Ranchi once was considered as a hill
station and back in the golden days there were the rich and famous from
Calcutta would travel to Ranchi to improve their health. No doubt Ranchi
and its surrounding places have many tourist places but it really can’t
be called a hill station any longer. My last statement however is not
true when someone visits a place called Patratu Valley (Patratu Ghati) located just around 30 kilometers from Ranchi Railways Station (Ranchi Junction).
For an avid traveler like me even I had initially refused to
believe the locals when they had told me about this place and compared
it to a hill station. Last October (2023) I went for an extended weekend
drive from Kolkata and drove my four-wheeler this time my first halt
was Ranchi and from there planned to cover some nearby places. Somewhat
reluctantly I decided to check out Patratu Valley entered the
destination on the navigation app and started my drive towards Patratu.
Ranchi To Patratu Valley
The traffic around the main Ranchi town was chaotic as
usual, please do not be alarmed if traffic signals are non-existent and
traffic rules are more of an assumed thought and rarely followed. Adding
to the misery was Durga Puja time numerous pandals were covering a
significant portion of the main road and traffic was diverted to the
other lane making it a painfully slow drive.
This however did not last long and once out of the main city
area the traffic significantly reduced and very soon, I was cruising on
almost empty roads. The road to Patratu Valley cuts across several
horticultural farms thus do check out the roadside vendors selling
flower saplings and other gardening materials.
Soon the surrounding view started changing and I could see
the hill range in the distance, the weather also became significantly
cooler. The roads instead of being straight started having multiple
turns and this signaled the starting of Patratu Valley.
Tourist Cars Lined Up Near The Patratu Valley View Point
The scenery was just as I am used to when traveling from
Siliguri towards Darjeeling, there were numerous hill ranges and trees
with long trunks exactly what anyone would see at a hill station.
Patratu Valley is the point where one when travelling from
Ranchi would drive down to lower altitudes towards Ramgarh. Ranchi is
situated on a plateau (Chota Nagpur plateau) at an elevation of 651 meters above sea level.
Winding Roads Around Patratu Valley View Point
Winding Roads Around Patratu Valley View Point (Exact View Point Is At The Center Of This Photograph)
What To See At Patratu Valley
Tourists usually make this first stop at the viewpoint. From
here you can see the winding snake-like roads going down towards the
plains of Ramgarh. In the distance you can see Patratu Lake and right next to it the chimneys of a cement factory.
The viewpoint can be easily spotted as you are sure to find
several visitors posing for their mandatory selfie and numerous
photographers approaching potential customers for a family photo. Along
with this, you will surely spot several carts selling snacks such as
popcorn, peanuts, candy floss, ice cream, etc. I found the prices out
here a little exorbitant which is understandable considering this being a
prime tourist spot. The souvenir vendors are at another level out here
marking up the price of goods to almost a boutique type shop.
The Long Winding Roads At Patratu Valley
The Long Winding Roads At Patratu Valley Ranchi
View Of The Hill Range From The View Point
Lakari River (Rahra River) Flowing Towards Patratu Lake
View Of The Lake And Cement Factory In The Distance
The Road Cuts Through The Hill Surrounded By Forest
Patratu Lake As Seen (Zoomed) From The View Point
People usually spend around an hour out here just soaking in
the beauty, I don’t think exploring the valley and forest is possible
as I did not see any hiking tracks. This is also not a good idea
considering the isolated nature of this place.
Tourist park their vehicles around the side of the road as
there are no designated parking spaces. This is an expected norm but
while parking do ensure to apply hand brakes and also keep the gears
engaged as a backup (with engine off position obviously) to prevent the
car from rolling.
The weather out here can be drastically low during the peak
winter season often reaching a low of zero degrees Celsius thus dress
accordingly. The best season would be autumn and right after winter when
supper is approaching, during this time you will find a clear blue sky
with a clear view of the hill ranges.
What To See At Patratu Lake
The second attraction out here which you would have already seen from the Patratu Valley viewpoint is the Patratu Lake.
Tourists usually visit this place for some snack or lunch which are
easily available across numerous restaurants that line up around the
shores of the lake.
The lake also offers a chance to go for speed boat rides
which take tourists for a quick spin around the lake. This place also
offers other entertainment for children like merry-go-round (carousel)
etc.
Patratu Lake
Patratu Lake (Drone View)
Patratu Lake – Ranchi
Patratu Lake – Numerous Restaurants Can Be Found On The Road To The left
This place has paid car parking making it ideal for tourists who are visiting from the viewpoint.
The restaurants are located on either side of the main road
and serve some delicious food. Do try the fish items which are sure to
be fresh and tasty.
Swimming in this lake is not at all recommended, if you want to swim then do it at the swimming pool at Paryatan Vihar.
Boating At Patratu Lake
Boating At Patratu Lake
Boating At Patratu Lake – You Can Choose Between Motor Boats, Rowed Boats, or Paddle Boats
Patratu Lake As Seen From A Drone
Paryatan Vihar At Patratu Lake
Jharkhand Tourism has in recent a few years
back opened a large tourist complex out here at Patratu Lake. This
place has excellent accommodation for tourists who want to spend a few
days out here. This place has all the modern facilities of a star resort
and has its lake-facing rooms, swimming pool, gardens etc.
Being near Ranchi this can also be an excellent choice in
case you want to explore around Ranchi without actually stepping into
the chaos of the main town.
The best and possibly the only option is either a
two-wheeler or car which is self-driven or hiring a car for the trip.
The roads out here have extremely sharp blind turns thus driving is both
fun and not for the fainthearted. Don’t be surprised to encounter large
goods vehicles (trailer trucks) chugging their way up or down the
winding roads. Normally these goods vehicles move at a very slow pace
thus when overtaking them do so by keeping a close watch on the road up
ahead. Avoid any overtaking at sharp blind turns.
Visit the valley viewpoint during the day time and it’s not
recommended to visit these places late evening as there are no street
lights and driving the winding hill roads at night is not at all
recommended.
There is ample opportunity for photography out here. It’s a
paradise for selfie lovers and if you have a drone then you will truly
get some majestic view, especially at sunrise or sunset.
The locals often refer to this place as Patratu Ghati instead of Patratu Valley.
I was writing a blog about Chinese Cemeteries in Kolkata
since this is perhaps the only city in India with not one but two
Chinatowns. So, it was obvious that there must be quite a few Chinese
Cemeteries in Kolkata. While I was busy documenting and covering all the
cemeteries in Kolkata, I remembered that a good friend of mine Somen
Sengupta who is a heritage writer and enthusiast had written about a Chinese WWII Cemetery in Ramgarh dedicated to Chinese soldiers.
Now, this was a double bonus for me as I have written a few blogs
about WWII and add the Chinese community for which I had done many works
previously. Due to the pandemic, this trip was long due and Ramgarh was
a place that I have crossed several times during my numerous trips to
Jharkhand.
Last week the plan was finally done and I boarded a train to Bokaro
Steel City from there I had a car waiting for me to take me to Ramgarh
Cantonment. I had to return the same day to Kolkata thus this needed to
be executed in a precise manner.
How to Reach Chinese WWII Cemetery in Ramgarh
This cemetery is located right next to the Ramgarh Military Cantonment.
There is a specialized counter-insurgency unit that trains right next
to the cemetery. From the main road when you turn left to cover the
final one kilometer don’t be surprised to find potholes the size of a
car. The road is so bad in this stretch that it took nearly 15 minutes
to cover this part.
Keep in mind that you will see barbed wire fences all around which
demarcate the prohibited zone as part of the cantonment so do not start
clicking photographs or videos of these places. Drones are not allowed
here and it’s also not allowed even while using them within the cemetery
compound.
Once you reach you will for sure find the gates of the cemetery
locked. The lone caretaker Chakradhari Yadav has the key to this place
and you have to go to his village located within 500 meters of the
cemetery and request him to either come himself with the key or send
someone with the key.
There are high chances that he will refuse to come then you have to request. The next he will for sure demand a “Kharcha Pani”
(Tip) which you have to pay. This can range between Rs. 100 to Rs. 200.
He is so used to it that without this tip he won’t budge.
Location of Ramgarh Chinese WWII Cemetery on Map
History of Chinese and the Ramgarh Connection
Ramgarh was one of the first United States Army training centers outside of the USA. India back then was still under the British and World War II
had been going on. During the war, there were many prisoners on both
sides who are generally referred to as Prisoners of War (POW).
During the war, many Germans and Italians were captured especially
from North Africa. They were transferred to India in Ramgarh, Bhopal,
Dehradun, Bangalore, etc. for their imprisonment. Generally, these were
civilians and not from the army thus they had restrictions but had their
separate camps and to an extent some liberty within the boundary walls.
Currency Handed Out to POW at Ramgarh as Pocket Money (Public Domain)
The Japanese troops were fast moving east and were already in control
of much of mainland China. Burma was under British control which they
lost at the hands of the advancing Japanese army. By May 1942 the allied forces had retreated out of Burma and moved west.
The troops fighting the Japanese primarily included Chinese soldiers.
During their retreat, while most made it back to China some moved to
Assam in India. These soldiers were mainly from the Chinese mainland.
These soldiers who had retreated to India were designated at X Force.
With the Japanese fast advancing, it was need of the hour to regroup
especially the Chinese soldiers. So, it was decided to vacate Ramgarh
from all the POWs and transfer them to other camps. Ramgarh will then
will be used to house these Chinese soldiers and also to train them for
the next campaign.
Ramgarh had its strategic advantage, it had ready land for expansion
and it had railway connectivity so moving men and equipment were easy.
But here was the twist the training was to be provided by the United States Army. While the British provided the facility and the money in silver rupee.
Chiang Kai-shek approved the training camp in Ramgarh on 29th June 1942. This place was officially known by the Chinese as Chih Hui Pu or the Chinese Army in India. Chiang Kai-shek back then was the leader of the Republic of China and fronted the war against the Japanese.
General Stilwell was the commander of the
China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre also he was the commander of the Chinese
troops in India-Burma thus also making him report to Chiang Kai-shek.
He was the one responsible for bringing back Chinese soldiers from Burma
to India via Ledo in Assam. He was also instrumental in convincing both
Eisenhour and Chiang Kai-shek for reforming the resistance with Chinese
soldiers who would be given further training and assistance at Ramgarh.
Lt.
Gen. Joseph Stilwell Along with General Sun Li Zen and Lo Inspecting
Trained Chinese Soldiers at Ramgarh – (US Army Archive – Public Domain)
Organization of US Army Forces in Ramgarh (CBI Theatre) – (US Army Archive – Public Domain)
By June 1942 American trainers had started arriving
at the Ramgarh camp and by July 1942 the Chinese came in from Assam and
Manipur. Next, a few years more and more Chinese soldiers were sent to
Ramgarh for training this continued for the next two years till 1944.
Five divisions were created in this process New 30th, New 22nd, New
38th, 14th, and 50th Divisions. Each of these divisions had 15,000 men
totaling up to 75,000.
US
Army Instructors Conducting Machine Gun Training for Chinese Troops,
Ramgarh December 1943 (United States National Archives – Public Domain)
Stilwell And Instructors with Chinese Gun Crew (United States National Archives – Public Domain)
Chinese
Mortar Regiment Going Through Entrance to Ramgarh Training Center,
India, Jun 1944 (United States Army Signal Corps – Public Domain)
The Main Gate at Ramgarh – (United States National Archives – Public Domain)
Not only Chinese records show that a lot of Burmese nurses had also arrived at Ramgarh to assist the medics.
The Americans had a tough time teaching the Chinese soldiers since
there was a major language barrier and also most of the men were
conscripted who previously were mainly farmers. They had to be taught
not only how to fight but in operate weapons and maintenance of these
also. A part of the training also included tactical training in jungle
and mountain warfare techniques.
This gamble paid off and the greatest example of this we see at the battle of Myitkyina wherein Chinese soldiers trained at Ramgarh completely overran the Japanese in the counter offense.
What To See At Chinese WWII Cemetery in Ramgarh
Sadly, there is no memorial plaque marking the Chinese training camp
in Ramgarh anymore. Since this is an active army base so it’s logical
that at a later stage this was upgraded and got transformed. If you
compare the maps of the original training camp and then place it on
online maps then you get a rough idea of where these training camps
were. Refer to the video of Ramgarh Training Camp during WWII below and
you can spot two hills in the backdrop it can be roughly pin-pointed on
the map thus you get a rough idea of its placement.
Superimposing a 1942 Map of Ramgarh Training Camp on Google Maps (Rough Placement Considering Railway Line, Road, Hospital)
3D
Terrain Mapping Reveals Similar Mountain Top from The Video Below
Corresponding to A Spot on Map From Where You Can Get That View
(Animation For Reference Not To Scale)
Watch Carefully at Marker 0.22
The only thing that connects the Chinese soldiers to Ramgarh that you can still see is the WWII Chinese Cemetery which was built by General Zheng Dongguo in 1944.
The cemetery now contains 667 tombs and amongst them only 40 have
names, the rest are all unmarked. These are all the Chinese soldiers
that fought on the Burma front against the Japanese between 1942 to 1945.
General Zheng Dongguo – (Public Domain)
The south section contains the tombs belonging to the men from General Luo Zhuoying’s division and the west side contains the men from General Zheng Dongguo’s
division. Only very few tombs have information written on them in
Chinese while the majority of the tombs are sadly only marked as “Unknown Warrior”.
General Luo Zhuoying – (Public Domain)
Once passed the massive gate you will find a big commemorative column
built to honor the fallen Chinese soldiers of WWII. It has
commemorative plaques on all four sides.
At the end of the cemetery, there is a temple that has been built in
Buddhist style to honor the fallen Chinese soldiers. On the upper floor,
you have a statue of Buddha made from black stone.
Main Gate of Chinese WWII Cemetery in Ramgarh as You Approach from The Main Road
Main Gate of Chinese WWII Cemetery in Ramgarh – On the Right, You Can See the Fencing Of Ramgarh Military Cantonment
Ramgarh Chinese WWII Cemetery
Inscription In Chinese Over the Main Gate
Inscription In Chinese on The Left of Main Gate
Inscription In Chinese on The Left of Main Gate
Information Plaque Next to The Main Gate
The View Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Small Administrative Office Building Can Be Seen on Both Sides of The Main Gate
Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Plaques on The Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Plaques on The Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Plaques on The Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Plaques on The Memorial Column Inside Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Resting Spots Around the Cemetery Designed in Chinese Style
Chinese Design Room with Memorial Plaques and Buddha Statue
Memorial Plaques
Memorial Plaques
India – China (Old Flag) and Memorial Plaques Inside the Room
Serve
The Country and Become Benevolent – Inauguration of The Cemetery of the
Martyrdom of the Expeditionary Army of The Republic of China in India.
Poetry Written in Honor of The Fallen Soldiers
The Room on The Upper Floor
Statue of Buddha on The Upper Floor
Traditional Chinese Drums
Some Framed Text Kept On The Upper Floor
West Side Contains the Men from General Zheng Dongguo’s Division
West Side Contains the Men from General Zheng Dongguo’s Division – Unknown Warrior Graves
West Side Contains the Men from General Zheng Dongguo’s Division
West Side – Chinese WWII Cemetery Ramgarh
West Side – Chinese WWII Cemetery Ramgarh
West Side – Chinese WWII Cemetery Ramgarh
West Side – Chinese WWII Cemetery Ramgarh
West Side – Chinese WWII Cemetery Ramgarh – Marked Graves with Names in The Background and Unmarked Graves in The Front
Grave of Unknown Warrior
South Section Contains the Tombs Belonging to The Men from General Luo Zhuoying Division
South Section Contains the Tombs Belonging to The Men from General Luo Zhuoying Division
South Section of Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
South Section of Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
South Section of Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Trees Planted by Visiting Dignitaries at The Cemetery
Chinese WWII Cemetery at Ramgarh
Sadly, this is what remains of perhaps the biggest training camp of
foreign soldiers conducted by another foreign country on Indian soil.
Hope that one-day things can be diplomatically agreed upon by both
Taiwan and China and a name can be given to those “Unknown Warriors”. We
only see movies and read stories about D-Day and the action in Europe
and people have easily forgotten that India also played its part in
WWII.
We are Bengali Christians, which I know sounds
confusing but if you think carefully, it will be as easy as an apple
pie. We are Bengalis who have the religion as Christianity and we go to
church on Sundays. Maybe someday I will write a separate blog about us
Bengalis Christians. Anyways this blog is all about a different
community, which we call the “Anglo Indians”.
I studied at St. Thomas Boys School at Kidderpore, Kolkata which in
the ’90s used to have a substantial Anglo Indian students thus many of
my classmates were from this community. I found them quite different
especially since I was from what you can call a typical middle-class
Bengali family. These guys were happy to go lucky and always had a
smiling face even during exams. They were brilliant in sports and their
whole attitude when it comes to wowing the girls from the neighbouring
St. Thomas Girls school was beyond what I can logically explain. They
could just sway them off their feet.
Over the years, many of my Anglo friends or what the teacher in our school used to say “Anglo Boys”
have left the city for better pastures and settled in Australia or
Canada. These guys really didn’t mind the hardship and easily adapted to
their new environment. Slowly the city lost a huge chuck from this
community.
Around 500 kilometers from Kolkata there is a small village just
around 65 kilometers from Ranchi is a small village by the name of McCluskieganj. This small village was once the “Promised Land”
of the Anglo Indians in India. Once this small community wanted to have
a place of their own thus was born McCluskieganj which started thriving
with Anglo Indians who migrated to this tiny village in Bihar (now
Jharkhand) and started settling down in small villas.
History of Mccluskieganj
For long, the Anglo Indian community in India was struggling with
their own identity. They had the British blood but their cultures
intertwined with the Indian communities and their cultures. The British
when finally decided to leave India apart from the legacy they had left
behind the Anglo Indians.
Ernest Timothy McCluskie decided to have a town
where all the Anglo Indians could settle, a place where they could call
their homeland. He was a real estate insurance agent based out of
Calcutta (Kolkata) which was then the big town or the land of
opportunity in British India.
Advertisement about Mccluskieganj on The Colonial Observer – Courtesy University of Oxford
Ernest Timothy McCluskie took a lease of around 10,000 acres from the Maharaja of Ratu who used to rule this part of Chotanagpur. TheColonisation Society of India Ltd. which was a cooperative was formed in 1933
which helped in selling plots of land exclusively to Anglo Indians and
within a quick span, there were around four hundred such families who
had decided to settle here.
Advertisement about Mccluskieganj on The Colonial Observer – Courtesy University of Oxford
This part of Bihar had forests surrounded by hills and many rivers
running across the land. The climate was also very pleasant and apart
from the very hot summer rest of the year saw pleasant hill station like
climate which favored the community.
Things, however, did not go that well for Ernest Timothy McCluskie as he died in the year 1935
which is just two years after the establishment of McCluskieganj. Even
though initially many Anglo Indian families did settle down in
McCluskieganj but the original dream never materialized. While most of
the Anglo Indian families slowly started migrating to Canada, UK and
Australia some did not want to live in the isolation of a remote
community in Bihar. They preferred to stay in the city and work rather
than to do farming back in McCluskieganj.
Ernest Timothy McCluskie – Courtesy University of Oxford
Over the years, this Anglo Indian town became a ghost town, the
houses remained abandoned and some who did manage to maintain sold them
off at a later stage. The few remaining Anglo Indians in McCluskieganj
are more Indian than us, they speak the local Hindi dialect and English
just remained a subject in their school books.
How to Reach Mccluskieganj
The nearest airport is that of Birsa Munda Airport
which is located in Ranchi. Since this is mostly considered as a weekend
destination, thus people mostly reach this place by train. If you are
taking the train then there are two options. You can either direct reach
McCluskieganj Railway Station(MGME)
but do keep in mind that this is a very small station and most station
makes a very quick stop and that too at very odd hours. The next best
option would be to go via Ranchi, you can take any train to Ranchi and then take a car/taxi to reach McCluskieganj.
Ranchi Airport to McCluskieganj – 69 Kilometres
Ranchi Station to McCcluskieganj – 67 Kilometres
Most of the guesthouses at McCluskieganj are located within a two
kilometers radius from the station thus you can either walk it down or
hire an electric rickshaw.
Mccluskieganj Railway Station (MGME)
Landscape around Mccluskieganj
Traditional Village around Mccluskieganj
Forest Road around Mccluskieganj (Road from Ranchi)
Where to Stay in Mccluskieganj
There are no big hotels around McCluskieganj and what at best you get
are guesthouses, which are mostly managed by the Anglo Indian families
that still reside in this part of the town. After doing a lot of
research, I settled for Gordon Guest House, which is
one of the most popular here and can easily be reached over the phone.
The booking process is simple you just call to confirm the available
dates and the type of room that you require after which you deposit a
part of the booking amount directly to their bank account and they will
confirm the booking. The balance payment can be made after your stay.
