Now let us go to Baranti……
“Baranti”
is small adhivasi village in Purulia district very close to Asansol and it
takes just 4-5 hours to reach there from Kolkata (263 Km). Baranti is located
in the midst of Panchet hill on one side and Biharinath on the other. In
between the two hills, lies a small hamlet called Baranti within Santuri block
and the place is dotted with innumerable Santhal villages together with many
smaller hillocks . This spot is salubrious especially to patients of heart and
Gastro-intestinal problems. The area is lined with Sal-Pial & Mohua trees
all around and the lake within the hills is filled with seasonal birds in the winter.
This quiet and little known village is replete with its spectacular bouquet of
natural beauties and has always attracted the bored and tired city folks.
At
the foot of the Baranti hill, lies the village Baranti (30-40 families living
here) and almost every villager is Santhal. One small hillock in the vicinity
is called Baranti. The wild rabbits & boars along with nimble footed deer
of forest department play around this unique village and they are sometimes
attacked by wolves, hyenas & way lost cheetahs. The hilly forest often
transforms into different colours and leaves during the change of seasons.
The
air is often redolent with intoxicating aroma of Mahua and sometimes the
green trees light up in the dazzling
crimson touches of plash. It is where a small hillock is called Baranti and on
the other side, a small stream flowing by the Muradi hill is also known as Baranti. Baranti irrigation project has
been set up on 680 Acres of land with the erection of soil dams in the river
Baranti on the pattern of Kansabati Project. This stream is used for the
purpose of irrigation as well as for the supply of drinking water to the nearby
villages. What is most exciting Baranti’s natural attributes looks wonderful
and mystical in the full moonlit night. The tranquility and serenity are the two natural attributes of
the village Baranti. It is surprising that this unique tourist spot is not much
known to tourists from Kolkata, even though it is located so close.
The
sunset on the bank of the Lake and wildfire in the heat of March/April are rare
treats to see and enjoy. It is intensely thrilling to hear the wild cries of
nocturnal birds wafting out of the hills in the dead of night. A walk through
the hamlet like Jibanpur and Dandahit is a pleasant experience. In Baranti,
Fisher folks sometimes fish on the bank of the lake for days together.Thus,
Baranti has now become an ideal Eco-tourism Centre in the picturesque Bengal.
How
to reach :
By Train :-
Muradi
is 263 km from Kolkata. At first, reach Asansol by any train from
Howrah/Sealdah/Kolkata Railway Station. Incidentally, Muradi is, in fact, 4th
Railway Station from Asansol on Asansol-Adra line. One has to get down at
Muradi (19km) Station and reach Baranti village either by E-Rickshaws or by
hired vehicles. Baranti is around 6 km from Muradi Station. Besides, tourists
can avail Black diamond (6.15am), shatapdi (6.05am) expect of Sundays from Howrah Railway Station and get down at
Asansol in around (8:22am) and can proceed to Muradi by train or any hired vehicle.
Another
available route is to go by Chakradharpur Passenger from Howrah in the
evening to reach Adra in the early morning and then from Adra, one can proceed
to Muradi, 3rd station by respected local trains (21).
By Bus :-Buses
ply from either Dharamtala or Salt Lake Bus Stand (Karunamoyee) to Asansol in
the morning. Tourists can avail either Volvo service or any other Express bus
service to reach Asansol within 4 hours and can proceed to Muradi either by
train or hired vehicles as described above.
A
helicopter service is shortly being started from Behala air field to Asansol.
Fun-loving Tourist can enjoy this fascinating Flying experience en-route to
Baranti by spending some more. Dum Dum is the nearest Airport from Baranti.
Where
to stay
“Baranti Wild
Life and Nature Study Hut”
(BWANSH) is the most ideal and comfortable lodge to stay at Baranti. The lodge
is having 8 three bedded rooms with attached bathroom (Room wise TV and
Centrally hot water and Refrigerator Facility is available) . On demand, however, maximum of four persons can be
accommodated in the room and each room costs starts from Rs.1000/- per day with Rs.250/-
additional for extra bed. Rooms are provided with electricity and tap water
facilities in the bathrooms. ( 10.41 USD AND 6.63 British Sterling) per day
as rental.
How
to book your accommodation?
The
tourists can book their accommodation by calling on the following mobile nos., 9330958926, 8017203773, 7980748551, 7980110892 located at Kaikhali, newtown and online respectively.
