off at 11:05 am, take the road down, and be waiting at Kalakund when the train arrives at 1:05 pm. After lunch, everyone drives back to Indore together, about 55 km and an hour and a half by OSRM, without waiting for the 3:34 pm return train. Check the route on a map app before you set out. Parts of it pass through forest villages with narrow roads, so drive slowly and finish before dark.
A sample day plan
- 8:00 am: pick up your car in Indore. Check the tyres, lights, fuel level and any existing scratches, and note them at handover.
- 8:45 am: Bhim Janmabhoomi in Mhow, followed by breakfast in the market.
- 9:45 am: drive to Patalpani, park and walk to the waterfall viewpoints.
- 10:45 am: be at the station with your tickets.
- 11:05 am to 1:05 pm: heritage train to Kalakund.
- 1:05 to 3:34 pm: lunch, kalakand and a slow walk.
- 3:34 to 4:30 pm: return train to Patalpani.
- 4:45 pm: drive back to Indore. Sunset is around 6 pm in the third week of October, so you should reach the city around dusk.
With the meet-at-Kalakund option, you can leave Kalakund after lunch and be back in Indore by late afternoon.
Choosing your car
Any hatchback or compact sedan will handle this trip easily. The round trip is about 60 km if you take the train both ways, or about 115 km with the drive to Kalakund, well within the daily allowance. On 16 October 2026, the Indore listings on Hire N Ride included:
- Maruti Suzuki Dzire Tour S (2026): ₹2,352 per day, the lowest rate listed.
- Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Vxi (2025): ₹2,376 per day after a 10% discount, a good choice for larger groups.
- Maruti Suzuki Dzire Lxi (2026): ₹2,400 per day.
- Maruti Suzuki Fronx Sigma: ₹2,587 to ₹2,640 per day, depending on the model year.
Each listing showed 250 km a day included. The page also showed a deposit from ₹5,000 and doorstep delivery for some cars. Rates change, so confirm on the live page before you book.
Documents and practical tips
- Carry your original driving licence and a government photo ID for pickup.
- Fuel up in Indore. Return the car with the agreed fuel level.
- Wear shoes with good grip for the walk to the waterfall viewpoints.
- Do not leave bags visible in the parked car while you are on the train.
- Carry cash as well as UPI for small stalls at Patalpani and Kalakund.
More drives from Indore
The Mhow road is also the start of the route to Omkareshwar, covered in our Omkareshwar day drive from Indore. For a heritage day in the other direction, see our guide to Mandu before sunset. If you are heading north, our tips on timing the drive to Ujjain will help you avoid the busiest hours.
Conclusion: plateau, gorge and an old railway in one day
Few day trips from Indore mix so much in so little distance. In one day you can visit Ambedkar's birthplace, see a waterfall still running after the rains, and ride a 19th-century metre-gauge line through tunnels to a village named after a sweet. Pick a train day, avoid Monday and Thursday, and keep your distance at the falls. A self-drive car rental in Indore takes care of the rest.
Ready for Patalpani? Book a car in Indore, check today's rates and deposit, and choose a day when the heritage train runs.
About the author: Nitin Kanish writes road-trip and self-drive guides for Hire N Ride. He likes routes where the road meets railway history, and he focuses on the practical details that make a rental day work, such as timetables, daylight and parking.
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