Food is mostly served by the guest house itself and you need to order
it well in advance as depending on your choice it will be cooked for
you. Therefore, lunch needs to be ordered by breakfast and dinner needs
to tell by lunchtime. Food I found it to be a bit on the expensive side
and since you have limited option you have to eat at the guesthouse
itself so be ready to pay, which honestly I think is not justified when
compared to the pricing of food even in a bigger city.
After the first day when we were charged Rs. 10 per piece of poori and sabzi,
I realized that the guest house owner simply buys these from the
neighborhood shop for Rs. 5 and served it to us. There are some snack
shops near the railway crossing and do check them out for some delicious
local snacks and sweets.
Mccluskieganj – Gordon Guest House
Mccluskieganj – Government Guest House
Mccluskieganj – Gulmohar Guest House (Few of the Options Out Here)
What to See at Mccluskieganj
The prime attraction at McCluskieganj is the numerous bungalows,
which were once owned by the Anglo Indian families. Some of them are
almost crumbling to the ground while some are now owned by their new
owners and have been restored. At one point in time, this place was
known as the “Little England” of India and the
Anglo Indian communities thrived here with parties and fanfare. As you
visit some of the worn-down bungalows you will be able to see the
fireplaces and you just need to close your eyes for a moment to
transport you back a few decades. The stench of bat droppings will bring
you back to the reality that these have lived past its life and is just
a relic of the past.
One of the Old Bungalows Now Owned By Famous Bengali Writer Buddhadeb Guha
The Hermitage Few of the Last Remaining Old Houses at Mccluskieganj
The Old Church Mccluskieganj
New Church Mccluskieganj
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalows
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalow Where A Death in the Gunj Was Shot
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalow Where A Death in the Gunj Was Shot
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalow Which Now Lies Abandoned
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalow Which Now Lies Abandoned
Mccluskieganj – Old Bungalow Which Now Lies Abandoned
Mccluskieganj – Abandoned Old Bungalow
Mccluskieganj – Abandoned Old Bungalow with a Fireplace
The local Don Bosco Academy is quite popular in the region and
students around the state came here to study and stay at one of the
numerous hostels that have sprung up like mushrooms. Some of the old
bungalows have been converted into hostels for this purpose.
Mccluskieganj – Don Bosco Academy
McCluskieganj is surrounded by rivers and forest thus you can easily
take a day trip around the town. Some of the places that you can visit
are:-
Damodar River Sarva Dharma Sthal Sita Kund Duga Dugi Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon Nindra Bridge
Damodar River
This was known as the “Sorrow of Bengal” due to its fierce floods but
now its just a small trickle due to several check dams but the mighty
size can still be felt when you look at it from top of the bridge.
Mccluskieganj – Bridge Over Damodar River
Mccluskieganj – Damodar River
Mccluskieganj – Damodar River
Sarva Dharma Sthal
We keep hearing about national integration but out here (Dulli) which
is around five kilometers from the main town lies a small plot of land
which is unique in its own way. This place has a temple, a mosque and a
half-built Gurdwara. There is, in fact, a plot marked for church but
there is just a wooden cross that marks the spot.
Originally, it was planned that this place will have all the four
primary religious houses but only the mosque and the temple could be
built. The construction of rest of the places had to be stopped due to
insurgency activity in the past. With things cooling off the villagers
have now started thinking of restarting the construction process.
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal (Mosque)
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal (Temple)
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal (Space Reserved For Church)
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal (Gurdwara)
Mccluskieganj – Sarva Dharma Sthal (Gurdwara)
Sita Kund
Right next to Sarva Dharma Sthal is a place that the local villagers
refer to as Sita Kund. This is basically a natural spring and there is a
constant flow of freshwater from the underground. There are few ponds
around these places which are full of lotuses thus making this place
very picturesque except for the constant rumbling of illegal stone
crushers from a nearby plot.
Mccluskieganj – Sita Kund
Mccluskieganj – Sita Kund Natural Spring
Mccluskieganj – Beautiful Ponds around Sita Kund
Mccluskieganj – Beautiful Ponds around Sita Kund
Duga Dugi
This is a popular picnic spot and is really indeed a very beautiful
place to spend a quiet evening. The small flow of water and the
sandbanks creates a perfect amalgamation. The water in the month of
October was knee-deep and honestly, you wouldn’t mind a cool dip to
relax your body. This spot is on the Kuwaarpatraa River before it meets
the mighty Damodar.
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi Picnic Spot
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi
Mccluskieganj – Duga Dugi
Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
This is the same small stream that feeds Damodar and up ahead we get
Duga Dugi but the landscape is very different. This place is like a mini
Grand Canyon but you need a guide to reaching this spot. Be ready for
some steep climbing down steep stairs thus would suggest avoiding this
place if you have some difficulty in movements.
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Mccluskieganj – Kuwaarpatraa River Canyon
Nindra Bridge
This bridge is located on the same Kuwaarpatraa River and is used by the trains that go via McCluskieganj. Nindra
Mccluskieganj – Nindra Bridge
Mccluskieganj – Nindra Bridge
McCluskieganj has its own charm and it’s best to be enjoyed with the
reminiscing of the past is the people and the houses that are left
behind. Enjoy a weekend with a different feel.
An Abandoned House at Mccluskieganj
Places to Stay at Mccluskieganj
Gordon Guest House (Bobby Gordon) 9470930230, 9835770679, 9430149692
McCluskieganj Government Guest House 72508 80777, 70043 86154, 85214 53541
Gulmohar Guest House 70335 4333, 91993 31844
Local Transport
Auto (Six Seater) – Akib 62010 49090 He knows all the important tourist places and sightseeing points. A six hour tour will cost you around Rs. 600 to Rs. 800.
I was travelling to Netarhat after visiting Betla Forest,Betla Fort and Kechki. I have already written blogs about Betla and Kechki so this blog would cover the trip from Betla towards Netarhat.
If you are travelling to this part of Jharkhand then people usually do
these two places together since these form a part of tourist triangle
along with Ranchi.
Route Map
Betla to Maromar by Car
If you are driving from Betla towards Netarhat then in between you would pass through Maromar. Initially, we planned to spend a night at Maromar Forest Rest House
but we were told that at present it’s under renovation. It’s a must to
stay here since the forest here is dramatically different from Betla.
The forest is much denser and much greener in this part. However, it is
also to be noted that this part of the forest is also notorious for high
insurgent activity thus limited stops are recommended. Though in recent
years it’s much quieter in this part of Jharkhand occasionally some
news of disturbance do come up.
Both Sides of the Road Are filled with red Palash flowers
Landscape Often Changes From Wide Roads to Deep Forest
Palash Flowers
The Roads Turn Red like Fire
Roads Getting Narrower and Narrower
Stopping To Enjoy the Scenery
Spotted Some Sheep Headers
Spotted Some Sheep Headers
Beautiful Maromar Forest Range
North Koel at Garu
North Koel at Garu
Breakfast on the way
Our driver reported low air pressure on the right rear tyre thus we stopped over at Garu
for repairs, we also had our breakfast in one of the village shops. We
were welcomed and had the best breakfast of the trip, followed by hot
freshly prepared Bundi ka Ladoo.
Sweet Shop Owner Preparing Fresh Bundi ka Ladoo
Bundi ka Ladoo
Reaching Lodh Falls
We went towards Mahuadand and from there towards Chatakpur which took us towards Lodh Falls.
The roads become quite narrow at stretches and often you may think that
you have come the wrong way. After driving nearly half an hour through
these stretches you finally reach Lodh Falls. It is recommended that you
come right after the monsoon season to see the might waterfall at its
best.
Take Right to visit Sugga Bandh
Vehicles Need to Stop As the Last Section of the Road Needs To Be Walked
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Reaching Netarhat
We proceed towards Netarhat hoping to reach there by lunchtime. The
scenery starts to change slowly and we soon find ourselves climbing up a
hill. We missed a critical turn towards Netarhat and unknowingly
proceed towards Ranchi. Luckily I spot the milestone where the Km for
Ranchi was decreasing slowly and make an about turn back towards the
turn. We reach Netarhat Prabhat Vihar Hotel at around 2.45 PM and quickly have our lunch. The food menu here is similar to that of Betla so we were not much surprised.
Suddenly There Are No Trees Just Plain Red Soil Landscape
Interesting Name for a Village – Driving Towards Netarhat
Entering Netarhat
Gate Marking the Entrance to Netarhat
At Netarhat you must see Sunset and Sunrise,
it’s a real treat to your eyes. We drove towards the Sunset point which
is around 5 Km from the hotel. The roads are very nice and properly
marked.
Prabhat Vihar – Netarhat
Prabhat Vihar – Netarhat (Restaurant)
Prabhat Vihar – Netarhat
Prabhat Vihar – Netarhat (Rooms)
The Place Is Surrounded By Beautiful Flowers
The Place Is Surrounded By Beautiful Flowers
The Place Is Surrounded By Beautiful Flowers
The Place Is Surrounded By Beautiful Flowers
Badka Bandh – Netarhat
As we were going our eyes got locked into a blue watery body, we were
not aware of this as it was not on our list of destination. We asked
Aftab (our driver) to stop and ran towards the lake locally known as Badka Bandh.
We saw some local boys pelting stone at an object, as we approached we
were warned by them to be careful. It’s then we realized that they were
trying to chase away a large snake that had recently ingested some large
prey and was busy basking in the evening sun.
We were terrified and started walking slowly, its then we realized
that the entire lake area is infested with various types of snakes and
that’s the main reason why tourist usually avoid it. However if possible
it’s recommended to stop by this lake even from a distance and
appreciate its beauty.
You need to drive for another fifteen minutes before you finally reach the Sunset Point
but before that, you will pass through some of the most visually
stunning landscape of Netarhat. With Pine trees covering the sides this
part of the land looks like a piece of heaven on earth.
Badka Bandh
Badka Bandh
Locals Chasing a Snake
Indian Rock Python (Python Molurus)
Netarhat Sunset Point
By the time we reach Sunset Point it was already
filled up with a huge contingent of tourists. This place has a good
facility in terms of seating arrangements with shade and some sculptures
which beautify the viewing point. We positioned ourselves in a secluded
corner with a clear view of the hills ahead.
What we got next is a real magic of nature, I witnessed the most
beautiful sunset I have even seen from a hill station, and I just cannot
describe it by words alone.
We had a quick dinner and went to bed early as we had to wake up early the next morning to see the Sunrise. Luckily the Sunrise Point of Netarhat is just twenty meters from our hotel so we need not take our vehicle.
Driving Towards Sunset Point
Driving Towards Sunset Point
Sunset at Netarhat
Sunset at Netarhat
Sunset at Netarhat
This Is the Moonrise That Night
Netarhat Sunrise
Woke up around 4.30 AM and went to the terrace of the hotel to see
the sun come up. Just as the sunset was spectacular, similarly the
sunrise was equally brilliant. Various colours lit up the sky like a
canvas with oil paint.
We wanted to depart early as there was nothing else to see so we were
ready by 8 AM, Aftab was also ready to take us to the next leg of the
journey.
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Naspati Garden – Netarhat
Route Map to Pine Forest and Nashpati Garden
There were few places we wanted to see at Netarhat before heading towards Ranchi, among them we had shortlisted Naspati (Pear) Garden, Pine Forest, Ghagri Fallsand Palamu Daak Bunglow.
Naspati Garden was an easy find as we were instructed that it’s behind
the lake so we took a road that leads to the back of the lake and with
fine minutes we were in Naspati Garden. The garden smelt sweet and was
in full bloom with white flowers and bees all over them.
Going Towards Nashpati Garden
Nashpati Garden
Nashpati Garden
Nashpati Garden – Flowers
Nashpati Garden – Flowers
Our next destination was Upper Ghagri Falls so we
asked some locals about the directions, we were instructed to drive
ahead and take the first left turn which would take us to Ghagri Falls.
Till now we have not yet realized the great mistake that we have done.
Aftab drove as instructed and we reached the road diversion and took the
left as instructed. After driving a kilometre or so we found the roads
getting denser and the road vanishing under the heaps of leaf. Aftab
warned us that we might be going in the wrong direction and might head
straight to the den of insurgents. We did not pay much attention to this
as we just wanted to go to Ghagri Falls.
After driving more than nine kilometres I had a gut feeling that we
were now lost in a complete dense jungle with no road sign and that to
is a complete danger zone. I immediately asked Aftab to stop and turn
back. Aftab by now was shivering with fear and was constantly saying a
prayer.
Going Towards Upper Ghagri Falls
Going Towards Upper Ghagri Falls
Going Towards Upper Ghagri Falls
And We Are Lost
Aftab made a quick turn around, I could see that he was right in his
fear, the dry leaves were creating a slippery surface which was making
navigation extremely difficult. As we turned back I saw a writing on the
hill side written in red on a large stone “Jungle Hamari Hai, Iska Raksha Karengay” which translates to “Jungle is our land, we will protect it”.
The next nine kilometres back to where we started were like a very long
drive. My fear was that of Land Mines below the cover of dead leaves,
this I had not shared with others. Once we reached back to the main
village we were somewhat relieved.
Then came the madness navigation, we kept asking every passer-by and
remarkably each of them gave a different direction to Upper Ghagri
Falls. Some said one kilometre while the other said five, finally we
asked a group of Special Forces personnel and they warned us not to
venture there as it’s unsafe at that moment due to an ongoing
patrolling. Additionally, they warned us not to go towards the left
(where we just came back from) as it’s absolutely a no go zone. Aftab on
hearing this was more shocked and prayed once more that he was back to
safety.
We did not tell them anything and decided to abandon our plan for Ghagri Falls and instead go to Pine Forest. This place was just opposite to Nashpati Garden thus was easy to navigate.
Pine Forest – Netarhat
Pine Forest
Pine Tree
Pine Cones
Pine Forest
After this, we decided to end our journey with a final stop to the famous Palamu Daak Bunglow. We desperately wanted to stay here but somehow we could not manage to get a booking.
Palamu Daak Bunglow
Return to Ranchi from Netarhat
Finally, we bid goodbye to Netarhat and started our long journey back to Ranchi. We stopped at Chipri
on the way to have brunch. We were all tired and wanted to reach Ranchi
as soon as possible. It took around three and a half hour to reach
Ranchi where we rested at my in law’s house for some time since our
return train was at 9.45 PM (Hatia – Howrah). Had dinner at the station
and took the train back to Kolkata.
List of All the Places That You Can Visit Around Netarhat
Having Breakfast
Driving Back To Ranchi
Driving Back To Ranchi
I Do Not Like Samosas – Photo Courtesy – Amitabha Gupta
Jharkhand Tourism Helpline:-
18003456571
Netarhat Hotel Information:-
Netarhat
Prabhat Vihar 93046 76275
(Year 2015) Rs. 900 for AC Double Bed + Tax. Extra Person Rs. 200. Tax and Extra Person payable at hotel
Sunset Point = 10 KM Sunrise Point = 0 KM Badka Bandh = 2 KM Pine Forest = 2 KM Nashpati Garden = 3 KM Palamu Dak Bunglow = 1 KM Ghagri Waterfalls (Upper and Lower)
Netarhat Car Booking:-
Tata Indica / Tata Indigo / Sumo Aftab – 82298 36263 (Year 2015) (Rs. 700 per day + Rs. 200 Driver Allowance OR food for the driver + Fuel*) * Fuel @ Non AC 12 Kilometres per Litre OR AC 10 Kilometres per Litre
I have asked many Chinese friends whether the Chinese that we eat is
actually Chinese. Many of them have smiled and replied that it’s not
that real Chinese-Chinese. Similarly, when it comes to Tribal Food
there are a lot of misconception. Most think that the tribal food is
dominated by pork or other meat items. It’s actually not, on the
contrary, the majority of the tribal population especially in the
central and eastern part of India consume more of vegetables, rice, and
pulses.
So this blog is dedicated to my wife who after marriage always
thought that we Bengalis have extremely spiced up food with lots of
masalas and oil. Last year when I went to meet my grandmother in law my
wife ensured that I get the taste of real Tribal Chota Nagpuri food.
Map of Chota Nagpur Region
Red Rice
To start with the main component of the diet is rice, not the white polished rice that we are used to seeing but Red Rice,
these have more fibres and contains the best that rice can offer. To be
more specific the husk has been removed from the rice using the
thresher (Dheki) that most houses will have in
their back yard. Earthen pots are used to boil the rice and wood fire
is used to heat them. Needless to say that firewood is quite in
abundance thus it’s the most common source of fuel.
Boiled Red Rice
Rice Being Boiled In Traditional Earthen Pots on Wood Fire
Arhar Daal/Toor Daal
With red rice, the most staple side dish is Arhar Daal/Toor Daal (Pigeon Pea). Most of the families do not have the luxury to have another side dish thus rice and daal are the most common food that is consumed.
Arhar Daal/Toor Daal (Pigeon Pea)
Arhar Daal/Toor Daal (Pigeon Pea) Plant
Munga Saag
Chota Nagpur region is mostly covered in forest with some patches of
cultivating the land. Though vegetables are grown in these cultivating
land but the produce is usually sold in the wholesale or local markets.
Thus, the locals do not usually get to eat what we eat. The best example
would be that of Munga Saag (Drumstick – Moringa Oleifera), we are used to eating the fruit (seeds) in curry but this was for the first time I had the opportunity to eat the leaves.
Munga Saag (Drumstick – Moringa Oleifera)
The leaves of the tree are washed and smashed with hand to make them
even smaller, after this it’s just boiled and some potatoes are added to
it along with salt. This becomes like a saag with quite a bitter taste. These are eaten along with red rice and daal.
Munga Saag
Not only the left but the flower of Drumstick tree are also eaten. These can be eaten fried or can be mixed in a batter and deep-fried.
Munga Flower (Drumstick – Moringa Oleifera)
Koinar Saag
There is also the Koinar Saag (Phanera Variegate), similarly like drumstick both the leaves and flowers are eaten.
Koinar Saag (Phanera Variegate)
Koinar Flower (Phanera Variegate)
Sanai Flower
The next item was something I had no clue about, it is Sanai Flower,
and these are also fried and eaten along with rice. These tasted
wonderful but I was completely taken aback when I learnt that these are
actually flowers of Jute (Corchorus) plant.
Sanai Flower – Jute (Corchorus)
Fried Sanai Flower
Bamboo Shoot Pickle
Another interesting side dish was the Bamboo Shoot Pickle.
I had the misconception that bamboo shoot was only popular in the
northeastern part of the country but it seems the locals love the bamboo
shoot pickle which has been marinated in various spices and then left
in the sun to dry. This pickle can also be eaten with roti (flat bread).
Bamboo Pickle
Red Ant Chutney
Talking about pickled I cannot forget the Red Ant Chutney, I have earlier written a detailed blog about it. During the season the locals like a good dollop of this chutney with their rice.
Red Ants
Red Ant Chutney
Nenua
Nenua (Sponge Gourd) is another common item
which is eaten both as fired as well as a curry. This vegetable is
popular in several states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh so it cannot be
exactly limited to this region.
Nenua (Sponge Gourd)
Aru
The next item would be something new to most of you, it’s a potato that grows on the tree, locally knows as the Aru (Dioscorea Bulbifera)
is from the yam family and grows in quite an abundance in some regions.
These are boiled and made a curry and eaten along with rice.
Aru (Dioscorea Bulbifera)
Marwa
Next, there is Marwa which most of us know by the name of Ragi or Finger Millet (Eleusine Coracana).
These are used in making flat bread as well as used in baking also. I
have tasted wonderful Marwa Christmas Cake wish tastes quite good.
Marwa – Finger Millet (Eleusine Coracana)
Dhuska
In terms of snack, Dhuska is the most common snack, these are made of a wet grind mix of ground Rice and Chana Daal (Chickpea). The wet mix is then deep fried and eaten along with a potato curry or meat curry.
Dhuska (The Flat Round Items To the Left)
Tribal Pork Curry
Finally coming to the non-veg part, we all know Pork
is the favourite meat and when cooked with the right masalas it’s a
real killer. Other than this fish is also quite popular and the best is
when I am served Puti (Puntius Sophore) with rice.
Pork Curry
Tribal Puti Fish Curry
Puti Curry (Puntius Sophore)
Custard Apple
Finishing the post with some fruits and the first thing that comes to my mind are Lychee, Mango & Custard Apple.
I remember during one of my long drive from Ranchi to Chaibasa I came
to a point where there were rows of custard apple trees on both the
sides. These grow in abundance and can be easily plucked by hand.
Custard Apple
Arsa
Finishing this blog on a sweet note and if you are in Jharkhand you must try Arsa,
this snack is more prominent in the villages of eastern India, made
with rice flour, coconut, fennel seeds etc. these come in two
varieties, one made with white sugar and the other made with jaggery.