One
can book rooms by depositing money at the nearest IDBI Branch or central bank of india and can also book
online by sending communicating with the above phone No.
Besides,
there are many eminent travel agents in Kolkata who offer conducted tour package to Baranti. A list of such
Travel Agents are available in the following Blog http://barantiblog.blogspot.com or https://barantinaturehut.com/how-to-reach
Food
facilities
BWANSH provides a well furnished canteen facilities
inside the complex which serves very tasty food (veg. & non-veg.) from
tasty morning bed tea to late night dinner at a very nominal cost. They charge
Rs.320/- per person for non-veg. items. Apart from fixed menu, they also serve
extra items on order at extra charges. What is more, BWANSH offers cool &
sweet deep tube-well drinking water (after filtering through filter system
) which can beat any bottled mineral
water in terms of quality and taste. Tourists frequent their visits to BWANSH
for its fresh and tasty food.
Places
to visit in and around Baranti
Basically,
it takes 3-4 days to cover Baranti and its surrounding spectacular natural and
historical spots.
Proposed
Tour Programme :-
First
day (Day I):
A
trip to Baranti and Muradi hillocks in the morning and a short trekking through
Jibanpur to Talberia Gram followed by a leisurely walk along the foot of
Baranti hill together with a look at colourful Sunset on the bank of Baranti Lake
During
the day long journey, mind is often thrown back to recall the scenes of
celebrated boon given by Bhooter Raja (Ghost king) in the popular Bengali Film
“Gopi Gayen and Bagha Bayen” by the great director Mr. Satyajit Ray.
Second
day (Day II):
In
the morning, a visit to Gorpanchakot by car. Everyone visiting Gorpanchakot
should know the history and background of the place from the information
booklets available at BWANSH so as to enjoy the place thoroughly.
From
Gorpanchakot, one can either visit Maithon Dam after seeing Panchet Dam. Or one
can directly go to Maithone Dam and spend the whole day there and on the way
back, One can visit Kalyaneswari Temple and offer “Puja”.
Tourists
can also move to Joychandi hill after visiting Panchet Dam. Here one can have a
glimpse at the many shooting spots of internationally awarded film “Hirak Rajar
Deshe” by celebrated director, Satyajit Ray. One can see Chandi Temple Raghunathpur Chaliyama Road
Third
day (Day III):
The
day begins with Shiva puja at Biharinath temple, 15 km. journey from Baranti.
Every year, devotees from far and wide throng the Lord Shiva tample to offer
“Manat” (a Hindu rituals praying for divine blessings from Lord Shiva).
However, Biharinath Hills along with its spectacular springs are really breath
taking sights. Tourists proceed to Susunia Hill, 30 km. travel from here and
spend the whole day in Eco-Tourism Centre and return to Baranti in the evening.
Many tourists like to spend the evening by watching the scintillating Santhal
dance at BWANSH under the glare of candle light. However, advance booking is
required by the management to make the arrangement.
Fourth
day (Day IV):
Now
the bells toll for the journey back home.
Simply
reach Muradi railway station and proceed to Kolkata via Asansol and Burdwan by
train.
Some
tourists, however, go to Maithan dam and enjoy the day and on the way back,
visit Kalyaneswari tample to offer puja. Then they go to Churalia, the place of
birth of great Rebel Poet Kaji Nazrul Islam and board train at Asansol for
Kolkata. If one reaches Asansol by five in the evening, one can avail bus
service to Kolkata. Last but not the least, many tourists rush to Baranti time
and again for taking absolute rest for 5-6 days amidst the amusing natural
ambience of Baranti and thereby they unwind
themselves. The unforgettable picturesque spots at Panchokot hill is a
challenging trekking tract of long 7 km.
Special
features of Baranti :
There
are people who often consider Boronti as their own village and visit Boronti
regularly. It holds a kind of different attraction for them beside its
salubrious environment and pollution free air. Some tourists carry different
plants on the monsoon and they plant those saplings in the woods and hills of
Boronti as they believe that if one of the plants even survives, then it will
sustain life on earth. They also believe that the green had taken a hit under
the attack of modernization and hence unless and until, the green is protected
the entire civilization will grind to a halt. Some brings plants & saplings
from Kolkata while some other procures these from our Boronti Wild Life &
Nature Study Hut (BWNSH) where these plants are distributed free. Tourists
often carry old used clothes with them for free distribution amongst poor
tribal children in the neighboring
tribal villages. Some visitors even distribute Exercise Books, Pencils,
erasers, colours and paints amongst the poor students in the village schools.
