Nagaon, Sept. 30: Bored of the serene seaside? Or with picnicking by the Brahmaputra?

Try jumping from a waterfall. Seriously.

If a tourism project works out as planned next summer, the highest and most magnificent waterfalls of Assam will be opened to visitors — to trek, picnic and, well, not exactly jump, but ride down to one of its three stages.

Located between Nagaon and Karbi Anglong, the Champawati waterfalls — easily one of the most picturesque sites in the state — also has a fascinating legend around it.

Legend has it that the Brahmaputra will one day breach its southern banks to reach the magnificent Champawati waterfalls because they are destined to “marry”.

In fact, the falls is also has considered holy by many. Thousands of devotees travel to the falls on a particular day in February for a “holy bath”.

Once part of the kingdom of king Hangsadhaja, the site also is strewn with monuments, relics and remains of ancient temples.

Adventure, myth, history — the district administration department could not have found a better spot to market.

A Rs 1.5-crore project has been initiated to build cottages near the falls — lack of place to stay has apparently eroded the falls’ tourist potential for long.

Champawati Falls drops nearly three kilometres into the Suwang Reserve Forest in Karbi Anglong.

What makes it unique is the fact that people can trek right to the top of the falls and a road allows visitors to drive to the second stage of the falls, where it forms an natural lake.

The tourism project also includes construction of a a bridge over the lake.

An angling spot will be built near the lake, a Nagaon district administration official said.

A recreation-cum-biodiversity park and a children’s park are also part of the plan. “We will start work shortly and are planning to throw it open for tourists by March-April next year,” said R. Rongpi, block development officer of Rongbongway, who is overseeing the project.

An artificial dam is being erected to control the flow of water into the lake.

“Since the waterfalls straddles both Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts, we will introduce ethnic Karbi food for the tourists,” he added.

If the project is a hit, it will provide employment opportunities for many in the adjoining villages, Karbi Anglong deputy commissioner M. Angamuthu said.

Since Assam has very few waterfalls — a few in North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong — the Champawati project will be a new attraction, an official in the tourism department said.

“It will be included in the Kaziranga circuit so that tourists can visit two famous sites at one go,” he added.