The mixed concussion is deep-fried in oil and served to the guests. My
introduction to these came from my in law’s place.
Arsa
What I have mentioned above is not an exhaustive list but a list of
few preparations which I have managed to taste during my visit. There
are numerous other food preparations also which I will keep adding to
this list as and when I get the opportunity to taste them personally.
Hope you have enjoyed my blog and do remember to visit Jharkhand and
taste the real authentic tribal food.
My first taste of Satyajit Ray’s cinema started at
the age of ten when we used to stay in Bangalore. Those were the days of
VHS video cassettes and my father showed us the Apu Trilogy.
Honestly speaking then I never did really understand the exact meaning
of a Ray Classic. In fact, then Satyajit Ray was still alive and yet to
receive the Oscar for his lifetime contribution.
It was 23rdof April 1992
we were celebrating my sister’s birthday in Bangalore, this day also
happened to be our last day in Bangalore as my father had decided to
move back to Kolkata. There were many guests in the party and after
every one had left my father turned on the television to watch the news
at nine on Doordarshan. It was then we came to know that Satyajit Ray
was no more.
Fast forwarding twenty years to 2012 when I had already started
working and had a family of my own did I really get the chance to
understand Ray and his style of movie making. During the summer
vacations my wife would visit her parents in Ranchi along with our
daughter Rianna. I had to obviously stay back in Kolkata due to office
commitments and during these long days of forced bachelorhood I would
often watch Ray Classics.
One fine day I chanced upon Aranyer Din Ratri,
since my wife was from the state of Jharkhand and moreover being from
the Munda Tribe this movie struck a chord in me. Somehow I wished to
make such journey along with friends in a car on my own someday.
In the year March 2015, I got such an opportunity to team up with two
of my friends to make a trip to Betla and Netarhat. We had booked a car
and this was the first time we had teamed up with Aftab, our trusted
car driver with whom in future we had done many such long drives.
As per our schedule, we took the following route Ranchi à Betla à
Netarhat à Ranchi. Betla which is part of the Palamu range also happened
to be the place where Aranyer Din Ratri was extensively shot. When the car crossed the North Koel river overlooking Kechki confluence I remembered the shot from the movie where the four protagonists were entering the Palamu village.
One of the days during our stay in Betla we decided to visit Kechki
confluence, this meant that we were actually following Ray in his
journey to the famous Kechki Forest Rest House. Though most of the surroundings have changed but I managed to stich some of the scenes.
Driving Around Palamu
Roads around Palamu
Roads around Palamu as Seen Now
Occasional Dense Vegetation As Seen From the Car Window
Somewhat Similar Dense Trees Seen Occasionally During Our Drive
Occasional Dense Vegetation As Seen From the Car Window
Somewhat Similar Dense Trees Seen Occasionally During Our Drive
Ambassador Car Entering the Village
Our Indica
The Koel Forest Rest House is around ten kilometres from the main
Betla forest entrance. Though there are provisions to stay here but you
must remember that this is not a hotel and expecting an attached
restaurant is out of the question. You need to book this by contacting
the Jharkhand Government – Department of Forest. Once
approved there is a caretaker who doubles up as a cook also to look
after you. You need to provide him with the raw materials with which he
will happily cook for you.
It is also to be noted that the current structure is not exactly what
was seen in the movie. It was blown up by the Maoist rebels few years
back and only recently it has been renovated. Thus do not expect the
exact same type sections but more or less from the outside it looks
similar.
Driving Towards Kechki
The Roads Sometimes Become Pretty Small
Similar Small Roads with Trees on Both the Sides
Paved Roads Give Way to Sandy Stretches
Similar Unpaved Sandy Still Exist Today
Paved Roads Give Way to Sandy Stretches
Similar Unpaved Sandy Still Exist Today
Koel Forest Rest House
Koel Forest Rest House (Note the Palash Tree on the Left)
Koel Forest Rest House (Palash Tree Still Exists)
Koel Forest Rest House
Koel Forest Rest House
KOel River
The forest rest house is situated right at the banks of Kechki
confluence. You can reach the confluence on foot from the right side.
From inside of the rest house you will be able to see both the rivers,
Auranga to the left and North Koel to the right. This place has got some
of the most fantastic view of the confluence.
View of Kechki Confluence from the Rest House
View of the Confluence Now
View of Koel River from the Banks
View of Koel River from the Banks at Present
Dense Deciduous Forest around Palamu
Similar Forest in the Month of March
View of the Auranga River from the Banks – The Bridge Broke During a Flood
Ray played with the natural beauty of the place in most of the shots. The most remarkable according to me was the Memory Game
played by all the central characters in the movie. According to various
reports, this was shot at Kechki. This can also be seen when panning
the camera during the game. Though not sure of the exact spot I think
it’s to the left of the forest rest house, there is a long stretch of
fertile grass land with tall trees. This is the place from where you
access the Kechki confluence.
Memory Game As Shown In the Movie
Possible Location will be the Green Spot on the Left Side
One of My Favourite Shots from the Movie
If you have not seen the movie then I would surely recommend you to
buy the DVD and watch it once. You can get the DVD / Book from the
following online stores:-
It was Dasami (Dussera) and we had
just reached Chaibasa a day before. 2015 Durga Puja vacation I had no
plans but managed to go for a surprise vacation to Ranchi. From Ranchi
we had a driven to Chaibasa to meet my grand mother in law. Chaibasa is
in the southern tip of the state of Jharkhand and just an hour’s drive
from Tatanagar (Jamshedpur). With nothing much to do at Chaibasa I
managed to conspire a quick visit to the Kingdom of Saraikela
which lies some 45 minutes’ drive from Chaibasa. And in this plan I
influenced my father in law to come along, of course my wife and
daughter joined me by default.
In fact, it was my father in law in the first place who had mentioned
about Saraikela which he used to visit when he was in school. He used
to keep telling me that there was a king’s palace and the king of
Saraikela still lived there. This was the perfect time for me to visit
since my father in law himself would be there with me.
Chaibasa to Saraikela
We set out on a short 45 minutes’ drive to Saraikela, the roads are
as smooth as it can be, these are the new roads that are being paved
which is being used as a super highway between the different districts
of the state. The landscape is very picturesque with farm land, railway
tracks, ponds and small hill to greet us all the way.
Road from Chaibasa to Saraikela
Scenery around the Road from Chaibasa to Saraikela
There is a huge Durga Puja pandal where Durga puja takes place in
Saraikela, it was not that difficult to find it out since most of the
town dwellers were heading that way.
Usually in these places a village fair is always present near the
pandal and here you get the best of village food and snacks. But our
priority was to fist check out the palace of the Maharaja which lies
just adjacent to the pandal.
Savouries Being Sold At the Village Fair
Saraikela Palace
The Palace Gates Can Be Seen At the Distance
Seeing no one around we decide to enter the palace compound, in its
present desolate condition one can presume what it once stood during its
glory days. Most portion of the palace is either abandoned or
completely run down and beyond repair.
Entrance to the Palace Compound
Prince Suddhendra Narayan Singh Deo
Different Name Plaques Inside and Outside the Palace
Getting straight to my work I start photographing every corner and
try to admire the magnum presence it must have stood in between the
hills and plains. A wall inside the palace had old photographs of the
Maharaja and its family members, each of these photographs also had a
caption detailing out the activity during which the photograph was shot.
Inside The Palace Compound
Inside The Palace Compound
Different Buildings inside the Palace Compound
Different Buildings inside the Palace Compound
Different Buildings inside the Palace Compound
Statues and Other Motifs inside the Palace Walls
Different Buildings inside the Palace Compound
The Main Building
Interior Sections of the Main Building
Interior Sections of the Main Building
My father in law was busy watching them when the bugle sounded, I was
caught off guard and did not know what to do exactly. It was straight
out from the television serials just like Tipu Sultan. All off a sudden I see a group of buglers and drummers enter the courtyard and from the right I see the king of Saraikela come out of the palace with his full entourage. The Maharaja
dressed in silk dhoti and all around him were people with swords nearly
five feet in height. There were even some who held silk umbrellas over
the head of the Maharaja.
The Drummers and the Buglers
The Maharaja Stepping Out Of His Palace with His Entourage
Honestly I did not assume him to be the maharaja and only when he
stepped out of the palace walls did I see his subjects which were the
villagers bend down to the ground to honour his presence. This was a
much of a shock for my father in law also as he had heard about the
maharaja but this would be the first time in his life he is watching
him.
The Maharaja Stepping Out Of His Palace with His Entourage
Vintage Photo of the Then Maharaja before India’s Independence – Photo Courtesy Singh Deo Family
Being Dasami or Dussera the Maharaja was going to the Durga Mandir for offering prayers and before this he was being paraded around the village.
Villagers Gather around the Maharaja As He Moves Around the Village
The Local Durga Temple Where Dasami Would Be Celebrated
The Spot Marking For Animal Sacrifice outside the Temple
This one incident left me speechless as we were at the right spot at
the right time. The frames captured by my camera were so unique that
whoever I showed were stunned to see the Maharaja in action.
History of Sing Deo in Saraikela
The Maharaja belong to the Singh Deo family who
ruled the princely state of Saraikela. This kingdom was founded in the
year 1620 by Raja Bikram Singh. He was said to be a descendant from the Rathore clan of Rajputs.
The Maharaja wanted to join the state of Orissa after independence when
the states were being divided but was forced to join the then Bihar.
There was a rebellion of sorts but was later subdued.
Vintage Photograph of Saraikela Royal Family – Photo Courtesy Singh Deo Family
Vintage Photograph of Saraikela Royal Family – Photo Courtesy Singh Deo Family
Shuddhendra Narayan Singh Deo Was a Padmashri Winner for His Contribution towards Chou Dance – Photo Courtesy Singh Deo Family
Let this blog end here as this kingdom has a huge history which I
will definitely tell you someday in another blog. Till goodbye from
Indian Vagabond, who know which kingdom I will land up next.
I have been travelling to the state of Jharkhand quite often these days, Jharkhand being a tribal state has its own cuisine and eating habits. I have in one of my earlier post talked about Ant Chutni, in this post I will show you through multiple photographs how Traditional Pork Curry is prepared by the local tribal population.
Usually the pork is prepared fresh after its cut in the village
market, there are sections dedicated to people who would cook it for you
instantly at the open venue. They normally use wood fire to cook the
pork. In this post however the process will be the same but the cooking
will be inside a kitchen just to maintain the hygiene factor. But
however the food is being prepared by a Munda Tribal boy
who also happens to be my wife’s cousin brother, he has his own
catering business and just on my request agreed to show it himself.
Purchasing Pork
First the pork needs to be purchased fresh from the village market.
The villagers use pigs from farms however people vouch the taste of
authentic wild pigs which are hunted in the forest.
These are difficult to get but the taste in unparalleled. Make sure that
there is a perfect mix of meat and fat else the taste will not be good. Cut the meat in to dice shaped pieces, the same applied for the fat also.
Cut The Pork into Small Dice Shaped Pieces
Proportion of Fat and Meat Should Be Almost Equal
Keep some fat pieces separate as these will be used in mix with the cooking oil.
Fat Kept Separate for Mixing with Oil
Preparation for Cooking The Meat
Heat very little oil in a deep cooking pot, wait till the heat starts
building up then add the fat pieces that had been kept separately. The fat will melt
and mix with the oil, this is a very important step as the mix will
actually enhance the taste for the dish. By now you will get a distinct
smell and know that the fat is mixing well.
Small Quantity of Oil Is Used
Fat Melted Along with Heated Oil
Chop lots of onions and add some chopped chillies too. Usually pork curry will have lots of onions as a base thus cut them accordingly.
Chopped Onions Forms the Base of the Curry
Chopped Chillies as Per Taste
Add the chopped onions and chillies to the heated oil and fat mix and then fry them till they are golden brown.
Fry The Chopped Onions and Chillies
Slowly start adding the pork into the pot and keep stirring so that its mixed well.
Introduce Meat to The Mix
Add salt to the mix, keep in mind that adding salt
will make the meat to release water, this in turn will actually cook the
entire dish. Mix it well and wait till the meat and fat starts turning
bit brownish.
Add Salt to Taste
The Meat Turns Brownish
You need to keep Garlic, Ginger & Coriander Seed wet mix separately and need to add that to the pot slowly. Next goes the Turmeric powder & Chilli powder. Then add the meat masala which is basically Garam Masala.
Garlic, Ginger & Coriander Seed Wet Mix
Put Garlic, Ginger & Coriander Seed Wet Mix into The Meat
Put Turmeric Powder Mix into The Meat
Put Garam Masala Powder Mix into The Meat
Put Chilli Powder Mix into The Meat
Keep mixing these so that all the masalas and the meat gets mixed properly and evenly.
Mix It Thoroughly
Finally add some freshly chopped Tomatoes, please keep in mind that the villagers also use Tamarind paste which makes the dish but sour but some do not prefer it sour like me.
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Tomatoes
Mix it thoroughly and add a little bit of water which will help the
pork to get cooked. Keep the mix on sim and keep till the water dries a
little bit and the meat becomes soft. Alternately at this stage you can
transfer the mix into a pressure cooker and give it a whistle or two. We
did this as we were really hungry and wanted to eat as soon as
possible.
Use Pressure Cooker to Expedite the Process
Keep The Mix On Sim
Once cooked add some freshly chopped Coriander on top and now it’s ready to be served.
Freshly Chopped Coriander
The Final Pork Curry and Rice
I would like to say thanks to Nikhil Topno who had
been a fantastic host and of course a fantastic cook who agreed to all
my requests. Will be soon back with another tribal dish from the
heartland of Jharkhand.
This is my first blog where I am writing about a failed attempt to
discover something new. Well not exactly new as it was already well
investigated by a professor and also had been highlighted in some
newspapers and online magazines. I wanted to pick up where the professor
had left and waned to create a detailed blog about it.
The month of January gifted me with an opportunity for an extended
holiday and I knew where I would like to spend it. With all bags packed I
reached Ranchi on a very cold January morning. Five layers of clothing
still wasn’t enough to keep out the cold, the last time I had so many
layer of clothing was in the year 2014 when I was at Lachen – Lachung.
The first person that I call is Aftab, my good old trusted driver. He
has by now understood my taste when it comes to a vacation and do not
question much and on the contrary he gets pretty much excited to join
the bandwagon in my search.
I was in search for the presence of Extra Terrestrial beings, I had been a fan of Erich Von Daniken right from my childhood when I was gifted a book called “Chariots of the Gods”
by my father. I was in class three then and was sure that we were not
alone in the universe and that much before our existence there were
people or beings who had visited this planet. According to the books
there were many cave painting which were centuries old where people in
space suits and space crafts were clearly depicted.
Mysterious Lines and Drawings at Nazca, Peru (Source – Wikipedia CC)
I had read about such stone drawings around Ranchi in a place called Piska Nagri,
there was a stone where two large footsteps were craved and next to it
was a carving which resembled a person with wings. The locals believe
that the Pandavas once roamed this place while some are convinced that these are the foot prints of Ram and Lakshman.
I wanted to look at this from the eye of Erich Von Daniken as to me
the locals centuries ago had drawn these by seeing the Extra Terrestrial
beings. There were also some geometric patterns on rocks nearby which
had perfect geometric patterns which could not have been achieved
without any expert knowhow.
I was also trying to get in touch with the professor who had
initially reported this to the world couple of years back.
Unfortunately, his responses were mono syllabic with “Yes”, “No” etc. I
had requested him many a times over email to let me know about the exact
location but somehow I did not receive any concrete response.
It was then I resorted to my own research sources and managed to
narrow it down to a locality which lies in the outskirts of Ranchi some
30 – 40 Kilometres away from the main town.
On a bright blue Sunday morning I start my adventure with my wife
Smita, daughter Rianna and Aftab the driver. Aftab was more excited me
than him, the reason being that he had got many clients who got his
mobile number from my blog and his business had flourished so much that
he had a new bigger car now.
Driving Towards Nagri
After driving around 45 minutes we reached a village called Piska Nagri,
with no other details I had to use my old trick in my book, go to the
tea shop and break into a conversation over a cup of tea. This way you
don’t look authoritative and do not scare the villagers who are anyway
always on the edge due to the heightened Naxalite problem.
After a cup of tea and few Barfis I finally
take out the piece of paper with printed photographs of the location
that I am trying to look. After few nods I finally get an old gent who
confirms its presence some 2 kilometres left of the shop into the
interiors of the village taking the dirt road.
Dirt Road Towards the Site
At once we set to find the location, after driving on dirt road for
around ten minutes we reach a concrete gate to a temple. According to
the villagers the site is right up ahead in between the farm lands.
The Concrete Gate
The Local Village Temple
All around I could see sugarcane, mustard and peas growing,
surprisingly this part of the state is extremely fertile. It is then my
wife pointed out to the unique landscape. The farm land was in a valley
and this was not actually a valley but a river which had dried up
leaving behind the fertile soil.
Fertile Valley
Sugarcane Fields
Sugarcane Fields
Mustard Fields
Some of the villagers were working in the fields thus I approached
them first, my Hindi is more from a city dweller thus most of them could
not understand me that clearly. Seeing this my wife took over the
situation, as she is from this state she is well accustomed to the
accent and nuances of the local version of Hindi which is a mix of Sadri.
Fertile Plains, Perfect for Cultivation
Local Villagers
Local Villagers
Smita Trying Her Level Best to Get the Information from The Villagers
These villagers informed us that there were some stone structures
around five meters away in between the fields but these don’t exist
anymore now. I was stunned for a moment and re enquired and to my horror
they repeated what they said first.
Some of the Stones Existed All Around These Locations
Electric Transmission Lines – Sign of Development
Apparently the stone structure has been removed and in its place now
there is a well. The villagers have actually no issues about the stone
structure going missing since they have a well which provides fresh
drinking water for the villagers.
The Well Which Replaces the Stone Structures
In disbelief we go towards the well where the stone structure once
stood. It all now comes into place, there are lots of stone quarries all
around the location and these are obviously owned by the strong men of
the locality and they do not want to make this into a worship spot as
this would harm their business.
This was the first time I had failed in something which I had planned
and decided for so long, equal disappointment was seen in the eyes of
Aftab as he is so accustomed to new discoveries that this failure was
something which he refuse to believe.
Aftab Was Waiting for Some Good News
Rianna Having Fun but Smita Disappointed
Just to be double sure he took us deeper into the village and surprisingly these villagers were not even aware of its existence.
A good friend of mine told me that the motto of his life is to “See the world before its lost”, this is perfectly applicable here, we must see these before they turn to dust…and I mean real dust.
Final disclaimer, I am assuming that I have reached the right spot in
my investigation, since I was not informed about the exact address thus
this is not a closed chapter but … (It will continue someday).
It was time to say goodbye, the train was about to leave, I had gone
to Howrah station to drop my wife and daughter as they were going to
Ranchi to my in law’s place for the Durga Puja vacation, unlike any
other year we always travelled together for a vacation but this year it
was scrapped. My daughter would just not let go off my hand and I could
feel the tear drops rolling down her eyes and drop one by one on my
feet. She just wouldn’t stop sobbing and kept begging me to come. Just
to cheer her up I told her not to worry as I would take the next train
to Ranchi as I did not get a train ticket in this one. She stopped
crying and held my hand; then she asked me to promise
that I would be coming in the next train. I had to say yes as the train
was about to leave but she kept reminding me that I had promised to be
with her when she opens her eye the next morning from sleep.
The train leaves and suddenly I feel a chemical rush in my blood,
somehow I have to be in Ranchi the next morning as I had promised to my
daughter. On reaching home I got on my laptop to see the next available
train to Ranchi, the next one was at 10.10 PM Howrah – Hatia Express, by
luck I manage to get a RAC ticket.
Next morning the train reached its destination Ranchi ten minutes
earlier than scheduled and managed to find an auto waiting right outside
and went straight to my in law’s house. As promised my daughter was
still sleeping and I quietly sat next to her and tapped her shoulder,
reluctantly she opened her eyes and it lit up seeing me beside her, she
hugged me and thanked me for keeping the promise.
Day 1 – Ranchi
We skipped visiting anywhere else as being Asthami
it would be extremely crowded and all traffic movement would come to a
halt. We postponed our trip for next day, but on the same day we had to
also travel to Chaibasa which meant that we had to leave Ranchi by 9 AM,
the only other option was to start early at around 5 AM for the
sightseeing. For this the best person would be Aftab, the same guy who
took me and my friends around Betla and Netarhat earlier this year.
Called Aftab and he immediately recognised me and agreed to reach at 5
AM the next morning for an adventure which by now he is quite used to.