What is more, some tourists set up gruel kitchens and serve food to 300-400
tribal people in the surrounding villages as they feel that if the Govt. could
feed the poor for 100 days in a year, then they should contribute at least for
a day. Sometimes, one comes with pen and paper to spend four five days, fully
absorbed in writing on the lap of nature. There are tourists who often
wistfully reminisce their lost world of childhood in the rugged village
hutments, paddy fields, muddy path ways. Those who have now settled down in
cities to earn their livelihood, notwithstanding their rural past, are often
thrown back into their memory lanes, lit up by nostalgic anecdotes of their old
village as narrated by their grannies & mommies. Boronti, to these
travelers, is the permanent weekend fixture. Some people take their children to
Boronti to change their mindsets from the self-centered city mentality. While
many goes to Boronti time and again to take absolute rest for a while or to
breathe lungful of oxygen amidst tranquil nature of rural Bengal .
One often goes to Panchkote hill from Boronti to take a pleasant walk down 7
km. hilly tract which forms a major attraction for trekkers.
Apart
from weekend crowd, there is no dearth of students who frequent Boronti to
undertake Study/Project Camp and the following projects are mentionable amongst
them.
1.
Small
time Nature Camps for children
For
grown ups, Geography Camps like River & Multi purpose River project outdoor
practical classes.
2.
Rock
climbing camp.
3.
Yoga
Camp or Prannyam Camp.
4.
Mining
Study camps for students.
5.
Archeological
camps.
6.
Photography
camps.
7.
Fine
Art Camps for Arts Students.
8.
Statistical
Survey Camp.
9. Various
Corporate Out-Door Meetings.(25-30 Persons)
Musical
Recital conducted by Bengali Minstrels (Bowl) :
It
is often regretted that Purulia’s old Boul music, Tushu music, Bhadu or Jhumur
music are falling into disuse every passing day. But even now, some people are
still holding on to the age old traditional music like “Tushu Bhadu” musical
culture which is practiced down the generations. At certain point in life people
get addicted to Boul music. It is disappointing that those Boul singers
(Minstrels) are ultimately reduced to begging despite having been so much
talented. It is predominantly the cause why people perhaps develop tremendous
apathy towards this traditional performing art. This great folk art of Purulia
has become almost extinct under the onslaught of time. In these area, some
village folks were desperately trying to cling on to this school of music but
owing to intense poverty, it is increasingly becoming a difficult vocation. Of
late, the tourists can enjoy Folk Music recitals by talented boul singers
organized by BWLNSH, if advance booking is made. Such recitals are conducted in
the evening with a view to providing some earning to these poor boul singers so
as to bring some succour to these needy families as well as to give some
entertainment to the city crowds.
Folk/Tribal
dance :
Music
and dance are the favourite vocation of Santhals. They are accustomed to play
music and dance in groups during their family occasions or different festivals.
They like to play their pet instruments like Dhamls, Madal etc. It is not known
since when such cultural fares of Santhals has started. Through the last few
decades, this tradition of folk culture of Santhal has declined somewhat. The
spirits and enthusiasm amongst the Santhal Youths have been increasingly waning
over the years. At the primary initiative of BWLNSH, there has been some
revival of interest in this folk culture amongst Santhals to conduct such cultural
fares basically to regale the tourists for commercial reasons. Numerous clubs
have come up in Santhal villages which conduct regular rehearsal of such folk
dance in order to fine-tune their skills. On advance booking, BWLNSH organizes
unique folk music and dance recital in their compound under the glimmer
of flaming torches. Young Santhal boys and girls conducts folk dance programme
for 2-3 hours in the evening. About 50-60 such programmes can now be organized
by BWLNSH round the year. Income generated by local clubs by organizing such
programmes is utilized for the development of cultural fabrics of the area.
Thus, a quiet begining has been made towards the development of cultural
activities with the active supports of tourists.
Birds/Avions
of Boronti
It
is now known that a certain breed of birds migrate to distant land at a
particular season of the year since a long time. Somewhere, they fly 25000
miles to 30,000 miles virtually from one corner of earth to another. They
travel over long desert, vast oceans and even cross enormous mountain range like the Himalayas .