The Search for Jagatpal Singh’s Fort
I had read about this place called Jagatpal Singh’s Fort at Pithoria
but as usual not much information were there on the net except for the
fact that the place is cursed and every year lightning would strike this
fort. The curiosity in me was again at its peak and I had to visit this
place. Even Aftab our driver had never heard of this and only knew the
road from Ranchi to Pithoria Chowk.
As promised Aftab reached our house by 5 AM and we were off to
Pithoria to find more about the cursed fort. Being early in the morning
there were very minimal traffic and we cruised on to Pithoria Chowk. It
was late October the weather was quite cooler and Rianna had to be all
wrapped up.
Ranchi to Pithoria Chowk
Ranchi to Pithoria Chowk – 23 Kilometers
Ranchi to Pithoria Highway
Ranchi to Pithoria Highway
Within 45 minutes we reached Pithoria Chowk and now it was adventure
time, we had to locate the fort and the only direction that I had with
me was to take left from Pithoria Chowk. Asked a couple of local shop
owners and they were all giving different directions, some of them had
no clue about any fort in that area. Then we changed our strategy and
started asking about old broken buildings which might be in that
locality, we started getting some directions and one of them told us
that there is an old “Raja’s Mahal” and we immediately knew that we were in the right direction.
We were now driving inside the small village and the roads became
narrower and narrower, the villagers were up and were busy in the
morning activities, the village market was about to start its business
so from all around we could see people carrying vegetables for selling
in the market.
Pithoria Village – Villagers Carrying Vegetables to the Village Market
Pithoria Village – Villagers Waking Up To a Brigjht and Sunny Day
Pithoria Village – Domesticated Animals Taken Out
Pithoria Village – Beautifully Painted Old Houses
After much navigation we finally reach a dead end and now it was
adventure on foot, after walking about 100 meters finally I got a
glimpse of the old fort. Finally I have managed to track it down and
what I had read earlier was right in front of me.
Location of Pithoria Fort
Pithoria Chowk to Pithoria Fort
Pithoria Fort beyond the Cabbage Fields
Now there was another problem, I could see the fort in the distance
but could not reach near as the fort was completely surrounded by
agricultural land and all of them were barricaded. On asking a local the
direction to reach the fort I was given a very pessimistic reply “You
want to visit the old raja’s fort now early in the morning? Don’t you
know that there are ghosts insides and of course the hundreds of snakes
that infest the hollow walls”. Quite stunned by this I
still insisted for the direction to reach the fort walls, I was then
told to take another route from the other side and cross a field full of
cabbages.
Finally I had the way and signalled Smita and Rianna to join me in my
quest. We crossed the cabbage fields and reached the edge of the fort.
There was no direct way to enter the fort and only could be photographed
from outside, however even from outside the grandeur can easily be
seen. Large pillars and decorated windows, I am sure that during its
peak this fort would have stood out in its isolated surroundings.
Rianna Amused By the Presence of a Goat
Smita & Rianna Crossing the Cabbage Fields
Pithoria Fort
The fort is basically a two storied structure, as far as I could see
there are three visible sections. Section one has a single floor
structure with decorated windows and doors, the second section is a two
storied structure, the third section is the one with huge columns and
there can be a forth section but cannot be seen directly. According to
the locals there is a temple structure inside the fort also.
Unfortunately significant portions of the fort had been encroached
upon by the local population and access to some sections of the fort is
not possible as residential buildings have come up preventing any
visitor direct access.
Pithoria Fort
Pithoria Fort
Pithoria Fort – Windows
Pithoria Fort – Large Columns
Pithoria Fort
Pithoria Fort – Encroachment in the Front
Pithoria Fort
The Curse of Jagatpal Singh
Now why was this building cursed, some quick research gave me a vague
idea about its origin, with no direct document as evidence it was time
to stich different sources to create the following story.
The story goes like this, King Jaimangal Singh and his son King Jagatpal Singh
established Pithoria as a local trading hub. This place under their
rule became an important cultural hub of the Chotanagpur region. Notably
King Jagatpal Singh was very popular and was very much loved by his
subjects. It was also known that he in turn kept good care of the
residence of his kingdom. He was also instrumental in lot of
developmental work which established him and his kingdom known far and
wide.
The British rulers in India were already having well established
links in Chotanagpur area and the rise of popularity of the king of
Pithoria signalled them to start showing interest in this locality also.
This was a new territory which was not under their rule and they were
desperate to bring this region under their influence.
During the 1830’s The Great Rebellion had already
started in the plateaus of Chotanagpur and the British Forces were
continuously fighting the different tribal groups under the command of Captain Wilkinson. King Jagatpal Singh decided to side with the East India Company
and not with the rebelling tribals. This however did not go down well
with the local population and in peoples eye he was being seen as a
traitor to his motherland.
Attack by 600 Santhals upon a party of 50 sepoys, 40th regiment native infantry – Source: Columbia University
The 45th Regiment, Native Infantry, burning a Santhal village and recovering plunder– Source: Columbia University
In the year 1857 when there was a mass uprising the East India
Company there were fierce war in this region and since King Jagatpal
Singh supported the British so he provided much logistical support which
helped the forces to overpower the rebellion. This rebellion was mainly
led by Thakur Vishwanath Sahdeo who was captured by
the forces of East India Company and was hanged on January 8, 1858 at
the gate of Ranchi Zila School. This was done to bring fear in the
hearts and minds of the local population to avoid further rebellion.
But before being hanged Thakur Vishwanath Sahdeo cursed
Jagatpal Singh that his reign and his kingdom will soon come to an end,
further he cursed that his fort will be struck by lightning till it
collapses completely.
Statue of Sahid Thakur Vishwanath Sahdeo – Source: Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Jharkhand
Thus the locals say that till date every year especially during the
monsoon lightning will definitely strike this fort destroying it further
and further. However some scientist refute this claim and say that the
lightning keeps striking this fort due to its isolated location and
being the tallest structure in the locality is more prone to lightning
strikes.
Future of Pithoria Fort
This fort is a piece of his history and requires an urgent
maintenance else our next generation will not be able to see any of its
portions ever. With the local population fast encroaching on its
property in no time most of the sections will soon fall prey to land
grab. So don’t waste time, whenever you are in Ranchi do visit this
place, who knows if you wait a little longer this place will no longer
exist.
When it comes to visiting the In Law’s most husbands are always
petrified but over the years I have started looking at the positive side
of it. First of all I am lucky enough that my wife is from a state
which has a real vast natural resources and equally large tourist
attractions. Jharkhand is a landmark when come to tourist spots and
since this is relatively a new state most of them are not that very well
know and very less frequented by travellers. Road trips are my
favourite and when an opportunity comes to go for a really long drive I
am always in.
The Road Less Travelled
Last puja vacation I had a surprise visit to Ranchi and seeing my
arrival my father in law planned for a road trip from Ranchi to
Chaibasa. Chaibasa is also where my grandmother in law resides thus the
opportunity to see her also was a perk in itself.
Ranchi to Chaibasa ROute Map
Route Map Ranchi – Hirni Falls – Chaibasa
We planned to leave early and by 8 AM we were ready to depart, in our
disposal we had our old and trusted Alto and the team consisted of
myself, my wife, daughter, father in law and brother in law.
Roads are really well paved in most of the portion thus the ride was
pretty smooth, being Durga Puja time there were the occasional slowing
of the car due to the encroachment of the pandals on to the
road. These were actually fun as I have seen the lavish Durga Puja
Pandals of Kolkata and these small pandals seems to be the real deal
since the entire village would be sitting around it waiting for the
various celebration revolving around Durga Puja.
Ranchi Outskirt Landscape
Ranchi Outskirt Landscape – Various People along the Way
It takes around 4 – 5 hours’ drive from Ranchi to Chaibasa depending
on the traffic condition but we were in no hurry and decided to enjoy
the greenery and scenery as it came.
Ranchi Outskirt Landscape
Ranchi Outskirt Landscape
In between around 10 AM we decided to stop for some tea in a small
road side shop. Again being Durga Puja they had prepared various sweet
savouries. A Jharkhand specialty is Dhuska which is either served with potato curry or sometimes meat curry. Along with that there were the Malpua and Motichur Ladoo.
Seeing my camera they might have thought I am from the press thus had
escalated the level of service to a fine dining level. I was even given a
personal tour of the attached kitchen in the backyard.
Village Market of Jharkhand
Village Market of Jharkhand
Traditional Jharkhand Snacks – Dhuska & Alu Bora
Gaja, Malpua, Nimki & Motichur Ladoo
Enjoying a Good Tea Break
The Village Kitchen
I personally enjoy all these as this is the real deal when it comes
to road trip, one need to enjoy the environment and the situation as and
when it comes.
After a quick breakfast we proceed to our final destination Chaibasa.
Till now we were mostly in plateau region thus more or less there were
long stretches flat road with some occasional bumps but now it was time
to climb down to the plains.
Hirni Falls
The scenery had slowly turned from green cultivated lands to light
forest region. It is then that my father in law informed me about Hirni Falls
which is on the way and one needs to divert around 1 Km. to reach the
falls. The traveller that I am could never say no thus happily agreed to
go and visit the waterfall.
Heavy Forest Regions along the Way
Heavy Forest Regions along the Way
Diversion towards Hirni Falls
Hirni Falls – Parking Zone
Jharkhand is famous for its waterfalls and I have not seen all of
them thus adding one more to my list is always a good idea. One needs to
take a left turn from well-marked road which leads to the waterfalls.
There is a good paid parking arrangement and the parking assistant also
happily shows you the way to the waterfall.
Hirni Falls
Hirni Falls
Hirni Falls
The best part of Hirni Falls is that unlike most of the other
waterfalls in Jharkhand you do not have to climb a 1000 stairs or trek a
kilometre on jagged rock to reach it. It can be easily accessed by foot
and there are well marked concrete pathways leading to the base of the
waterfall and other small pools which naturally develop around the
falls.
Sind Bonga – The Worship Location for the Local Sarna Tribal Population
You can easily spend an hour out there, there are lots of butterflies
all around so if you are into nature photography you surely won’t be
disappointed.
Being autumn season the surroundings were full of Kash flower (Saccharum spontaneum) thus looked beautiful against the backdrop of Hirni Falls.
Flora and Fauna around Hirni Fallls
Family Enjoying the Beauty at Hirni Falls
Driving towards Chaibasa
This was a much needed break thus was real refreshing. With no more
stops planned it was straight to Chaibasa next. The next stretch of the
road is the most scenic as the plateau was ending and we were descending
to the plains. You get to see a beautiful view of the plains below.
View of the Hills
View of the Plains Below
This stretch of the road is filled with Custard Apple and one can
easily pluck them, my daughter was very excited to see this and wanted
to try a few but this was not the best season to have a ripe one thus we
could not taste straight from the natures basket.
Custard Apple Trees
Once you have reached the plains it took around forty five minutes
more to reach our final destination of Chaibasa. This was a short road
trip but with plenty of new experiences. Will soon be back with other
exiting blogs from the tribal town of Chaibasa.
Since I was quite small and cannot recollect all thus the key information have been provided by my parents.
The year 1986, the place Betla, my father in those days used to go
around different places across Easter India in a Mahindra Willys Jeep
with the canvas covering. All of a sudden my father and a group of close
friends of planned to visit Betla forest driving all the way from
Kolkata.
Kolkata to Betla
The plan was to drive from Kolkata -> Jamshedpur -> Netarhat -> Betla, night
halts had been planned at each of these locations. The group consisted
of my parents, my sister, myself, two friends of my father one
accompanied by his wife and our driver. So we were a total eight in
number in a very noisy and bumpy Willys Jeep.
My Father and Two of His Friends – My Sister on the Right
Somewhere
At Netarhat (My Father in Front, Sister behind Him, I Am Behind My
Sister with My Head Turned Sideways, My Mother in the Corner, Fathers
Friends in the Background)
Somewhere At Netarhat – My Father, Mother, Sister & Myself (In Mother’s Lap)
The journey from Kolkata to Jamshedpur was smooth followed by another
night halt at Netarhat. We had planned to reach Betla the next day by
early afternoon but when we arrived at the forest gate we were not
allowed inside as we required a permit from the Forest Department. To
get that permit we had to go all the way to Daltonganj, when we returned
back with the permit it was late evening and inside the forest it gets
dark early.
Note that in the 80’s there were very few visitors to Betla and basic
infrastructure was at its minimum. Electricity was non-existent and the
forest was much wilder and dangerous. We were allotted two room, our
family along with my father’s friend with his wife took the large room
while other two took the next room. The dining area was not attached and
one needed to walk a distance to reach it only with the help of
pressurised paraffin lamp (Petromax).
My mother was visibly upset that she had to spend the night inside a
forest with two young children and her fear reached a height when she
was told by the guards that often wild animals come outside the guest
rooms and one needs to keep the door locked shut at night.
Similar fear had already gripped into the minds of my father’s friend
and any slight sound in the distance brought fear in to all. After
finishing our dinner we headed straight back to our room and as informed
earlier by the guards we locked shut the door and went straight to bed.
We were on bed but sleep really did not come, we could hear every sound
that to amplified in the dead silence of night.
And then it all stated, suddenly there was a scratching on the door
as if someone was trying to come inside. All our fears were slowing
turning into reality and what the guard told us earlier about wild
animals roaming around the guest houses were falling into place. My
mother was dead sure it was a tiger that was roaming outside the room
and trying its luck to come in. Sleep was gone and it was only fear that
was in everyone’s mind.
An hour later there was a knock on the door and a shout, it was my
father’s friend and the driver who were staying in the other room, upon
opening the door fear could be clearly seen in his eyes. Some time back
they had the same scratching sound outside their door and they were so
fearful that he did not want to stay in his room and requested to join
us to spend the night together.
So we were all locked in a single room trying to spend the night with
definitely some wild animals around trying its best to get to us. Hours
ticked by and it seemed like a never ending night with no sight of the
rising sun. Finally it was early morning and we managed to catch some
sleep as we had a big day planned ahead, we were to go for a safari
inside the forest.
We finished our breakfast accompanied by a series of discussion over
dining table about the previous night’s experience. The guard again
confirmed that it’s not unusual for wild animals to roam outside the
guest houses at night.
My mother was still visibly shaken with the previous night’s
experience and was somewhat reluctant to go inside the forest for a
safari that too in a Willys Jeep which has very little protection
considering the fact that most of the vehicle is covered by canvas
cloth. The Jeep finally reached the watering hole and the guide informed
us that wild animals are often spotted in the early morning hours for a
drink.
My Father and His Friend Hiding Behind the Long Grass Inside Betla Forest
The pug marks around the watering hole was loud and clear to anyone
and seeing that my mother freaked out completely and wanted to return at
once. My father on the other hand was just the opposite and quietly
took me out of the Jeep to show me the watering hole. That was it for my
mother, she started howling and was somewhat convinced that a tiger
will leap out from behind the bush and snatch me away.
Somehow the safari was completed and my mother all the while hugged
me tight, just to ensure that the tiger would not be able to snatch me.
Betla National Park – 2015
Let’s fast forward by around thirty years and I was back to Betla along with a couple of friends during Holivacation for a Betla – Netarhat trip. The first part of the tour to Palamu (Betla) Fort was over and we were in a mood for a forest safari.
Nearly thirty years and many a things have changed, quite a few
tourists can be seen around the park entrance. I desperately wanted to
stay at the Forest Tree House inside the Betla forest but they were all
booked. I had to settle for Van Vihar which is undergoing major repairs.
Electrification has been done but still this location faces a lot of
power cuts thus have to always depend on diesel powered generators. You
are now required to buy a safari permit before entering the forest and a
guide is mandatory which needs to be paid separately, additionally you
need to pay for photography and videography. There is a fixed rate chart
outside the park gate which you can refer to for all the different
charges.
You also have the option now for an Elephant safari but for that you
need to book early and being a slow animal you get to see very little of
the forest. But if you have kids along with you I will definitely
recommend you to go for this as they will enjoy it to the max.
The main reason however as to why I wanted to go for this safari was
to see that famous illusive Betla tiger. I am sure in these thirty years
many tigers have come and gone but for once I wanted to see that cat
face to face. It was as if me telling the tigers of Betla forest that “I have come back, catch me if you can”.
Betla National Park – Entry Gate
Route Map from Hotel to Betla National Park Entry Gate
We had booked our safari jeep earlier and the driver was knocking at
our door at exactly 3.30 PM. Since we did not have Jeep or Sumo so we
could not take our Tata Indica inside and had to hire this Jeep, else
you can go on your own with a guide and park entry fee.
Entry Gate to Betla National Park
Official Rate Chart
Betla – Jeep Safari
Roads inside the Betla National Park
Betla National Park
Being a tropic forest Betla is quite dense but we were there in March
which is the beginning of the dry season thus much of the forest looked
brownish golden. If you come during or after the monsoon this forest
dramatically changes to lush green colour. We ask our guide to stop the
Jeep and turn off the engine so that we can feel the forest. And it was a
bliss, I could see trees and bushes all around, the silence was
defeating, only a chirp of a bird would break the monotony.
Some sections of the forest can be seen burnt down, this according to
the guide is done to control the growth of the forest on the marked
roads. The burnt out ashes also helps as an organic manure for the new
shrubs and plants that grow during the monsoon season.
Safari Jeep Inside Betla National Park
Some Burnt-out Patches inside the Betla National Park
Madhuchua Watch Tower
Finally we reach the famous Madhuchua Watch Tower
from here you get a good view of the forest from a vantage point. You
also get an excellent view of the equally famous watering hole where
animals usually come for a drink or two. And this is the same famous
watering hole where my mother freaked out on the possibility that a
tiger would leap out of the bush to snatch me.
Now I was no more a five year old, in my mid-thirties I am now more
lucrative for a hungry tiger to devour and enjoy my fat laden body.
Unfortunately the famous illusive Betla tiger was again missing today.
It’s as if it has understood that I have come and gone into hiding
somewhere deep inside the forest where the safari vehicle won’t take
you.
The watering hole was almost bone dry and the Elephant footprints
could be clearly made out. By March most of the watering holes dry up
and the animals usually move much inside the core forest where some
watering holes still hold water.
Madhuchua Watch Tower
Dried Up Water Hole
Elephant Footprints
Suddenly the driver of the Safari Jeep slams the brake, he asks us to
be quite and to look to the left. Initially I thought that it was a
domestic cow that had strayed inside the forest but suddenly I realise
that it’s not a cow but a juvenile Bison. Just when I thought it was a
single Bison I saw another head behind it and realised that they were a
pair of young Bison. The guide then turns our attention towards the
right where we could see the mother Bison well hidden behind the bush
but clearly keeping an eye on us as we were directly in-between the
mother and her young ones.
The guide requested us to stay vigilant and stay within the vehicle,
this warning did not stop us for venturing out of our jeep and take a
chance in photographing the Juvenile Bison at a close range. I did
manage to get quite a few close clicks but all these sudden movement
made them scared and they dashed out to reach their mother on the other
side. Luckily my camera was glued to my eye and could click a few while
on their dash.
The guide kept requesting us to get back into Jeep and not to take
risks like these, a full grown Bison has enough strength to overturn a
Jeep and when it feels that its young ones are threatened they can
resort to any means.
A Young Bison
Bison on the Run
A Young Bison
Seedha Pech Watchtower
There is another watchtower called Seedha Pech Watchtower
from here you can get a better view of the forest but the absence of a
watering hole will have its own disadvantage. On the positive side from
this watchtower you get a much longer view of the forest around you. If
you are serious about wildlife photography then I would definitely
recommend you to spend a couple of hours out here, you will definitely
see something.
Seedha Pech Watchtower
At a distance we suddenly spot a peacock, we ask our driver to switch
off his engine and then proceed on foot as slow and discreet possible.
Unfortunately I could not reach much closer before it got the hint of
our approach and quickly disappear into the bush behind. But before it
could vanish I could manage to click one shot.
Then we spotted this Langoor resting on a cut tree trunk, it was
watching us as if we were a part of a circus and he was a part of the
audience watching our desperate attempt to catch glimpse of the forests
residence. This guy sat and just did not move, even when I approached
it.
Peacock
Langoor
Next something completely bizarre happened to us, the road in front
of us was blocked by a fallen tree, the tree was already dead possibly
due to heavy termite infestation which had made its trunk weak and it
collapsed. Now we were in a fix because we had to return back and this
was the only way back else we have to completely take a detour which can
be a real long way back. Both the guide and the driver was somewhat
surprised as they informed us that they had come through this same route
two hours back and this wasn’t there.
It was looking somewhat Bollywood style where the goons deliberately
put road blocks in front of the jeep but in this case the goons were the
termites. The driver showed his quick skill and managed to navigate the
jeep around the fallen tree, this also gave us some additional time to
experience the forest on foot while the guide and driver was clearing
the path for the jeep to take a detour.
Road Block
Road Blocked By a Fallen Tree
Jeep Taking a Detour around the Fallen Tree
One thing you will definitely in abundance are the deer population
inside the forest, right at the entrance you will find plenty of them
and chances are there for them to come quite close to your vehicle.
Herds of Deer
Herds of Deer
As mentioned earlier you can also opt for the Elephant Safari but for
that you need to arrive at a fixed time else you will surely find them
booked. The shed for the elephants is just opposite to the main gate so
it’s highly possible to hear a few trumpets while standing outside the
main gate.
Elephants Used For Safari
Betla Tiger
Throughout the safari I only wished to spot a single tiger as it was
in the back of my mind the incident nearly thirty years back.
Unfortunately this time also I could not see a single tiger so I asked
our old guide if he has been able to spot the tiger recently.
Regretfully the old guide informed us that the tiger was actually
tracked and spotted behind the New Palamu Fort the previous evening at
around 5 PM and not only was it spotted but was involved in an attack on
a herd of livestock where it managed to kill a cow and take it away.
We were speechless and knew we were really close to it the previous
evening when we were there at the New Palamu Fort to photograph some
additional sections. We had taken unnecessary risk staying back till 6
PM the other day when we should have been back much earlier. You can
read that blog here https://subhadipindia.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/palamu-fort-a-close-encounter-with-a-tiger/
So this time also the tiger was scared to meet me face to face don’t
you all think so? Don’t worry I will be back again and this time I want
you to come along with me. And Mr. Tiger, you can run but can’t hide, so
keep running I will catch up with you.
Perhaps That Illusive Betla Tiger??? – photo.andinadigital.com (Creative Commons)
That’s me after Thirty Years inside Betla Forest – Courtesy Amitabha Gupta
Header Image Eye of the Tiger – sketchport Header Image Jeep Clipart – freeclipartnow
Some parts of this blog was already mentioned in my earlier blog
about my Betla – Netarhat trip but I have decided to write a separate
blog about Palamu or Betla forts since its importance is often not
recognized in the history of that particular region. But the main reason
for me to write this blog separately would be to tell you a fascinating
story of our encounter with a tiger. Do read the whole blog then you
would actually feel wehat we felt exactly.
Me and two of my friends decided do go for a short trip during the
March 2015 Holi vacation to Betla and Netarhat. This was planned to be
mainly a photography tour where we would spend the entire day just
walking around with our camera.
Even though it was March but it was still quite cold around Ranchi
and when the train arrived at the Ranchi station we could feel the chill
in the air. We first reached my in-law’s place where we freshened up
and were ready by 8.00 AM, luckily our designated vehicle also reached
on time ready to take us to our first destination Betla.
Ranchi to Betla Route Map
Route Map – Ranchi to Betla
We took the Ranchi -> Kuru -> Latehar -> Daltonganj
route to Betla. The journey was uneventful as such, we made numerous
stops to click photos en route. Latehar was bit scary as we could see
heavily armed Special Forces at every turn. This was due to the fact of
high insurgency activity in this particular district. We could see the
hesitation in the eyes of Aftab (our driver) as he kept repeatedly kept
telling us not to make so many unscheduled stops. Initially we decided
to have lunch at Latehar but it was quite early so we decided to have
tea at a road side Dhaba.
En Route to Betla – This Stretch Is At Kuru
Local Women with Their Daily Chores
Latehar
Latehar – The Trees Look Gold from the Afternoon Sun
Approaching Daltonganj
We took a left turn towards Betla once we reached Daltonganj. A big
gate welcomed us to Betla and after driving few kilometres we crossed
Kechki (confluence of North Koel and Auranga rivers). This meant that
our adventure has finally started as we are now within our travel plan.
We stopped by Kechki and took numerous photos of the bridge and its
surroundings.
Road Diversion – Betla to the Left and Daltonganj Town to the Right
This Gate Welcomes You to Betla
Kechki – Looking Towards North Koel from the Bridge
Kechki – Looking Towards North Koel
Van Vihar Hotel – Betla
After a twenty minute drive we finally reach Van Vihar Hotel at
Betla. The hotel was in the process of a makeover so we could still see
open electric wired etc. Flooring was done recently but the walls lacked
a fresh coat of paint. Even though all rooms were AC but we were warned
that since most of the time the facility will be run by generators thus
AC will not be operational. However we were surprised to see new bed,
blankets, LED television etc. in every room and all of them were
branded. I am sure in a year or so the entire hotel will get completely
modified.
By now we were hungry like tigers and quickly dumped our bags in our
room and went to the dining room. Lunch was simple with rice, daal,
potato fries and an option of egg curry or mixed vegetables. Post lunch
we decided to go to Betla fort. We had informed Aftab earlier so he was
ready to take us to our destination. To go to the fort you need to buy a
ticket from the Betla Forest office. They charge Rs. 150 per vehicle,
guide charges are additional and optional.
Hotel Van Vihar
Palamu Forts
Van Vihar Hotel to Palamu Forts
History of Palamu Fort
This portion has been taken from The Imperial Gazetteer of India – Volume 19 –
New edition, published under the authority of His Majesty’s secretary
of state for India in council. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1908-1931 [v. 1,
1909]
Page 337 & 338
The Imperial Gazetteer of India – Volume 19
Reliable history does not date back beyond 1603, when the Raksel
Rajputs were driven out by the Cheros under Bhagwant Rai, who took
advantage of the local Raja’s absence at a ceremony at Surguja to raise
the standard of revolt. The Chero dynasty lasted for nearly 200 years,
the most famous of the line being Medni Rai surnamed ‘the just,’ who
ruled from 1659 to 1672 and extended his Raj into Gaya, Hazaribag, and
Surguja.
The erection at Palamau of teh older of the two forts which form
the only places of historical interest in the District is ascribed to
him; the other, which was never completed, was begun by his son. These
Rajas apparently ruled as indipendent princess till between 1640 and
1660, when the Muhammadans made several attacks on them and forced them
to pay tribute. In the latter year occurred the attack on Palamau fort
and its capture by Daud Khan, which forms the subject of a large picture
(30 feet by 12) preserved by Daud’s descendants and described in detail
by Colonel Dalton in the Journal, Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1874.
In 1722 the ruling Raja, Ranjit Rai, was murdered, and Jay Kishan
Rai, descended from the younger son of a former Raja, was placed upon
the throne. A few years afterwards Jay Kishan was shot in skirmish, and
his family fled to Megra in Bihar. Here they took refuge with one Udwant
Ram, a Kanungo, who in 1770 took Gopal Rai, grandson of the murdered
Raja, to Patna and presented him to Captain Camac, the Government Agent,
as the rightful heir to the Palamau Raj. Captain Camac promised the
assistance of the British Government and, after defeating the troops of
the ruling Rajas gave a sanad for five years to Gopal Rai and two of his
cousins. From this time Palamau was included in the British District of
Ramgarh.
A year or two later, Gopal Rai was sentenced to imprisonment for
being concerned in the murder of the Kanungo who helped him to power. He
died in Patna in 1784, and in the same year died Basant Rai, who had
succeeded to the gaddi on his imprisonment. Churaman Rai succeeded; but
by 1813 he had become insolvent, and Palamau was sold for arrears of
revenue and bought in by the Government for the amount due. Three years
later old disturbances between the Kharwars and Cheros were renewed, and
Palamau was given to the Deo family in Gaya as a reward for their
services in helping to quell them.
Their regime, however, was unpopular, and in a year the country
was in open rebellion. So Government was again forced to take up the
management of the estate, giving the Deo family as compensation a
reduction of Rs. 3000 in the Bihar revenue payable on their estates in
Bihar. In 1832 the Kharwars and Cheros again broke out in rebellion, but
this rising was soon put down. There were not further troubles until
the Mutiny of 1857, when the Kharwars rose against their Rajput
landlords; and the mutineer of the Ramgarh Batatalion, taking refuge in
Palamau made common cause with Nilambar and Pitambar Sigh, the
malcontent landholders. The 26th Madras Native Infantry and a portion of
the Ramgarh Battalion which had remained loyal defeated the insurgents
at the Palamau forts. Nilambar and Pitambar Singh were taken prisoners
and hanged. In 1834 Palamau was included in the District of Lohardaga
(now Ranchi), and was only formed into a separate District in 1892.
Details of the Palamu Forts
This portion has been taken from Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1925 – 26
Page 30 & 31
Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1925 – 26
Further work was also taken on hand on the two old Chero Forts at
Palamu the Purana and the Naya Quila which date from the 17th century. A
description of these Forts and a brief note on their history has been
given in the report for the year 1922 – 23.
The forts are situated deep in the jungle of the forest reserve
and repair work that has to be done for their preservation in the
removal of the dense jungle growth that all but obstructs them.
Substantial progress to this end was made in the previous two years
against an estimate of Rs. 3557 but the work was far from complete and a
sum of Rs. 1579 against a further estimate of Rs 4281 was spent during
the year under review in constructing it. Great trees and thick jungle
have been cleared from the encircling walls of the two forts and from a
margin of some 10 feet along them both inside and out. Tall trees have
been cut down and the work in hand aims at the removal of the great
intertwining Pipal roots that spreads over and penetrate into them for
unless they are removed the jungle will only spread again.
The conservation of the fort walls generally will be limited to
the removal of this jungle for funds will not permit of their
constructional repair. The main gates with their outworks and enclosed
courts will however be kept up in sound structural condition. They are
an interesting example of the fortifications of this period and the
Nagpuri Gate of the New Fort has the further merit of being a
particularly fine example of Early Mughal architecture. It is sadly
ruined and almost everything but the actual archway itself has collapsed
but such as remains is well worthy of preservation. The elaborate
arabesques raised in relief of the outer facade of fine grained white
sand stone are exquisitely wrought and are comparable with some of the
best work at Agra.
The fall of the adjacent fabric has left exposed the outer
abutment of this archway and it is proposed to erect a buttress against
it fir its support.
Paths through the dense jungle in the interior of the forts have
been cut and it is now possible to approach the remains of the several
small palace buildings within the walls of the Old Fort. These buildings
are generally too badly ruined to repair and it is proposed merely to
keep them free of jungle and clear the debris from about them.
The Raja’s Kuchari on the New Fort is generally in better
condition and a few minor repairs will be put in had for its
preservation. A path cut through the thick jungle up the hill side to
the entrance of the New Fort has greatly facilitated access to it and it
is learned that the jungle clearance effected here has induced many
more people to visit the remains than formerly. It is of course
impossible to clear the whole area within the walls and no more will be
attempted than to maintain free of jungle the paths and margins that
have already been cleared.
The small brick mosque situated close to the breach made in the
wall of the Old Fort by the British in 1772 and through which one now
enters the fort is also being preserved and the broken parapets and roof
with its low triple dome are being made watertight and the undermined
walls repaired.
Old Palamu Fort (Purana Quila)
Panoramic View of Old Palamu Fort
Fort Walls and Tower As Seen From the Road
As you enter and go towards the forts you will first find the fort
atop a hill. This fort resembles quite like the Jailsalmer fort in terms
of its outer design structures. Initially the fort remains well hidden
behind tress but as you come closer you can feel the grandeur. It must
be noted that the fort area also comes under the extended Betla forest
so it’s not uncommon to see some wild animals around.
From Main Road This Narrow Passage Takes You Top to the old Fort
The fort is atop a small hill so you have to climb some steep
hillside. It can be made out that originally there were stairs carved
into the hill side but nature has taken its toll and most of them have
completely vanished. I must also warn that some portion of the climb are
pretty steep and very slippery.
Most Portion of the Road Are Like This Full Of Stones
Langurs You Will Find Them Everywhere
After about 15 minute climb we finally reached the main gate of the
fort. This place is infested with Langurs thus one needs to be careful
not to intimidate them. Avoid any direct confrontation with them as they
usually do not disturb any human population. Do not feed them as that
can cause more nuisance, if you feed one them whole group will come and
you might get surrounded. Secure your bags, sunglasses, cameras etc. as
these are easy snatching objects for the Langurs.
Main Entrance to the Fort
Visually this fort is stunning as one can feel as if you are transported back to the 16th
century and the trots of horses can be felt echoing in the distance.
People hardly visit this fort as we were the only ones roaming around.
Sometimes thought it felt bit eerie to find no other human soul around
you.
Once inside the fort you can see that the entire fort was well
fortified with very high and thick walls with watch towers in every
directions. These watch towers were very effective in watching advancing
army in the distance. This I also the very reason why the Cheros had
managed to repel so many attacks by the Mughal Generals.
This Portion Is Actually In-Between the Walls That Fortify the Fort
The Main Courtyard
The Main Courtyard
Walls inside the Fort
One of the Main Room Still Existing In the Fort
Interiors of the Room
Many portion of the fort have collapsed due to the complete lack of
maintenance thus you need to be very careful when navigating through the
broken stair cases.
We also spotted a temple in the highest point of the fort, the stones
covered in vermilion and the red flags suggest that the villagers still
pray here.
View from Top towards Betla Forest Range
Walkways On Top Of the Fortifying Walls
View of Auranga River from the Top of the Fort
The Centre of the Fort Completely In Shambles
Archway On Top Of the Fort Walls
Narrow Staircase Which Connects the Courtyard to the Top of the Fort
The whole fort complex is quite huge thus would suggest you give it
enough time ideally a day specifically for each of the fort if you are
seriously interested in history.
One needs to be extra careful when climbing down as there are high
chances of slipping. All three of us slipped at least once while
climbing down. Jokingly we called this incident “curse of the Cheros”.
Light and Shadow
Architecture of the Central Main Building
Entrance to the Main Building
Stairs Leading From the Main Building to the Roof
Tunnel to the Roof
The Red Flags Marking Some Holy Spot – Locals Still Pray Here
New Palamu Fort (Naya Quila)
Panoramic View of the New Fort
As you drive another 1000 feet you will reach second fort which is
mostly talked about and most of the Palamu Fort images on Google refer
to this.
On the left of the main entrance gate (Nagpuri Gate) you will find a
ruined mosque. I am assuming this was built after the conquest of Daud
Khan since its structure are much newer to that of the fort.
The main Nagouri Gate is a true architect’s delight, the Minakari
works can be still seen thus depicts the diversity of the Chero rulers
in incorporation of architectural styles from across the country.
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Meenakari Design on the Nagpuri Gate
Mosque – North of the Nagpuri Gate
The main gate had huge wooden doors but are missing now, the hinge
position can still be seen and one needs to assume the enormity of the
entire structure.
Holding Area after the Nagpuri Gate
Once inside you come to the first holding area, on the left wall
there is a small doorway that leads to the watch towers. One needs to
assume that these were used by the soldiers to defend the fort when it
came under attack.
Mosque in the Courtyard
Interior of the Mosque
On the right you will find the entrance to the main courtyard of the
fort. Surprisingly you will find another small mosque here. Looking at
the position of this structure you can safely assume that this was built
later as this particular structure is not in sync with the overall
design of the fort. In most probability this was built after the
conquest by Daud Khan.
Interior of the Mosque
Moving forward you will find the water well as described in the
history books this was done to keep the fort self-sufficient so that
during war there would not be any problem of accessing fresh water.
Most of the walls surrounding the fort have either fallen down or
dangerously tilted thus one needs to be extra careful when moving
around. Another nuisance is that of wild plants and grass growing all
around, there is a constant threat of snakes and wild animals also. The
next day we were told that a tiger had been spotted by the villages
behind the fort and it had attacked a herd of cows. Keep stomping your
feet and carry a stick around. During the rainy season I am sure most
portion will become inaccessible due to the growth of wild plants.
One of the Water Well
Inside of the Water Well
It will take some energy to climb the steeper section of the southern
part of the fort but the climb is worth it considering that you will
get some of the most fantastic views from here. You can also get a
panoramic view of the Fort on top of the hill.
This fort will also take some considerable time to see through thus
it’s recommended to give it a day if you really like old torn down
structures with architectural value.
Second Gate inside the Fort
Design on the Wall
Second Well Inside the Fort
Passage Leading To the Watch Towers
Most Portions of the Watchtower Have Fallen Off
Remaining Watch Towers
Stairs Leading to the Top of Nagpuri Gate
Structures above Nagpuri Gate
Interconnecting Passages On Top Of the Fort Walls
Interconnecting Passages On Top Of the Fort Walls
View of the First Fort from the Second Fort
Many of the Broken Structures
A Two Storied Structure Still Standing Within the Fort
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
An Unidentified Piece of Stone within the Two Stored Structure
By now it was late evening and the sun was setting behind the hills
but we kept going around the fort as we were completely mesmerized by
its sheer magnanimity completely forgetting about the fact that the fort
is completely secluded and quite far from the hotel. To top it we were
actually in the middle of the Betla forest which encompasses the two
forts.
Years of neglect meant that the foliage inside the fort have grown
quite dense and a presence of wild animal between them can never be
ruled out. At a distance we could see our driver sitting quietly inside
the car with all the window rolled up, visibly he was really scared to
be alone out there.
We were actually not satisfied and wanted to stay a bit longer in
order to complete photographing some more portions of the fort but
decided to call it a day and come back the next day. When we finally
reached our vehicle we could see the fear in Aftab’s eyes, he just
uttered “Chaliya Sir…. Yahan pay khatra hai… aas paas dekhiye koi nahi hai. Yeh jungle hai… kuch bhi ho sakta hai.” Sir lets go, there is danger out here, this is a jungle and anything can happen. We simply started laughing at him but he was not buying into our causal approach.
Tiger at Betla Fort
Next day we decided to have a guided safari inside Betla forest and
did our booking at the main gate where we were allotted an old guide. He
was able to show us quite a few animals and birds but unfortunately
could not show us the famous illusive tiger of the Betla forest. We had
photographed all of them and wanted desperately to photograph a tiger at
the Betla forest. Regretfully the old guide informed us that the tiger
was actually tracked and spotted behind the New Palamu Fort the previous
evening at around 5 PM and not only was it spotted but was involved in
an attack on a herd of livestock where it managed to kill a cow and take
it away.
We were speechless and knew we were really close to it the previous
evening and we had taken unnecessary risk staying back till 6 PM the
other day when we should have been back much earlier. In fact we were
planning to take some shots of the fort from the back of the Palamu Fort
to get an overall view. We were all alone last evening and in that
dense shrubs inside the fort even an Elephant could have hidden inside
without us noticing and for a tiger we could have been a perfect kill.
This meant that while we were still hanging around the fort last
evening and making fun of our driver the tiger was busy looking for an
easy catch and I would have been the perfect candidate, I am sure I
would not have been able to out run the cat and my friends would have
managed to get a really good viral video for YouTube. We were actually
lucky not to see the tiger else I would not have been writing this blog
today. This was not a close encounter with a tiger but more of a close
encounter of a different kind….
Don’t worry readers, next time I sill definitely shoot the tiger… I mean click the tigers photograph for you.
Jharkhand Tourism Helpline :- 18003456571
Hotel Information :-
Betla Van Vihar (Jharkhand Tourism) 94303 76275 (Ranjit Singh)
Rs. 900 for AC Double Bed + Tax. Extra Person Rs. 200. Tax and Extra Person payable at hotel
Betla National Park = 0 KM Palamu Fort = 5 KM Kechki = 10 KM Barwadih Temple = 15 KM Suga Bandh = 60 KM Lodh Falls = 101 KM Tatha Hot Water Spring = 35 KM Mandal Dam = 45 KM
Netarhat
Sunset Point = 10 KM Sunrise Point = 0 KM Pine Forest = 2 KM Nashpati Garden = 3 KM
Car Booking :-
Sumo Sjiraz – 99050 47974
Tata Indica Aftab – 82298 36263 (Rs. 700 per day + Rs. 200 Driver Allowance OR food for the driver + Fuel*) * Fuel @ Non AC 12 Kilometres per Litre OR AC 10 Kilometres per Litre
It is becoming somewhat of a tradition to go on photography
tour during Holi vacation. Last year it was Khajuraho and we desperately
wanted to go somewhere this year also. We had shortlisted Betla –
Netarhat circuit or Murshidabad – Baharampur. Our first preference was
always Betla – Netarhat but in the back of our mind we were aware that
the biggest challenge we might face during Holi vacation will be that of
hotel booking. Specially in Betla and Netarhat the best lodging
facility was only with Jharkhand Tourism hotels and booking them was a
bit difficult than that any other generic hotel.
The only hitch in my plan was the cost factor, it would be bit
expensive for two person to travel to Betla – Netarhat since almost all
part of the journey would have to be done by a private car since no
organized local transports were available.
In the meantime a colleague of mine Sudipto also showed interest in
joining along with us for Betla – Netarhat trip. This was good
considering the overall cost per person would be much less as all
generic expense would be divided amongst three. I met Sudipto and
Amitabha at a book shop to get well acquainted and finalize the plan.
Together we decided to go to Betla – Netarhat and squeeze in Maromar on
the way. We would hire a car from Ranchi to take us to all our
destinations. We would depart on 4th of March Wednesday and return on
9th of March, it would be a three nights and four days trip.