Even within a country, a group of birds traverses one State to another. These
class of birds are called Migratory birds. The Migratory birds travel countries
over their generations. It is still a mystery how they navigate such long
distance and what for they migrate to distant lands. Even in our country, there
are birds which glide away overseas while many more come over to ours from
distant foreign lands. These migratory birds are our honoured guest during the
stay in our country. In humans, civilization has brought about a lot of
development while at the same time, bound them under certain compulsion. But
this has not happened in case of Avions. To them, the whole earth is one single
indivisible entity. They know no borders, no country and they enjoy absolute
freedom and live and settle down wherever they feel comfortable. This tradition
has been continuing since the ice-age.
There
are ample references of these migratory birds by the great poet, Kalidas in his
magnum Opus i.e. Meghdutt which he had composed atop Ramtek hill near the city
of Nagpur
Siberian cranes, Ruff, Black winged Stilt,
Common Teal, Common Greenshank, Northern Pintail, Yellow Wagtail, Northern
Shoveler, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper,Black tailed Godwit, Spotted
Redshank, Starling, Long billed Pipit, Asian Koel, Black crowned Night Heron,
Eurasian Golden Oriole, Blue-cheeked Bee Eater, Blue-tailed Bee Eater, Cuckoos,
and ect.
Butterflies
of Boronti
Of
late, there is a decline in the numbers of butterflies and dragon flies owing
to the overuse of insecticides and pesticides in the paddy fields of rural
Bengal. They are dying in large numbers. But even then, many different class of
Butterflies & Dragonflies are still seen in the Boronti hills and
surrounding forest areas notably – swallow talls, whites, Blues and coppers,
Metal marks, Brush footed, skippers.
Firefly
of Boronti
It
is a fact that Glow worms convert 90% of energy into light while only 10%
energy is transformed into heat and this is just the reverse in case of common
electric bulb. Thus, light emitted by Glow worms is often called “Cold light”.
It is postulated that the light is generated by chemical reaction in the lower
abdomen of the Glow worms Lucipherus is the enzyme which plays predominant role
in this chemical reaction. The light is environmentally safe as it is bereft of
ultraviolet or infrared rays. The light has a wave length of 510 to 670
Nanometers. There are almost 2000 varieties of Glow worms in nature. Glow worms
use their light to signal their location or attraction between each other.
There is a place called Camppong Queentan in Malayasia where tourists visit
every year just to feast their eyes on the colourful lights of Glow worms. The
children park of
Rivers
of Boronti
Borakar
: On the way
to Asansol, as one moves over the Disergarh bridge on Damodar river, One can
see the confluence of Damodar and Borakar river. Borakar river originates from
Koderma platau and crosses 205 km. of Jharkhand and 20 km. of West Bengal and
ends at Borakar Town
Damodar : Sonasathi is the name of the
spring located at the top of Khamarpat hill inside the Palamau district near
Todio Damodor issues out of this spring and after traversing 200 km of
Jharkhand and 250 km. of West Bengal, merges into the river Hooghly ,
50 km. south of Kolkata. Damodar is nicknamed as Deonodh locally. Damodar
comprises of three phases. The portion between the source to Borakar is known
as high flow phase. From Borakar to Burdwan, the river flows over the plains
while the portion between Burdwan to Hooghly
is the low flow phase.
A
profile of Boronti hills
Boronti
is flanked by Panchakot hill and Biharinath hill on either side as if they
stand as great guardians of Boronti. In between, a good number of hills and
hillocks lie scattered. The most notable amongst them are the following:
(1)
Boronti hill:
Boronti hill stands at the edge
of Boronti village. A forest comprising of Kendu, Mahua, Polash and Harituki
trees are bordering the Boronti hill. The height of those trees are moderate.
The hill is dotted with small pathways all around. The surrounding forest
abounds with wild boars, jackels, wolves, hynas, rabbits and even some
porcupines. Apart from that, the forest department had also released some herds
of deer into this forest. In the monsoon, even python shows up in this area.
These beautiful hills and
hillocks stretche along a few kilometers from Dandahin hamlet to reach the
crest of Tiluri hamlet by the side of Biharinath temple. Boronti is nestled in
between Boronti and Jibanpur on one side while Dandahin hamlet on the other.
The small hamlets like Nimtikuti, Binodpur and Piron Garia become the shelter
for tired and bored travelers to rest a while.
(2)
Poroli hill:
Poroli hill stands bang
opposite to Boronti village. At the foothill, lies the Adhivasi hamlet called
Parali. The hillock sprawls upto the Ramchandrapur village. The Sal forest is
situated at one side of the hill. At the bottom of the hill, Subhas Road crawls
along in a zigzag manners.
(3)
Muradi hill:
Muradi hill stands independly
opposite to Boronti hill along the Muradi Mouza. The hill is green and dotted
with Sal forest. At the foothill, lies the small hamlet called Dulurodi and Boronti Lake
(4)
Narin hill and Baro Pahar:
A zigzag pathway lurches along
the Boronti village toward Talbaria hamlet. At the end of the village, this
narrow pathway merges with Subhas Road and at the junction, stands elegantly
two hills – one is Narin hill and the other one is called Baro Pahar. A large
greet meadow pushes its way in between two hills. Besides these hills, this
beautiful corridor is flanked by few small and big hillocks on either side.
Most romantic sight for a tourist to enjoy.
Ruins
of Panchakot Rajbari from Boronti (12 km)
Garh
Panchakot is located at a distance of 12 km. from Boronti. From Boronti, one
has to reach Subhas More and move towards Gobag along the Borakar Purulia Road
The
sprawling capital and forte spread along 2.5 km. area. The entire capital was
encircled by deep trenches all around. Those trenches were dug out and used to
be filled up with water to fend off enemies. The birbed bamboo sticks fences
were erected to protect the capital. The main forte was located half kilometer
above the hill. The forte was guarded by stone walls on all sides. What is
more, the water supply system inside the forte was unique. The main water
supply had been sourced at a place called Dhara. The underground pipeline was
laid so as to ferry water inside the forte from the springs. The royal
employees had been given accommodation facilities inside. So was the big
Raghunath temple located inside the forte. Although, the temple had broken down
owing to centuries of neglect and lack of maintenance but still it is by far
the biggest temple in Purulia. At the foot hill, there was irrigation
facilities alongside fisheries, with the linkage of more than 100 rivers. Even
now, there exists a large number of tanks like Harish Chandra Pukur,
Deshbandhu, Lalbagh, Behara, Kalkasaga just to name a few. The temple area was
marked out within one and half km. radius inside the capital. One can now get a
glimpse at the whole temple from the northern side of Deshbandh across the
village on foot. Numerous temples, mostly at knocked down states are scattered
all over. But some temples have still been standing almost inact. The most
majestic temple is definitely the Rashmandir of Panchachura. The temple is a
two-storied and south facing structure opening out into the East. There were
staircases earlier for climbing to all the five peaks of the temple. The
staircases had all collapsed along with south-eastern corners. The middle peak
is 60 ft. tall. The temple is fully adorned with terracotta works with the help
of burnt out bricks all over its body. The sanctum santorum is a 5 ft. by 4
sft. Area located at the ground floor and the entrance is 6 ft. high and 2 ft.
1 inch wide. Luxmi temple is situated at North-western corner and this is also
45 ft. high structure. The staircase of this temple is still inact. Perhaps, this
temple might have been five peaked structures while the rest of peaks had been
destroyed. But the main peak is still standing in tact. The ruins of
Kalyaneswari temple made of stone, is covered with wild shrubs and the sanctum
santorum was 12 ft. by 12 ft. At the centre of the capital, stands Rani Mahal
temple. Having been the capital for a period of 800 long years, many temples
and properties had been developed in Garh Panchokot but only those built in
later years, have been standing in good shape as of now. Unfortunately many
temples and mansions had been wiped out by knock of time. At the entrance of
Garh Panchokot, Dwarbangh Archway has been standing for last 300 years, albeit
in a dilapidated state but this archway stands testimony to the old architectural
wonders. What is surprising is that even now many ruins of towers, arches and
temples are getting discovered from the underground. In those days, people used
to enter the temple through this by boat.