The next part of the plan was to book the hotel, we went to Camac
Street office of Jharkhand Tourism for that. The office boy was very
helpful and handed us the rate chart for all the hotels. We booked a
double bedded room with triple occupancy both at Betla and Netarhat. The
charges were Rs. 900 per day and Rs. 200 additional for the extra
occupancy. 12.5 % tax will also be levied but the tax amount and the
extra occupancy money needs to be directly paid at the hotel.
Once the hotel booking were done now came the time to book our train
tickets. Now came the real problem, being Holi all train tickets were
booked. Howrah – Hatia Express had 90 + Waiting List. Being quite late I
decided to try my age old trick of split journey. We booked Howrah to
Asansol Agnibina Express which departs at 6.10 PM from Howrah and
reaches Asansol by 10 PM. From Asansol we booked Vananchal Express to
Ranchi. Return tickets were booked on Hatia – Howarah Express.
The journey starts
As per our plan our journey would start on 4thof March evening, the
next day being Holi there was a small celebration in our office in the
evening so me and my colleague Sudipto managed to sneak out early.
Amitabha would be directly reaching the station from his house. We took a
bus to Babu Ghat and took a Launch (boat) across Hoogly River. It was
quite crowded as most people were returning home for Holi vacation.
All three met below the famous old clock at Howrah station, the
station was extremely crowded but managed to board Agnibina Express.
Luckily we had our seats booked so had no difficulty. We reached Asansol
station at around 10.20 PM and decided to have our dinner at the Rail
Canteen.
Adventure starts early
After our dinner we headed to platform no 2 where the train was
expected. The platform was full of people heading back home for Holi.
Before our train arrival Gangasagar Express came to the same platform
and all hell broke loose, almost everyone on the platform started
rushing into any compartment that was available in front of them. Be it
reserved or unreserved they were full to the brim. Almost every
compartment had some sort of fist fight going on to grab a seat. We were
shocked and my friend was speechless and I could see the fear in his
eyes. He was presuming the same fate for our train also.
Luckily when our train came we were relieved to see the train
absolutely normal with our reserved berth available. We were assuming
the worse but thankfully we were saved from the mayhem.
We reach Ranchi
We reached Ranchi the next morning at 5 AM and the moment we got out
we felt the chill in the air. It was colder than the winter we face in
Kolkata. Luckily all of us had packed in warm clothes and we were well
equipped to face the cold.
We took an auto from outside the station to first reach my In Law’s
house to freshen up. The house is right behind MS Dhoni’s house at Harmu
so navigating was quite easy for the Auto driver and within ten minutes
we were at our destination. We took bath and freshened up as the car
was scheduled to arrive at 8 AM so we diced to have our breakfast also.
Exactly at 8 AM our designated car Tata Indica arrived with our
driver Aftab. We were comforted to the fact that he was a young guy in
his thirties so it would be a good company. The first thing that we did
was to fill up the tank so that it was ensured that we will not face an
empty tank during our journey. The car was also recently worked on in
details so the car was at the peak of it performance.
Route Map – Ranchi to Betla
En Route to Betla – This Stretch Is At Kuru
Local Women with Their Daily Chores
Latehar
Latehar – The Trees Look Gold from the Afternoon Sun
Approaching Daltonganj
Chai Break
We took a left turn towards Betla once we reached Daltonganj. A big
gate welcomed us to Betla and after driving few kilometres we crossed
Kechki (confluence of North Koel and Auranga rivers). This meant that
our adventure has finally started as we are now within our travel plan.
We stopped by Kechki and took numerous photos of the bridge and its
surroundings.
Road Diversion – Betla to the Left and Daltonganj Town to the Right
This Gate Welcomes You to Betla
Kechki – Looking Towards North Koel from the Bridge
Kechki – Looking Towards North Koel
After a twenty minute drive we finally reach Van Vihar Hotel at
Betla. The hotel was in the process of a makeover so we could still see
open electric wired etc. Flooring was done recently but the walls lacked
a fresh coat of paint. Even though all rooms were AC but we were warned
that since most of the time the facility will be run by generators thus
AC will not be operational. However we were surprised to see new bed,
blankets, LED television etc. in every room and all of them were
branded. I am sure in a year or so the entire hotel will get completely
modified.
Hotel Van Vihar
By now we were hungry like tigers and quickly dumped our bags in our
room and went to the dining room. Lunch was simple with rice, daal,
potato fries and an option of egg curry or mixed vegetables. Post lunch
we decided to go to Betla fort. We had informed Aftab earlier so he was
ready to take us to our destination. To go to the fort you need to buy a
ticket from the Betla Forest office. They charge Rs. 150 per vehicle,
guide charges are additional and optional.
Palamu Fort
Van Vihar Hotel to Palamu Forts
History
This portion has been taken from The Imperial Gazetteer of India –
Volume 19New edition, published under the authority of His Majesty’s
secretary of state for India in council. Oxford, Clarendon Press,
1908-1931 [v. 1, 1909]
Page 337 & 338
Reliable history does not date back beyond 1603, when the Raksel
Rajputs were driven out by the Cheros under Bhagwant Rai, who took
advantage of the local Raja’s absence at a ceremony at Surguja to raise
the standard of revolt. The Chero dynasty lasted for nearly 200 years,
the most famous of the line being Medni Rai surnamed ‘the just,’ who
ruled from 1659 to 1672 and extended his Raj into Gaya, Hazaribag, and
Surguja.
The erection at Palamau of teh older of the two forts which form the
only places of historical interest in the District is ascribed to him;
the other, which was never completed, was begun by his son. These Rajas
apparently ruled as indipendent princess till between 1640 and 1660,
when the Muhammadans made several attacks on them and forced them to pay
tribute. In the latter year occurred the attack on Palamau fort and its
capture by Daud Khan, which forms the subject of a large picture (30
feet by 12) preserved by Daud’s descendants and described in detail by
Colonel Dalton in the Journal, Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1874.
In 1722 the ruling Raja, Ranjit Rai, was murdered, and Jay Kishan
Rai, descended from the younger son of a former Raja, was placed upon
the throne. A few years afterwards Jay Kishan was shot in skirmish, and
his family fled to Megra in Bihar. Here they took refuge with one Udwant
Ram, a Kanungo, who in 1770 took Gopal Rai, grandson of the murdered
Raja, to Patna and presented him to Captain Camac, the Government Agent,
as the rightful heir to the Palamau Raj. Captain Camac promised the
assistance of the British Government and, after defeating the troops of
the ruling Rajas gave a sanad for five years to Gopal Rai and two of his
cousins. From this time Palamau was included in the British District of
Ramgarh.
A year or two later, Gopal Rai was sentenced to imprisonment for
being concerned in the murder of the Kanungowho helped him to power. He
died in Patna in 1784, and in the same year died Basant Rai, who had
succeeded to the gaddi on his imprisonment. Churaman Rai succeeded; but
by 1813 he had become insolvent, and Palamau was sold for arrears of
revenue and bought in by the Government for the amount due. Three years
later old disturbances between the Kharwars and Cheros were renewed, and
Palamau was given to the Deo family in Gaya as a reward for their
services in helping to quell them.
Their regime, however, was unpopular, and in a year the country was
in open rebellion. So Government was again forced to take up the
management of the estate, giving the Deo family as compensation a
reduction of Rs. 3000 in the Bihar revenue payable on their estates in
Bihar. In 1832 the Kharwars and Cheros again broke out in rebellion, but
this rising was soon put down. There were not further troubles until
the Mutiny of 1857, when the Kharwars rose against their Rajput
landlords; and the mutineer of the Ramgarh Batatalion, taking refuge in
Palamau made common cause with Nilambar and Pitambar Sigh, the
malcontent landholders. The 26th Madras Native Infantry and a portion of
the Ramgarh Battalion which had remained loyal defeated the insurgents
at the Palamau forts. Nilambar and Pitambar Singh were taken prisoners
and hanged. In 1834 Palamau was included in the District of Lohardaga
(now Ranchi), and was only formed into a separate District in 1892.
Some Details of the Forts
This portion has been taken from Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1925 – 26
Page 30 & 31
Further work was also taken on hand on the two old Chero Forts at
Palamu the Purana and the Naya Quila which date from the 17th century. A
description of these Forts and a brief note on their history has been
given in the report for the year 1922 – 23.
The forts are situated deep in the jungle of the forest reserve and
repair work that has to be done for their preservation in the removal of
the dense jungle growth that all but obstructs them. Substantial
progress to this end was made in the previous two years against an
estimate of Rs. 3557 but the work was far from complete and a sum of Rs.
1579 against a further estimate of Rs 4281 was spent during the year
under review in constructing it. Great trees and thick jungle have been
cleared from the encircling walls of the two forts and from a margin of
some 10 feet along them both inside and out. Tall trees have been cut
down and the work in hand aims at the removal of the great intertwining
Pipal roots that spreads over and penetrate into them for unless they
are removed the jungle will only spread again.
The conservation of the fort walls generally will be limited to the
removal of this jungle for funds will not permit of their constructional
repair. The main gates with their outworks and enclosed courts will
however be kept up in sound structural condition. They are an
interesting example of the fortifications of this period and the Nagpuri
Gate of the New Fort has the further merit of being a particularly fine
example of Early Mughal architecture. It is sadly ruined and almost
everything but the actual archway itself has collapsed but such as
remains is well worthy of preservation. The elaborate arabesques raised
in relief of the outer facade of fine grained white sand stone are
exquisitely wrought and are comparable with some of the best work at
Agra.
The fall of the adjacent fabric has left exposed the outer abutment
of this archway and it is proposed to erect a buttress against it fir
its support.
Paths through the dense jungle in the interior of the forts have been
cut and it is now possible to approach the remains of the several small
palace buildings within the walls of the Old Fort. These buildings are
generally too badly ruined to repair and it is proposed merely to keep
them free of jungle and clear the debris from about them.
The Raja’s Kuchari on the New Fort is generally in better condition
and a few minor repairs will be put in had for its preservation. A path
cut through the thick jungle up the hill side to the entrance of the New
Fort has greatly facilitated access to it and it is learned that the
jungle clearance effected here has induced many more people to visit the
remains than formerly. It is of course impossible to clear the whole
area within the walls and no more will be attempted than to maintain
free of jungle the paths and margins that have already been cleared.
The small brick mosque situated close to the breach made in the wall
of the Old Fort by the British in 1772 and through which one now enters
the fort is also being preserved and the broken parapets and roof with
its low triple dome are being made watertight and the undermined walls
repaired.
Old Palamu Fort (Purana Quila)
Fort Walls and Tower As Seen From the Road
Panoramic View of Old Palamu Fort
As you enter and go towards the forts you will first find the fort
atop a hill. This fort resembles quite like the Jailsalmer fort in terms
of its outer design structures. Initially the fort remains well hidden
behind tress but as you come closer you can feel the grandeur. It must
be noted that the fort area also comes under the extended Betla forest
so it’s not uncommon to see some wild animals around.
The fort is atop a small hill so you have to climb some steep
hillside. It can be made out that originally there were stairs carved
into the hill side but nature has taken its toll and most of them have
completely vanished. I must also warn that some portion of the climb are
pretty steep and very slippery.
From Main Road This Narrow Passage Takes You Top to the Fort
Most Portion of the Road Are Like This Full Of Stones
After about 15 minute climb we finally reached the main gate of the
fort. This place is infested with Langurs thus one needs to be careful
not to intimidate them. Avoid any direct confrontation with them as they
usually do not disturb any human population. Do not feed them as that
can cause more nuisance, if you feed one them whole group will come and
you might get surrounded. Secure your bags, sunglasses, cameras etc. as
these are easy snatching objects for the Langurs.
Langurs You Will Find Them Everywhere
Main Entrance to the Fort
Visually this fort is stunning as one can feel as if you are
transported back to the 16th century and the trots of horses can be felt
echoing in the distance. People hardly visit this fort as we were the
only ones roaming around. Sometimes thought it felt bit eerie to find no
other human soul around you.
Once inside the fort you can see that the entire fort was well
fortified with very high and thick walls with watch towers in every
directions. These watch towers were very effective in watching advancing
army in the distance. This I also the very reason why the Cheros had
managed to repel so many attacks by the Mughal Generals.
This Portion Is Actually In-Between the Walls That Fortify the Fort
The Main Courtyard
The Main Courtyard
Walls inside the Fort
One of the Main Room Still Existing In the Fort
Interiors of the Room
View from Top towards Betla Forest Range
Walkways On Top Of the Fortifying Walls
View of Auranga River from the Top of the Fort
The Centre of the Fort Completely In Shambles
Archway On Top Of the Fort Walls
Narrow Staircase Which Connects the Courtyard to the Top of the Fort
The whole fort complex is quite huge thus would suggest you give it
enough time ideally a day specifically for each of the fort if you are
seriously interested in history.
One needs to be extra careful when climbing down as there are high
chances of slipping. All three of us slipped at least once while
climbing down. Jokingly we called this incident “curse of the Cheros”.
Light and Shadow
Architecture of the Central Main Building
Entrance to the Main Building
Stairs Leading From the Main Building to the Roof
Tunnel to the Roof
The Red Flags Marking Some Holy Spot – Locals Still Pray Here
New Palamu Fort (Naya Quila)
Panoramic View of the New Fort
As you drive another 1000 feet you will reach second fort which is
mostly talked about and most of the Palamu Fort images on Google refer
to this.
On the left of the main entrance gate (Nagpuri Gate) you will find a
ruined mosque. I am assuming this was built after the conquest of Daud
Khan since its structure are much newer to that of the fort.
The main Nagopuri Gate is a true architect’s delight, the Minakari
works can be still seen thus depicts the diversity of the Chero rulers
in incorporation of architectural styles from across the country.
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Nagpuri Gate – Entrance to the Old Fort
Meenakari Design on the Nagpuri Gate
Mosque – North of the Nagpuri Gate
The main gate had huge wooden doors but are missing now, the hinge
position can still be seen and one needs to assume the enormity of the
entire structure.
Once inside you come to the first holding area, on the left wall
there is a small doorway that leads to the watch towers. One needs to
assume that these were used by the soldiers to defend the fort when it
came under attack.
On the right you will find the entrance to the main courtyard of the
fort. Surprisingly you will find another small mosque here. Looking at
the position of this structure you can safely assume that this was built
later as this particular structure is not in sync with the overall
design of the fort. In most probability this was built after the
conquest by Daud Khan.
Holding Area after the Nagpuri Gate
Mosque in the Courtyard
Interior of the Mosque
Interior of the Mosque
One of the Water Well
Inside of the Water Well
It will take some energy to climb the steeper section of the southern
part of the fort but the climb is worth it considering that you will
get some of the most fantastic views from here. You can also get a
panoramic view of the Fort on top of the hill.
This fort will also take some considerable time to see through thus
it’s recommended to give it a day if you really like old torn down
structures with architectural value.
Second Gate inside the Fort
Design on the Wall
Second Well Inside the Fort
Passage Leading To the Watch Towers
Most Portions of the Watchtower Have Fallen Off
Remaining Watch Towers
Stairs Leading to the Top of Nagpuri Gate
Structures above Nagpuri Gate
Interconnecting Passages On Top Of the Fort Walls
Interconnecting Passages On Top Of the Fort Walls
View of the First Fort from the Second Fort
Busy Shooting
Many of the Broken Structures
A Two Storied Structure Still Standing Within the Fort
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
Interiors of the Two Storied Structure
An Unidentified Piece of Stone within the Two Stored Structure
By now it was evening and it was time to return to our hotel .We were
the only group of tourist and driver Aftab was visible worried. When
asked he confirmed that he did not fear wild animals but feared the
“Bade Bhaiyas” more. By this he meant the local insurgents who still
dominates this territory.
BY 6 PM the entire locality has shut down so it’s advisable to buy
anything from local much before that. Anyways you get very basic items
in the shop so it’s recommended to carry snacks etc. along with you from
Ranchi.
Dinner at the hotel was served at 9.30 PM and we had the option of
rice, daal, potato fry, mixed vegetable and chicken curry. Additionally
you can also pre order evening snacks but for that you have to give them
enough time to get it prepared.
We say Hello! To Koel…and Auranga
Betla to Kechki
The next morning we diced to visit Kechki which was just around 10
Km. from the hotel, though we had already visited it while entering
Betla but we could not see the confluence of the North Koel – Auranga
rivers.
One needs to take a detour from the main road and cross railway gate
in order to reach the banks of the river. There is a Forest Rest House
near the banks which has recently been renovated and can provide a very
scenic view of the confluence.
A Diversion from the Main Road Takes You towards the River Banks
Rain Gate before You Approach Kechki
Goods Train Crossing
The Famous Kechki Forest Rest House
Bee Hives Are Everywhere
Kechki Looking Towards Auranga River
Kechki Looking Towards North Koel
Kechki
A Temple on the Banks of Kechki
The Missing Bridge Do Not Stop People from Crossing by Foot
The Hill Climb
Route map from Betla to Barwadih
After this we had light breakfast and decided to go to Barwadih which
is around 15 Km. from here. There is a famous temple atop a hill
overlooking the town and it’s famous for a Swayambhu deity of Ganesha.
One needs to climb quite a few stairs in order to reach the temple.
The bonus is a full panoramic view of Barwadih town. Inside the temple
you can see the Swayambhu deity of Ganesha. According to the locals
there used to be an old temple surrounding the Ganesha but the temple
now is being completely rebuilt.
Steps Leading Up To the Temple
View of Barwadih Town from the Hill
Riots of Colour Surrounding the Hill
Newly Built Temple around the Deity
Swayambhu Deity of Ganesha
Barwadih town is quite unique, this is perhaps few places in the
country where I have seen a Church and Mosque side by side in a town
which is famous for its temple.
Being Holi we saw some children’s enjoying the festivity. However we
were bit scared and did not dare to venture out of our vehicle fearing
that our cameras would get damaged.
Church on the Left and Mosque on the Right
Children’s Enjoying Holi
Children’s Enjoying Holi
We had our lunch at Van Vihar hotel since no other options were
available, due to Holi the entire place was almost empty. Post lunch we
watched India – West Indies Cricket World Cup match as we had decided to
go to the BETLA safari in the evening and we had time to kill.
Its Game Time
Route Map from Hotel to Betla National Park Entry Gate
We had booked our safari jeep earlier and the driver was knocking at
our door at exactly 3.30 PM. Since we did not have Jeep or Sumo so we
could not take our Tata Indica inside and had to hire this Jeep, else
you can go on your own with a guide and park entry fee. Additionally you
need to purchase ticket for each camera that you carry but with a small
tip to the guide you can ignore this, he will hide the cameras below
the seat while entering and exiting.
Once inside the park we could see herd’s deer running around, we
instructed our driver to take us directly to the core jungle and he did
oblige. We also went to the two watch towers. Being early summer the
water holes were dry and we could only see the foot marks of various
animals.
We were luck to spot a mother Bison along with her young ones, this
was the first time that I had seen bison from such close distance. The
only regret was that we could not spot Tiger and Leopard which the
earlier safari team had spotted. Apart from this we spotted Peacock,
wild birds etc.
BETLA also has the option for Elephant Safari but we did not avail
that as the distance covered by Elephants are much smaller. This is
however a must if you have children with you, they will enjoy the ride
all along.
Entry Gate to Betla National Park
Official Rate Chart
Roads inside the Betla National Park
Betla National Park
Safari Jeep Inside Betla National Park
Madhuchua Watch Tower
Dried Up Water Hole
Elephant Footprints
Roads inside the Betla National Park
A Young Bison
Bison
Bison
Seedha Pech Watchtower
Peacock
Langur
Road Blocked By a Fallen Tree
Herds of Deer
Herds of Deer
Elephants Used For Safari
Bye Betla, Welcome Maromar
Betla to Maromar
Next morning we decided to proceed towards Maromar forest which falls
on the way between Betla and Netarhat. Initially we planned to spend a
night at Maromar Forest Rest House but we were told that at present it’s
under renovation. It’s a must to stay here since the forest here is
dramatically different from Betla. The forest is much denser and much
greener in this part. However it is also to be noted that this part of
the forest is also notorious for high insurgent activity thus limited
stops are recommended.
Roads around Maromar
Roads around Maromar
Spotted This Sheep Herder in Maromar
Maromar
North Koel at Garu
North Koel at Garu
Water Falls from Waterfall
Our driver reported low air pressure on the right rear tyre thus we
stopped over at Garu for repairs, we also had our breakfast in one of
the village shops. We were welcomed and had the best breakfast of the
trip, followed by hot freshly prepared Bundi ka Ladoo.