During
the coronation of the last king of Panchokot, Monilal, there had been a huge
mayhem and bloodshed. His maternal uncle, Laldeo by collusion with some of his
lackeys, had unleashed a genocide with no holds barred. His main target was to
bump off Monilal, the crown king of Panchokot. But a loyal staff named Sovaram
had taken out the crown king, Monilal outside the forte and saved him. In this
bloodletting in Panchokot, children, ladies and oldaged members of the royal
family had been lynched indiscriminately.
While the crown king, Monilal had gone underground for a long time. However,
later on, he was restored to his throne with the help of Nawav Ali Bordi Khan.
Up above almost 600 ft. on the hill, there is a spring wherefrom Garh Panchokot
ruins could now be clearly visible to the tourists.
Jain
cave temple of Panchakot
There
was a time when Buddhism and Jainism had spread in Chatonagpur platue. A lot of
testimonies to these great religious stand even today in Malbhum district (at
present called Purulia). Around 30 Km off Baranti, the ruins of Telkupi town,
once a complete Jain town, had been swallowed up by Panchet dam, leaving behind
many imprints of the ancient Jain religion. It is said that the king,
Vikramaditya used to visit this town to offer puja. One km. east of Panchakot
forte and at the junction of the hill and the 2nd trench of the
fort, a big tamarinds tree is seen which leads to a bushy and narrow hilly
pathway, taking one up 1.50 km to reach at one ancient Jain sculpted cave
temple. The cave had high and wide gateway paved with a big stone. A statue of
Lord Mahabir is sculpted and fixed at
the top of the gateway along with another weather-beaten statue of Lord Thirtankar which is mounted on the southern
wall of the temple. On the flooring, there are one triangular and one circular tanks. An alone on earthen wall is
chiseled out while the ceiling is oval shaped. Many faded figurines are
scattered over the inside wall. It is speculated that this cave temple was
built earlier to the construction of Panchakot fort. Another partially
destroyed temple modeled in the tradition of Lord Hanuman of Birinchidham is
found at North-Western corner at 100-150 feet away on hilly tract, just at the
foothill.
A
trip to Medicinal plantation of Forest Department (21 k.m.)
A
plenty of reference is found on a hill called Shekhar in Markandya Puran where
there is a huge compilation of Medicinal plants. The hill was frequented by
Arian Sages to fetch those plants to prepare many useful live-saving drugs.
Banomali Pandit was the first recognized Guru of Panchakot royalty and he had
identified Panchakot hill as the same pristine Shekhar hill as mentioned in
Markandua Puran. Panchakot hill was the major source of collection of different
Medicinal plants in those days. The Panchakot royals had collected many useful
Medicinal plants from across the country and cultivated them in Panchakot hill.
The kings had also provided a dedicated treatment and research facilities for
good number of Physicians from across the country to settle and practice their
skill in and around Panchakot hill. Even now, one can see a good population of
indigenous physicians (Baidyas) in Satury, Ramkenali and Neturia Blocks. WWF
had conducted survey over the years and discovered many Medicinal plants in
this area and later on, with the co-operation of Forest Department of West
Bengal Govt., a botanical garden had been set up over there together with
lodging facilities for the tourists. The unique botanical garden is just 20 km.
journey from Baranti.
A
place of pilgrimage for Vaisnavs
When
the whole of India was awash with the wave of “Love & devotion”
(Bhakti-Prem) as preached by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the devotees, in their droves,
were getting converted to Vaisavism, the rising religious cult at that time and
then one day Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had set his foot in this sacred land. In
fact, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had camped down here for a while in Kotalodi village
near Baranti on his way back from Puri. It is said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
had stayed in Birinchidham temple for a few days at the request of the king of
Panchakot. In this area, a lot of Rash Mandir and Rash Mancho (place for
performing Rashmela) had been discovered in the ruins and they exist even now.
Thus this area is considered as very sacred by Vaisnav Community.
Maithan dam from Baranti (38 km.)
Maithan
dam is nestled between West Bengal and
Jharkhand. It measures 15912 ft. in length and 165 ft. in height while the
total area of the dam measures around 66 sq. km. The irrigation dam together
with hydro-electricity generation unit have been standing over the Barakar
river for last 50 years. The Maithan dam looks majestic. The Maithan dam looks
more spectacular to a tourist visiting from the tranquil ambience of Baranti.
This contrast and dichotomy is just seen to be believed. A Famous and
Historical “Ma Kalyaneswari” Temple
Panchet
dam from Baranti (22 km.)
Panchet
dam is situated over Damodar river in Jharkhand. Earlier, one could reach
Baranti by going over Panchet dam but then, after the erection of Bridge over
Dishergarh, the distance has been reduced substantially. Amongst the project of
DVC, the Panchet is the biggest one. It is 22155 ft. in length and 138 ft. in
height. Now, some 1214000 acre ft. water can be stored at the dam. Panchet dam
facilitates both irrigation as well as hydro-electricity generation.
Churulia
from Baranti (14 km. from Asansol)
Churulia
is located at a distance of 14 km. from Asansol, well across Jamuria. The
renowned poet, Kaji Najrul Islam was born here. At one time, the family of the
poet came over here as “Ayma”. “Ayma” means that the most competent soldier or
very efficient royal Employees and their family who had settled down on the
land, Patronised by the Pathan Sultans of those days. The system was known as
“Ayma” and they used to be called “Aymadars”. The Poet’s father was one
Aymadar, having settled down in Churulia. The Churulia could have been a sacred
pilgrimage for all Bengalis owing to huge contribution of the poet to Bengali
literature but then this has not happened because of utter in difference of
common Bengalis. A Nazrul Academy
Baranti
to Susunia (38 km)
Chatna
is located 13 km. away from Bembura town and 7 km. north of Chatna, Susunia
hill lies across 3.2 km. wide from the east to the west. It is said that
Susunia hill is much older than even the Himalayas .
At the top, stones of different shapes and sizes got collected to form the
popin peak while the picturesque stream called Gandheswari flows down the foot
hill. A mountain fort was built on the Susunia hill by Chandra Verma of Jodhpur , Rajasthan after capturing Bengal
in the 4th century AD. In the later part of the 4th
century, Chandra Verma had been killed by Samudra Gupta and of late every year
in late November, they set up training camps for rock climbing for trainees in
Susunia hill. In this area, a lot of stone incriptions and artifacts had been
found during Chandra Verma’s time. The Susunia hill is carpeted with the greens
of Sal;, Segun, Polash, Arjun and Amloki and Mahua vegetation. The greens light
up in flames by the blooming palashs in the spring. Springs at the foothill and
5 ft. stone statue on the opposite stand testimony to the skills of the local
Artists. Recently Govt. of West Bengal had recognized this place for
Eco-tourism and has been taking various steps to develop the area. Susunia hill
is 40 km. from Baranti. In the morning, one can start either by Tata Sumo or by
Maruti van from Baranti and take one’s lunch at Susunia
Baranti
to Joychandi Hill (22 k.m.)
Joychandi
Hill is just 40 minutes journey from Baranti by car. One has to go along Barakar-Purulia Road
A
walk along Panchet Hill (Treaking
Route
Baranti
is 262 km. away from Kolkata while Panchet hill stands at the border of Bengal and Jharkhand just 10-11 km. away from Baranti.
Panchet hill with its 2200 ft. high Rock, sprawls across 3162.40 acres land.
The ked at one corner of the Panchet hill, 6977 meters long Panchet reservoir
had been built up in the year 1959 while on the other side, lies the ruins of
the historic capital, Garh Panchakot and knocked down temples of Lord
Birinchinath. Round the year, water gushes forth from the two mountain springs.
One is Gomukh dhara while the other one is Hunuman Dhara near Birinchinath
temple. Besides, a large number of small streams course down the different
points of the hill during the monsoon and the sights look wonderful. At one
time, the hill and its surroundings had become major cultivation centers for
Buddhism and Jainism. A few caves nearby still bear the imprints of such
religious practices. Despite modern development, there are still some pockets
in the hill, remaining inaccessible and unexplored. Men, over the years, built
different roads to access the hill from time to time but under the wear and
tear of environments, those roadways got obliterated to form new pathways.
Although, Panchakot lies so close to Kolkata, but it is yet to engage the
attention of city falks who pine for exotic outings and challenging treks
amidst the Natural beauties. A trekking in Panchakot hill could become an early
induction before the challenging trekking around the Himalayas .