Hot Bundi Ka Ladoo Being Prepared
We went towards Mahuadanr and from there towards Chatakpur which took
us towards Lodh falls. The roads become quite narrow at stretches and
often you may think that you have come the wrong way. After driving
nearly half an hour through these stretches you finally reach Lodh
Falls. It is recommended that you come right after the monsoon season to
see the might waterfall at its best.
Take Right to visit Sugga Bandh
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Lodh Falls
Netarhat Here We Come
Lodh Falls to Netarhat
We proceed towards Netarhat hoping to reach there by lunchtime. The
scenery starts to change slowly and we soon find ourselves climbing up
hill. We miss a critical turn towards Netarhat and unknowingly proceed
towards Ranchi. Luckily I spot the milestone where the Km for Ranchi was
decreasing slowly and make an about turn back towards the turn. We
reach Netarhat Prabhat Vihar Hotel at around 2.45 PM and quickly have
our lunch. The food menu here is similar to that of Betla so we were not
much surprised.
Farmland in the Flats
Aftab Checking Up His Car at Netarhat
Gate Marking the Entrance to Netarhat
At Netarhat you must see Sunset and Sunrise, it’s a real treat to
your eyes. We drove towards the Sunset point which is around 5 Km from
the hotel. The roads are very nice and properly marked.
Prabhat Vihar Hotel at Netarhat
View From Prabhat Vihar Balcony
The Rooms Inside
Water, Water Everywhere
As we were going our eyes got locked into a blue watery body, we were
not aware of this as it was not in our list of destination. We asked
Aftab to stop and ran towards the lake locally known as Badka Bandh. We
saw some local boys pelting stone at an object, as we approached we were
warned by them to be careful. Its then we realized that they were
trying to chase away a large snake that had recently ingested some large
prey and was busy basking in the evening sun. We were terrified and
started walking slowly, its then we realized that the entire lake area
is infested with various types of snakes and that’s the main reason why
tourist usually avoid it. However if possible it’s recommended to stop
by this lake even from a distance and appreciate its beauty.
You need to drive for another fifteen minutes before you finally
reach the Sunset Point but before that you will pass through some of the
most visually stunning landscape of Netarhat. With Pine trees covering
the sides this part of the land looks like a piece of heaven on earth.
Badka Bandh
Badka Bandh
Locals Chasing a Snake
Checkered Keelback (Xenochrophs Piscator)*
Thanks to Mayur Shinde for identifying the snake correctly
Sun Goes Down
By the time we reach Sunset Point it was already filled up with a
huge contingent of tourists. This place has good facility in terms of
seating arrangements with shade and some sculptures which beautify the
viewing point. We decided to be a bit different and climbed up a
scaffold structure which was being used to construct another seating
area. We managed to use the bamboo pole as a support and climbed up.
After a while Sudipto alerted us that he was constantly feeling a shake
which implies that the structure was not stable and the weight of three
of us was too much for it. We quickly climbed down and positioned
ourselves in a secluded corner with a clear view of the hills ahead.
What we got next is a real magic of nature, I witnessed the most
beautiful sunset I have even seen from a hill station, and I just cannot
describe it by words alone.
We had a quick dinner and went to bed early as we had to wake up
early the next morning to see the Sunrise. Luckily the sunrise point of
Netarhat is just twenty meters from our hotel so we need not take our
vehicle.
On Way to Sunset Point
On Way to Sunset Point
Sunset at Netarhat
Sunset at Netarhat
Sunset at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
At around midnight Sudipto woke up with a sudden tooth ache, a quick
round of Crocin, Disprin and a dosage of Antacid came to the rescue and
with an hour the pain was much subsided. Could not sleep much after this
so just had a quick nap. Woke up around 4.30 AM and went to the terrace
of the hotel to see the sun come up.
Just as the sunset was spectacular, similarly the sunrise was equally
brilliant. Various colours lit up the sky like a canvas with oil paint.
We wanted to depart early as there were nothing else to see so we
were ready by 8 AM, Aftab was also ready to take us to the next leg of
the journey.
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Sunrise at Netarhat
Just One Minute from Here
Route Map to Pine Forest and Nashpati Garden
There were few places we wanted to see at Netarhat before heading
towards Ranchi, among them we had shortlisted Naspati (Pear) Garden,
Pine Forest, Ghagri Falls and Palamu Daak Bunglow. Naspati Garden was an
easy find as we were instructed that it’s behind the lake so we took a
road that leads to the back of the lake and with fine minutes we were in
Naspati Garden. The garden smelt sweet and was in full bloom with white
flowers and bees all over them.
Going Towards Nashpati Garden
Nashpati (Pear) Flower
Nashpati (Pear) Garden
Nashpati (Pear) Garden
Our next destination was Upper Ghagri Falls so we asked some locals
about the directions, we were instructed to drive ahead and take the
first left turn which would take us to Ghagri Falls. Till now we have
not yet realized the great mistake that we have done. Aftab drove as
instructed and we reached the road diversion and took the left as
instructed. After driving a kilometre or so we found the roads getting
denser and the road vanishing under the heaps of leaf. Aftab warned us
that we might be going in the wrong direction and might head straight to
the den of insurgents. We did not pay much attention to this as we just
wanted to go to Ghagri Falls. After driving more than nine kilometres I
had a gut feeling that we were now lost in a complete dense jungle with
no road sign and that too is a complete danger zone. I immediately
asked Aftab to stop and turn back, Aftab by now was shivering with fear
and was constantly saying prayer.
Wrong Turn into Dense Forest
Wrong Turn into Dense Forest
Wrong Turn into Dense Forest
Wrong Turn into Dense Forest
Aftab made a quick turn around, I could see that he was right in his
fear, the dry leaves were creating a slipper surface which was making
navigation extremely difficult. As we turned back I saw a writing on the
hill side written in red on a large stone “Jungle Hamari Hai, Iska
Raksha Karengay” which translates to “Jungle is our land, we will
protect it”. The next nine kilometres back to where we started were like
a very long drive. My fear was that of Land Mines below the cover of
dead leaves, this I had not shared with others. Once we reached back to
the main village we were somewhat relived.
Then came the madness navigation, we kept asking every passer-by and
remarkably each of them gave a different direction to Upper Ghagri
Falls. Some said one kilometre while the other said five, finally we
asked a group of Specaial Forces personnel and they warned us not to
venture there as it’s unsafe at that moment due to an ongoing
patrolling. Additionally they warned us not to go towards the left
(where we just came back from) as it’s absolutely a no go zone. Aftab on
hearing this was more shocked and prayed once more that he was back to
safety.
We did not tell them anything and decided to abandon our plan for
Ghagri Falls and instead go to Pine Forest. This place was just opposite
to Nashpati Garden thus was easy to navigate.
Pine Tree
Pine Tree
Pine Cone with Sapling
Pine Forest
After this we decided to end our journey with a final stop to the
famous Palamu Daak Bunglow. We desparately wanted to stay here but
somehow we could not manage to get a booking.
Pine Forest
Palamu Daak Bunglow
The Final Chapter
Finally we bid goodbye to Netarhat and started our long journey back
to Ranchi. We stopped at Chipri on the way to have brunch. We were all
tired and wanted to reach Ranchi as soon as possible. It took around
three and a half hour to reach Ranchi where we rested at my in law’s
house for some time since our return train was at 9.45 PM (Hatia –
Howrah).Had dinner at the station and took the train back to Kolkata.
Netarhat to Ranchi
Brunch at Chipri
Thus concluded my journey “In the land of the Red”, the colour red
signifies the soil, the Palash and the daily struggles of the people of
this land. This journey has come to an end but notmy story, wait for my
next adventure.
Sudipto, Subhadip & Amitabha
Jharkhand Tourism Helpline :-
18003456571
Betla Hotel Information
Van Vihar (Jharkhand Tourism) – 94303 76275 (Ranjit Singh)
Rs. 900 for AC Double Bed + Tax. Extra Person Rs. 200. Tax and Extra Person payable at hotel
Betla Betla National Park = 0 KM Palamu Fort = 5 KM Kechki = 10 KM Barwadih Temple = 15 KM Suga Bandh = 60 KM Lodh Falls = 101 KM Tatha Hot Water Spring = 35 KM Mandal Dam = 45 KM
Netarhat Sunset Point = 10 KM Sunrise Point = 0 KM Pine Forest = 2 KM Nashpati Garden = 3 KM
I got married in 2007 and I was somewhat lucky as my wife was from
the state of Jharkhand. This meant that I have to keep travelling to and
fro from Kolkata to Ranchi. Jharkhand as a state is quite diverse, you
will find hills waterfall, temples, castles, fort, forest etc. and every
opportunity I had to visit my in laws I managed to sneak one or two
short trips. This time I am going to talk about a small town called
Chaibasa. This place is quite near to Kolkata and happens to be also
where my father in law’s original paternal home. In fact his mother (my
grandmother in law) is still alive and we do visit her once every year.
This trip report comprises of three visits which I have combined as one
for the ease of readers.
Chaibasa is a city and a municipality in West Singhbhum district in
the state of Jharkhand, India. Chaibasa is the district headquarters of
West Singhbhum district. Predominantly it’s in the Tribal (Munda) belt
of Chota Nagpur region. The landscape has both forest and hills thus
making Chaibasa a scenic town.
Mining, Cement, Steel are the main industry which is dependent on
this town thus even though this is a small town still it’s well
developed. You can get almost anything in and around the town from
various shops.
First time I had visited Chaibasa in the month of November 2007 since
me and my wife had to visit my grandmother in law to seek her blessings
as she could not attend our wedding due to her old age. We could have
taken a direct train from Kolkata (Howrah – Barbil Jan Shatabdi) but
decided to go via Ghatshila since my cousin stays at Ghatshila and we
could stop over to meet them as well as to freshen up. We hired a Sumo
(Jeep) which will go via Jadugora (famous for Uranium mining) to
Chaibasa. The route was very scenic with hills and forest all around us,
however in 2007 the roads at some spots were almost missing which made
the ride a little bumpy sometimes.
Subarnarekha River at Ghatshila
Road from Ghatshila to Tata Nagar
Hills of Jadugora
Jadugora mining of Uranium – Dump site
River near Jadugora
River near Jadugora
Tata Nagar crossing – turning towards Chaibasa
Damaged bridge – Traffic slows down a lot here
Some portion of the road is completely damaged
Entering Chaibasa
We had started at around 10 AM from Ghatshila and we reached
Chaibasa at around 1 PM. Being a new son in law I was greeted with all
sorts of rituals which I enjoyed a lot. After our lunch we were resting
in the garden and discussing with my father in law about the town and
what tourist spots it has, its then that my father in law informed me
about a place called Lupungutu. This place according to him has a
natural spring and what makes it different from any other spring is that
the water flows out of tree roots. Now I got more interested and
enquired about the distance, my father in law got up and told me to get
inside the car as he will drive us to Lupungutu since it was just 15 –
20 minute drive from Chaibasa.
Lupungutu
He was right and with 20 minutes we were at Lupungutu, the land where
the water flows from the trees. This place is having around 10 – 12
trees in a circular pattern and the natural spring water indeed flows
from the tree roots. Even though the weather was bit cold considering it
was late November but remarkably the water was quite warm since it was
underground water. I hesitated to taste the water but my father in law
encouraged to give it a sip. The waster was sweet to taste and by now I
had drank enough to quench my thirst.
Lupungutu natural spring
Lupungutu natural spring – Water flows freely from tree roots
Lupungutu natural spring – Water takes its own course through leaves
Lupungutu natural spring – looks like a small waterfall
Lupungutu natural spring
Let me fast forward it to August 2014. By now I was a father of a
naughty 5 year old daughter and my grandmother in law was still alive
but her hearing ability had substantially decreased. I had travelled to
Chaibasa along with my family to attend the Barka Kutumbh ceremony of my
brother in law (Nilesh). Barka Kutumbh is the pre wedding ceremony
wherein the girl’s family visits the boy’s family home for the first
time along with close relative and ties the turban around the Groom’s
head symbolizing the acceptance of the new relation.
The ceremony took place in the morning followed by a lunch which was
attended by more than four hundred guests. By mid-afternoon the skies
turned dark grey and it started pouring, luckily by that time all the
ceremonies were over and most of the guest had left. With nothing else
to do I asked Smita (my wife) is she wanted to go to Lupungutu. Rianna
our daughter had never seen that place and I wanted her to see the water
sprouting out of tree roots. We also asked our close friend Aerbin to
come along with us. As we were about to leave Nilesh my brother in law
also wanted to join us. Thus all five of us set out for Lupungutu.
Smita & Rianna enjoying a splash at Lupungutu
The trees around Lupungutu – Water flows from these trunks & root
Since it had rained Lupungutu was at its best with water spring from
different spots. A quick 10 minute walk takes you to the banks of Roro
River which flows near to Lupungutu.
Walking towards Roro River from Lupungutu
Stone canyon around Roro River
Roro River
Roro River – Children’s from nearby boarding school enjoying a splash
Roro River – Children’s from nearby boarding school enjoying a splash
Saranda Forest
Apart from Lupungutu, Chaibasa is also known from its forest and hills.
Chaibasa is surrounded by Saranda forest thus there is a huge bio
diversity. In March 2013 I went to Chaibasa to attend my wife’s cousins
wedding and after the wedding ceremony the next day I went for a bike
ride along with few of Smita’s cousins. We went to Jubilee Lake and
around the town outskirts.
Saranda forest
Saranda forest
Saranda forest
Chameleon
Flora of Chaibasa
Fauna of Chaibasa
Wild Mushrooms
Jubilee Lake
Jubilee Lake
GEL Church
How to reach Chaibasa
Chaibasa is a station on the southbound line to Orissa from
Rajkharsawn on the Tatanagar–Bilaspur section of Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai
line. Nearest airport is Jamshedpur which is 60 Km. from Chaibasa.
Ranchi is 145 km away from Chaibasa. From Kolkata take 12021 Howrah –
Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express which departs at 6.25 AM and reached
Chaibasa at 10.56 AM. Return train* will be 12022 which departs at 3.39
PM from Chaibasa and reached Howrah at 8.50 PM. *
Chaibasa station has smaller platform and the return
train has reserved compartment for Chaibasa quota at the end which
usually falls outside the station platform. It is advised to board the
last compartment which is accessible from the station platform and then
use the train compartment vestibule to reach the last compartment.
Where to stay in Chaibasa
Akash Hotel Chawla Super Market, Near Central Bank Of India, Sadar Bazar Chaibasa – 833201, Chaibasa Contact No:06582-256488
Annapurna Hotel Near Chaibasa Bus Stand, Sadar Bazar Chaibasa – 833201, Chaibasa Contact No:06582-256720
Hiring A Car in Chaibasa
Sai Travels F S Tower, Chaibasa HO, Chaibasa – 833201, Near Rungta House Contact No:6582-258936, 94701 99117
Tourist attractions in and around Chaibasa
Lupungutu Roro River Jubilee Lake (Kachari Talab) Rungta Garden Roro Dam Clock house Shahid Park GEL Church
No idea is simple when you need to plant it in somebody else’s mind.
This line from the movie Inception sums it all up for what I am going
to write. Well unlike the movie this was not planted in my dreams but
came to me while I was wide awake and eating breakfast.
It was 16th of December 2014 and I was invited along with
my family for a breakfast at my in-law’s neighbour’s house. I was served
bread toast with butter as this was favourite breakfast menu. The
breads were crisp and brown with a thick layer of molten butter on top. I
was busy enjoying the bites when I realized that the bread crumbs were
falling on the carpet below so I decided to spread out the morning
newspaper around the plate.
On the second bite when I looked down to keep down the bread and grab
some tea I saw a news clip that was just laid in front of me. I stopped
eating and immediately picked up the newspaper to read the content. It
was a Hindi news daily called Prabhat Khabar and this article was just
in front of my face like a read beacon. Hindi was my second language so I
could manage to read the entire content though a bit slowly and I was
already roaming around this magical mystical place just like the movie
Inception. I took my mobile phone and clicked some snaps of the news
article so that I can re-read it in details later.
The newspaper clipping from Prabhat Khabar
By now it was New Year 2015 and I was still planning the trip to this
mystical place called Doisagarh. My wife Smita wanted to visit her
father during the extended Republic Day 2015 weekend, 23rd of January is celebrated in Bengal as Netaji Jayanti so her school will be off from 23rd till 26th of
January at a stretch. Same applies for my daughter’s school so I
decided to utilize this somewhat long gap for an opportunity to visit
Doisagarh.
(Navratangarh) Doisagarh is located in Gumla district of Jharkhand
and is not much far from the capital city of Ranchi thus my calculation
with the help of Google Map was around 1.5 hours of drive each way.
Smita wanted her father to come along so that it will be a good change
for him also and added advantage would be that he loves to do long
drives and would be thrilled to drive us in his car. Smita called up her
father and informed about the plan and as I had guessed he was very
eager to come along.
Since we were travelling to Ranchi so we could not think of missing
out meeting our common friend Aerbin who had also accompanied us to
North Sikkim trip thus a quick chat on WhatsApp confirmed his
availability during that time and he also agreed to come along. Since
Aerbin is also an avid biker so he was aware of the route thus would be
an asset to help my father in law navigate.
We took the Howrah – Hatia Express train from Howrah station on 22nd of
January. We booked the ticket late thus our tickets were RAC
(Reservation against cancellation) but I had received a confirmation SMS
from IRCTC about our confirmation along with the coach and the berth.
On occupying the mentioned berth I was approached by another passenger
claiming that the berth occupied by me we his. I was surprised since he
was carrying a paper ticket with the berth mentioned. He also informed
that he was a Railways employee and the seat I was occupying was a Rail
Employee Quota. Confusion continued for a minute or so as I was trying
to log into IRCTC from my mobile to re check. Right at that moment I
received another SMS from IRCTC confirming that the reservation chart
has been re done due to technical error and followed by the new berth
number. Luckily I was assigned a different seat in the same coach thus
we could easily relocate.
The departure time was around 10.10 PM and the drain departed with a
15 minute delay. The journey was uneventful except the biting cold at
night. The train reached Ranchi station at the scheduled time of 7 AM
the next day. My father in law was waiting for us at the station and
after navigating amongst the 1000 passengers all cramping to cross to
the e xit using a single walk over bridge we reached the parking lot.
We had no travel plans for 23rd as there was a prayer
service arranged in the memory of my mother in law thus we had planned
for the adventure the next day on 24th of January. Aerbin had
confirmed that he would reach our house by 9 AM the next day so that we
can plan for a departure at approximately 9.30 AM. That night I sat
with my father in law mapping out routes on the map. The route planned
will be as following :-
Ranchi -> Nagri -> Bero -> Bharno -> Sisai
From Sisai we would have to take a left turn towards (Navratangarh) Doisagarh.
Route map from Ranchi to (Navratangarh) Doisagarh via Sisai
24th morning came and I was excited with the anticipation that my dream would become true soon. Smita prepared some stuffed parathas to
carry during the journey. My father in law also packed some fresh
banana that were ripe in his garden. Aerbin arrived at around 9.20 AM
and we were all set for the departure. As my father in law was about to
start the car the self-start was not getting activated. I was fully
prepared to push the car to start but my father in law reconfirmed that
the battery was new and fully charged. It was just a loose contact so on
the second try the car started like a hot knife through butter and was
ready for the journey ahead.
The roads were smooth as such occasionally there were few pot holes
on the way. All around Ranchi I could see new infrastructure projects
coming up. This was a good sign as the state needs to develop a lot and
very quickly. What struck me was that most of the bridge and over passes
were half completed across the stretch. Most of these projects were
left half done and were the main cause of traffic congestion.
Going towards Sisai
Going towards Sisai – Small houses, yet very colourful
Varied landscape
We drove through beautiful landscapes with farm land and some barren red
soil landscapes. It was a ride that I enjoyed with the cool breeze and
the warm sun above. We reached Sisai and now had to turn left somewhere,
this job was left to Aerbin for him to figure out and after a quick
enquiry with the locals we were told to take the very next left turn.
Till now the road was well paved but as we took the left turn the roads
almost vanished and were we driving in half paved roads.
Canyon made from soil erosion en route from Sisai towards (Navratangarh) Doisagarh
Canyon made from soil erosion en route from Sisai towards (Navratangarh) Doisagarh
After driving around 10 – 12 kilometres we decided to ask for further
direction since I was almost certain that we were somewhere nearby. I
could see two villagers standing ahead, one was well dressed and the
other looked old and had an axe in his hand. I Advised Aerbin to ask the
well-dressed man as he looked more appropriate. Aerbin quickly went out
and asked him, this well-dressed guy looked stunned and could not give
us any direction when Aerbin showed him the new paper article to confirm
if any such structured are around he still could not give us any clue.