It all starts from Baranti dam to Ramchanderpur-Kinauti and then on to reach
Barakar-Purulia road after Subhas Road. From there, one reaches Gobramore via
Raghunathpur. One can walk on metal led road here to reach Panchet reservoir. 3
km. on the south western side of the Panchet dam, one can see a mountain stream
locally nicknamed as “Hadhodi”. A hilly pathway moves into hill, 100 km. away
from this mountain stream. Sometime back, the forest department had renovated
and rebuilds a hilly track to reach the peak of the hill but over the year
owing to lack of maintenance, this hilly track had been badly damaged,
rendering the road unworthy for vehicular traffics, even though, this hilly
track is the most vital route for the trekkers even now. However, after
undertaking several uphill and downhill treks along the steep ditches on one
side, trekkers steadily move through the dense woods of Sal, Mahua and Kendu
and stop at a distance of 7 km. At the terminal point, the forest department
had constructed a concrete room, open on all sides with circular roofing for
the trekkers to sit and rest for a while. In fact, the whole trekking starts at
“Hodhadi” and ends at “Hodhadi”, a absolute round trip taking almost four and
half hours.
CANTEEN
Baranti Wild Life & Nature Study Hut
[Canteen is Registered under Ministry of
Health Government of West Bengal]
MENU CHART
Bed Tea Biscute
Breakfast [Depends
on availability]
Loochi (6 piece) Curry/Fry/Dal or Chapati (4 Piece)
Curry/Fry/Dal or Kachuri 4 Piece) Curry/Fry/Dal
or Parata (4 Piece) Curry/Fry/Dal
or Bread (4 Piece) and Butter/Jam Boil Egg(1)/Omlet
(1)/Sweets(1)/Fruits(1)
Tea (1)
Lunch [Depends on
availability]
Rice (Panjab Deradoon)
Potato Fry/Begun Fry/Potato Verta
Dal
Seasonable Vegetable Curry
Egg Curry (1P)/Fish Curry (1P)/Chicken (3-4P)
Chatni
Papad(1)
Evening Snacks [Depends
on availability]
Muri
Veg Pokora
Tea (1)
Dinner [Depends on availability]
Rice/Chapati
Potato/Begun Fry/Potato Verta/Seasonable
Vegetable Curry
Egg Curry (1P)/Fish Curry (1P)/Chicken (3-4P)
Salad
Ø Water
Filter – Hot Water – Freeze - Micro Oven
are Available
Ø Extra
Menu with extra charges.
Ø Full
Food Package from Bed-Tea to Dinner - 220.00 Per day per person.
Please inform Canteen before 48 hours of
Journey regarding your Food requirements – Phone - 8001703373.
@ Various Fair Chart - Baranti @
|
Train
Fairs @-
From Kolkata to Asansol
(1)12019 Satabdi -
375.00
(2)12023 Jana
Satabdi - 290.00
(3)12385 double
taker - 216.00
(4)13317 Black
Dimond - 64.00
(5)53139 Chitta
Ranjan Passenger (Night)¡ - 83.00
(6)58011 Chakradhar
Pur Passenger (Night) - 83.00
(6) Local (Via
Burdwan – Assansol)- 33.00
Frm
Asansol to Muradi
(1) Local -4.00
(2) Express -14.00
Bus
Fair @- From Kolkata(Esplanade/Karunamoyee) to
Asansol
(1) VOLVO- 350.00
(2) S.B.S.T.C.- 100.00
Car Fair
|
Tata Sumo
|
Maruti
|
Muradi to
Baranti
|
250.00
|
200.00
|
Asansol to
Baranti
|
750.00
|
700.00
|
Adra to
Baranti
|
700.00
|
650.00
|
Baranti – Garhpanchokote-Panchyet
Dam -Joychandi Hills and Raghunathpur Silk Market
|
1200.00
|
1100.00
|
Baranti - Garhpanchokote - Panchyet Dam - Maithan –
Kalyaneswari Temple
|
1300.00
|
1200.00
|
Baranti - Biharinath - Susunia
|
1300.00
|
1100.00
|
Baranti – Joychandi
|
700.00
|
650.00
|
Baranti - Maithan - Churulia- Asansol
|
1400.00
|
1300.00
|
Baranti – Ajodhya Hills
|
1800.00
|
1700.00
|
Please inform
Car before 48 hours of Journey as per your requirments Directly
Phone - 9734284072
 |
The wild animals of the Hill, The Trees & Plants of the Jungle , The birds of the Lake and forests and the Poor people of the tribal villages are expecting your love and affection.”
Baranti Wild Life & Nature Study HUT
Tel: 9874887046
Tel: 9874887046