Aerbin asking for direction
Just at that moment the other man who looked like he just returned from
the nearby forest after gathering firewood took the piece of paper in
his hand and gave us the nod that he knew where it was. He directed us
to take the small almost hidden road in between the bushes and trees. We
thanks him and moved on. We all laughed since the man who we almost
thought was negligible was more informed.
The narrow road takes you towards (Navratangarh) Doisagarh
The road takes sharp turn between the woods
After taking a right turn we entered a narrow passage and slowly the
road became smaller and smaller. After some sharp twists and turn
finally we arrived at a gate and beyond the gate Behold… lies (Navratangarh) Doisagarh… the lost kingdom of the Nagvangshis. Since there was no one at the gate we drove the car inside and parked in a shade.
The main structure of Navratangarh
The whole surrounding area were full of ruins and almost looked
identical to that of Hampi of Karnataka. There were around 10 to 12
identifiable structures all around the place. Some were still standing
and some almost down to the ground. The centre piece was the 4 storied
structure which stood out. There was also a large pond like structure
right in the middle. Almost green in colour there was still some water
in the pond.
Terracotta Structure 1
Ruin Terracotta Structure 2
Stone Structure 1
Water tank at the centre
The whole area is spread over between 25 – 28 acres. As per a news
reported by The Telegraph the structures are made up of Dhobi Math,
Wakil Math, Panch Math and Hamam Math. Some other structures are
unidentifiable. There are approximately 10-12 monuments and countless
artifacts.
We found some local women attending to their cows and I approached
them to ask if they knew what this place was. Unfortunately they had no
clue what they were standing on, only they could tell me that the main
four storied structure was actually six storied and the rest of the two
are still below the ground.
Locals giving us their point of view
We went inside the main four… I mean six storied structure and it did
show some signs that there can be two more level buried under the
ground. Basically the entire structure was created with clay and stone
and there were still some sign that wood might have been used. The
stairs inside the structure had collapsed so there was no way for us to
climb up. The locals have placed a bamboo pole to climb up but since I
am not that athletic thus decided against it.
Inside of the main structure. A massive section of the ceiling is missing
Staircase within the main structure. Most of has completely vanished
Visible upper floor of the main structure
The whole are remains hidden from the main road because of the perfect
placement of the structures with the natural stone hills all around it.
This may have been done purposely since the Nagvanshis were escaping the
Mughals and had settled here, by looking at the whole place I am sure
hundreds of years back this place were surrounded by thick forest which
also acted as a natural barrier along with the surrounding hills.
Black stone hills surrounding the entire area
On enquiring the locals had also informed that there are some more such
structures a bit far from that place. I would imagine that those must
have been other extensions to the kingdom. What they could show me were
small stone structures in the far hills which I assume that it must have
been a lookout tower or temples. I wanted to visit these structures
also but was informed by the locals that there are no roads as such and
one needs to walk in-between the bushes and then climb up a steep hill.
Some structures are out of them main area, like this one on top of the hill
There other structures also and most of them resembled some kind of
temple. Since the deity were missing thus could not determine to whom
the temples were dedicated to. Amongst the ruins there was also a well
but now it was filled with stones and gravels.
Terracotta Ruin 2
Stone ruin 3
A big courtyard type structure mostly made of Terracotta and lime
Stone archway
Terracotta and Lime temple, there is no deity inside the temple
Terracotta ruin 4
Terracotta ruin 5
Terracotta ruin 6
Roof structure of terracotta ruin 6
What is striking is the design of the structures. Some of them were
terracotta design while some were carved out of stone. The whole area
did not follow a single pattern which indicated that this place had been
built over the years thus the difference in style.
Stone Temple front view
Stone Temple Side view
The only inscription that could be identified was in one of the stone
temples which was in ruins abut some written text could be identified.
It looked like Sanskrit but unfortunately I still cannot find anyone who
could translate the exact text. The date written in Devnagri Script
which makes the structure 833 years old if taken into consideration the
Indian Hindi Calendar.
Inscription within the temple
A hunting scene is depicted within the walls
Carved Stone Deer
Rianna by now was running around and since there was no other people
around she had the whole history wither as her friend. My father in law
was truly amazed by the whole setting and was much surprised that this
place being such near to Ranchi he had never heard of it. Aerbin is a
photo addict just like me so was busy clicking whatever he could set his
eyes on. Smita as usual was very enthusiastic and even climbed up one
of the structures just to get a better view.
Rianna enjoying the History
Smita taking deep interest in the terracotta structure
Smita, Rianna, Niral (Father in law) & Aerbin
We roamed around for more than an hour and by now the sun was right
above our heads. We headed back to our car like victorious warriors. By
now the mouse in our stomachs had also started dancing so it was picnic
time. Alu Parathas , Chips, Banana, Cake etc. were out from the bag and was much enjoyed.
Picnic time
Rianna enjoying some chips
Smita munching away Alu Parathas
After the short food break we again roamed for around thirty minutes and
then headed back to Ranchi. On our way back we stopped at a small
village snack shop for some true urban nomad experience. Next day was
Saraswati Puja so the local sweet shop was preparing Jalebisand other sweet items. We settles for some pakorasserved with tomato chutni. They tasted really yummy and we gobbled down three plates full of them.
A food stall in the village market
Hot Pakoras with tomato Chutni
Village Vegetable Market
On our way back we also stopped at a local vegetable market where we
picked up some fresh produce so that we can have that for dinner. We
reached back to Ranchi by 3.30 PM and was real tiered, rested for some
time and then discussed the whole experience over a cup of tea while
relaxing on the sofa. Like an explorer back from finding a new land I
declared that this was just the icing on top of the cake. We will embark
on more such journeys this whole year and rest cheered accepting the
challenge.
So dear friends’ thanks for being with me in my journey of words will
meet again with another adventure someplace else. By the way do suggest
me some more obscure tourist spots like these.
Some FAQ
Time taken by car from Ranchi to Doisagarh = 1 hour 45 minutes (each way thus around 3.5 hours of travelling)
Hotels (staying) = Only in Ranchi or in Gumla no hotels in and around Sisai
Hotels (food) = Some at Sisai but basic food
Security issues = None as such but would suggest to visit during daylight and avoid late evenings
Food & Water= Carry your own snack, specially water since at the site nothing is available
NAGVANSHIS OF CHOTANAGPUR
The name Nagpur is probably taken from Nagavanshis, who ruled in
this part. Chota (Hindi-छोटा) is a corruption of the word Chhutia
(Hindi-छूटिया), a village in the outskirts of Ranchi, which has the
remains of an old fort belonging to the Nagavanshis. The first Nagvanshi
ruler was Phani Mukut Rai born in 64 AD. He was the adopted son of
Madra Munda, the Partha Raja of Sutiambe. It is said that when Phani
Mukut Rai was found near a tank as a newborn, a hooded kobra (Nag) was
protecting him. Perhaps this was the reason why he and his successors
were called the Nagvanshis. Phani Mukut Rai ruled from 83AD to 162 AD.
Nagvanshis ruled over Chhotanagpur plateau in India for close to two
thousand years, from the 1st century to 1951 when the Zamindari was
abolished.This would put the Nagvanshis among the top dynasties that
ruled the longest in the world, which include the Dulo clan in Bulgaria,
The Imperial House of Japan and Hong Bang dynasty of Korea.
NAGVANSHIS OF CHOTANAGPUR UNDER MUGHAL PERIOD
In ‘Akbarnama’ the region of Chhotanagpur is described as Jharkhand
(Jangal Pradesh). The Jharkhand region was famous by another name
Khukhra during the Mughal period which was famous for its Diamonds.
Akbar was informed of a rebel Afghan sardar, Junaid Kararani, was taking
shelter in Chotanagpur. Besides, the emperor also got information of
diamonds being found in this area. Consequently, Akbar ordered Shahbaz
Khan Turbani to attack Kokhra (the then seat of Nagvanshi kings and
capital of Chotanagpur). At that time Raja Madhu Singh, the 42nd
Nagvanshi king was ruling at Kokhra. Consequently Kokhra was subdued by
the armies of Akbar and a sum of rupees six thousand was fixed as its
annual revenues payable to the Mughals. Till the reign of Akbar,
Chotanagpur had not come under the suzerainty of the Mughals and the
Nagvanshi rulers had been ruling over this region as independent
rulers.
By the advent of the reign of Jahangir, Nagvanshi Raja Durjan Sal had
come to power in Chotanagpur. He refused to pay the rent fixed by the
Emperor Akbar. Jahangir ordered Ibrahim Khan (governor of Bihar) to
attack Kokhra.
The details of this invasion are mentioned in Jahangir’s memoirs,
Tuzk-e-Jahangiri. There was also another reason behind the invasion.
This was the acquisition of the diamonds found in the bed of the river
Sankh in the region. Due to its diamonds Chotanagpur was also known as
Heera Nagpur and its Raja Durjan Sal, being an expert of diamonds, was
known as Heera Raja among the people. Thus to subdue the Raja of
Chotanagpur and to acquire valuable diamonds, Jahangir decided to invade
chotanagpur. On getting orders from the emperor, Ibrahim Khan marched
against Kokhra in 1615 AD.
He entered the Nagvanshi territories easily with the help of his
guides. The Nagvanshi Raja Durjan Sal found himself beleaguered himself
within the hills and vales. He fled and was at last found in a cave with
some of his family members. He was arrested and all diamonds which were
in the possession of Durjan Sal and his family were captured by Ibrahim
Khan. Twenty four elephants also fell into the hands of Ibrahim Khan.
After this, Kokhara was subdued and the diamonds found there were sent
to the Imperial court. After his defeat and arrest, Durjan Sal offered
as ransom jewels, gold and silver to the value of crores of rupees, but
Ibrahim Khan did not release him and took him as a captive to Patna.
From there he was sent to the Imperial court and subsequently imprisoned
in the fort of Gwalior.
According to Nagvanshi traditions and Col. Dalton, Raja Durjan Sal’s
confinement lasted twelve years. Ultimately, the very diamonds which had
caused the misfortune of Durjan Sal secured him his release and former
prosperity. It so happened that from some place, two very large diamonds
were brought to Emperor Jahangir’s court. A doubt arose in the mind of
the Emperor over the genuineness of one of them.
As no one in his court was able to confirm or relieve his suspicion,
the Heera Raja was brought to the Imperial court from his incarceration.
When the two diamonds were brought before him, he without any
hesitation pointed out the fake one. To prove it to the court and the
Emperor, he requested two rams to be brought to the court. He then tied
the two diamonds on the horns of the two rams and made them fight each
other. As a result of the fight, the fake diamond shattered but there
was no scratch on the pure one.
The Emperor was so impressed and pleased with Durjan Sal that he not
only released him but also restored the prosperity taken from him in
addition to his kingdom. The generous Durjan Sal further begged the
Emperor to release the other Rajas who had been his companions in prison
and his prayer was granted. Being pleased with Durjan Sal, Jahangir
conferred the title of ‘Shah’ on the Kokhra ruler.
On his return to Chotanagpur, Durjan Sal assumed the title of
Maharaja and changed his surname. Most probably from that time ‘Shah’
was added with the names of the Nagvanshi kings. The reign of Durjan Sal
lasted for about thirteen years. He died in 1639 or 1640 AD.
The director making a cameo appearance
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Places Where Red Ant Chutney is Available
Red Ant Chutney Zone (Parts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha & West Bengal)
Chaibasa also happens to be the place where my father in law actually
grew up and his mother still resides there along with my aunt’s in law.
I have visited Chaibasa several times after my marriage but
unfortunately always been there at the wrong time when the little red
ants were not being sold in the local village market. This year however I
had made it a point that I will definitely taste demta chutney and thus
planned my vacation to Chaibasa accordingly.
Buying The Red Ants
This time I had done my homework and already knew that the illusive
red ants were already being sold in the market for the last couple of
days, these are mainly sold by the villagers who collect them from the
forests around Chaibasa. They also happen to speak Mundari which is one of the tribal language from this part of Chotanagpur Plateau
and my father in law speaks this language fluently so this time I
dragged him in the mid-day heat to search the market for the red ant
seller.
Along with me my wife Smita and our daughter Rianna was also with me
in this adventure. Initially we could not find any one selling demta and
I had almost given up when my wife asked a local vegetable seller in
the market and she in turn pointed us to the fish and meat section of
the market where these red ants are usually sold.
Local Market at Chaibasa – Women Selling Paan Leaves
Local Market at Chaibasa – Local Liquor (Hadia) Shop
Local Market at Chaibasa – Women Fruits and Seeds
We go to the designated section and its then Smita spots an old lady
selling these red creatures. She was selling demta on leaf for Rs. 10,
we decided to buy all the four leaf that was there for sale, its then I
realised that she has a metal pitcher where she has more of these. I try
to ask her the way to prepare them but she could not understand me,
it’s then my father in law steps in and asks her in Mundari about the
way its prepared. She informs us that the ants, larva & eggs can be
eaten raw directly but the preferred choice of the villagers is with
salt and lots of chillies.
Red Ants, Red Ant Larva & Red Ant Eggs Being Sold
Woman Selling Red Ants in Chaibasa, Jharkhand
Seeing my curiosity the old lady gives me some raw ants and larva to
taste, since I had already made up my mind to taste these I had no
inhibition and tried a mouth full. It was extremely sour, may be a
hundred times more than a raw tamarind. This sourness is due to the
presence of Formic Acid, something which the locals claim to have medicinal properties.
Red Ants, Red Ant Larva & Red Ant Eggs
Making Chutney Out Of The Red Ants
We decided to head back home with the red ants and make a chutney out
of it, luckily my grandmother in law is somewhat and expert in this and
on seeing our catch her eyes lit up. She is well above ninety and can
hardly hear properly still her excitement could not be controlled, she
took the onus on herself and cleaned the red ants by separating unwanted
particles from the red ants and larva. She knew the full recipe which
she dictated to Smita and accordingly the chutney was prepared.
My Grand Mother in Law Cleaning the Catch
My Grand Mother in Law Cleaning the Catch
steps for making Red Ant Chutney
Clean the ants, eggs and larva by separating them from any unwanted particles
Wash them and drain out the water
Add fresh tomato, garlic and chillies to the mix and make a paste with mortar and pestle (Use a Mixer/Grinder alternatively)
Heat
little oil in a pan and add chopped onions, once brown in colour add
the mix and give it a light toss, dry the mix in the heat and you are
done
Making Paste of the Red Ants Along With Salt, Garlic, Tomatoes & Chillies
Making Paste of the Red Ants Along With Salt, Garlic, Tomatoes & Chillies
Frying the Paste in Oil Along With Chopped Onions
Alternately you can just make a paste of ants, salt and chillies to
have something much quicker if you want to avoid the above process. The
local as mentioned earlier eat them only with salt which I would suggest
you must try to get the real feel.
So next time you are in the tribal villages of Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh or Odisha remember to try this unique red ant chutney. In
my next blog I will tell you through visuals an exotic tribal lunch, so
keep reading my blog and bon appétit.
Red Ant Chutney
स्टील सिटी जमशेदपुर में
जमशेदपुर जाने का कोई प्रोग्राम पहले से नहीं था लेकिन जब पता चला कि कुछ
लोग बाहर जा रहे हैं कॉलेज के विज्ञापन के लिए तो मैंने भी अपना नाम लिखवा
दिया और जमशेदपुर जाने का कार्यक्रम बन गया ! दो बातें एक साथ हो गयीं ! एक
तो कॉलेज का काम हो गया दूसरा मेरा जमशेदपुर देखने और घूमने का मौका भी
तैयार हो गया ! जैसे ही प्रोग्राम फाइनल हुआ , मैंने अपने मित्र सुशील शर्मा और ब्लॉगर मित्र श्री जवाहर सिंह जी
को तुरंत सूचित कर दिया ! उन्हें सूचित करने के तुरंत बाद का काम था कि
ट्रेन में टिकेट देखा जाए , और मिला भी ! इधर से जब देखा कि जम्मू तवी से
टाटा नगर ( जमशेदपुर ) जाने वाली मुरी एक्सप्रेस में स्लीपर क्लास में
अलीगढ से 17 सीट उपलन्ध हैं , तुरंत आरक्षण करा लिया ! असल में मैं जब
अमृतसर से जनवरी में लौटा था तो इस ट्रेन ने हमें बिलकुल ठीक समय पर
गाजियाबाद उतार दिया था इसलिए यही सोचा था कि ये बेहतर रहेगी लेकिन आखिर
में ये अति आत्मविश्वास ले डूबा और ये ट्रेन टाटानगर पहुँचते पहुँचते 10
घंटे लेट हो गयी ! खैर ! ये अच्छा रहा कि लौटने के लिए इस ट्रेन को वरीयता
नहीं दी , उधर से हमें आरक्षण मिला ओडिशा से आने वाली ओडिशा सम्पर्क
क्रांति एक्सप्रेस में !
11 अप्रैल को सुबह 5 :30 बजे की ट्रेन मुरी एक्सप्रैस पकड़नी थी तो इसका
मतलब था कि मुझे कम से कम 4 बजे जागना पड़ता , और इतनी जल्दी मैं शायद साल
दो साल में एक दो बार ही जग पाता होऊंगा , पक्का था कि मैं नहीं जग सकता
इतनी जल्दी ! इसलिए बेग़म साहिबा को कह दिया कि मुझे ठीक 4 बजे फोन करें !
ससुर साब को भी कहा कि मुझे 4 बजे फोन करके जगा दें ! मकान मालिक को भी
कहा कि दरवाजे पर आकर खटखट कर दें और कहें कि योगी अब जग जा , 4 बज गए !
आप सोच रहे होंगे , अजीब बेवकूफ है ! इतने सारे लोगों से कहने की क्या
जरुरत थी , अलार्म लगा देता ! असल में मुझे अलार्म कभी जगा ही नहीं पाता !
वो शायद मेरे लिए नहीं है ! हाँ अगर कोई 2-3 बार फोन कर दे तो तुरंत बैठ
जाता हूँ और फिर जाग भी जाता हूँ ! आलस बड़ी चीज है !
खैर जैसा कि अक्सर होता है जागते जागते 4 की जगह साढ़े चार बज गए ! लेकिन ये
भी होता है कि जब समय कम होता है तो काम स्पीड से भी होता है और वही हुआ !
ठीक 5 बजे तैयार और ऑटो वाले को फोन किया कि आजा भैया , मैं तैयार हूँ !
पाँच
बजकर 10 मिनट पर गाज़ियाबाद स्टेशन पर पहुँच गया , मुझे सबसे पहले टिकट
लेना था क्यूंकि मेरे पास आरक्षण अलीगढ से था , तो गाजियाबाद से अलीगढ जाने
के लिए जनरल टिकेट लेकर प्लेटफॉर्म नम्बर 3 पर पहुँच गया ! थोड़ी देर में
घोषणा हुई , मुरी एक्सप्रेस 2 घण्टे की देरी से चल रही है ! ओह ! 10 अप्रैल
को गाज़ियाबाद में चुनाव हुआ था , तो सोचा समय गुजारने के लिए अखबार ही ले
लेता हूँ ! अखबार खोला ही था कि एक पुलिस वाला आ गया। अंदर का पेज निकाल
देना ! ये आदत मुझे बड़ी बुरी लगती है , लेकिन उस दिन स्टेशन पर चुनाव की
वजह से बहुत से पुलिस वाले जमा थे , उनकी संख्या देखकर ही सहम गया मैं और
बिना कुछ कहे अन्दर के चार पेज उसे निकाल दिए ! 7 :30 बज गए तो लगा कि अब
ट्रेन आने वाली है , अखबार लपेटकर बैग में डाल दिया लेकिन तभी फिर घोषणा
हुई , अमृतसर के रास्ते जम्मू तवी से आने वाली , कानपूर इलाहबाद के रास्ते
टाटानगर को जाने वाली 18110 मुरी एक्सप्रेस अपने निर्धारित समय से 2 घण्टे
30 मिनट की देरी से चल रही है ! जल भुन गया मैं ! एक तो इतनी सुबह आके बैठ
गया हूँ और ट्रेन है कि आने को ही राजी नहीं ! खैर 8 बजे ट्रेन आ पहुंची !
अपने आरक्षित डिब्बे और आरक्षित सीट पर जाकर बैठ गया ! न किसी ने पूछा , न
कोई टीटी आया ! अलीगढ से तो अपना राज था ही सीट पर ! अलीगढ से ही सौरभ सारस्वत को भी आना था ! वो भी आ गया और आते ही , वो खाना खोल लिया जो वो
लेकर आया था घर से ! मेरे जैसे भुक्कड़ को और क्या चाहिए था ?
चोला स्टेशन , यहाँ आपको हमेशा बंदरों की फ़ौज़ दिखेगी
यहाँ आप कासगंज और मथुरा के लिए ट्रेन बदल सकते हैं
मुलायम सिंह यादव का गृह जिला
सौरभ सारस्वत
सौरभ सारस्वत ने ही बीवी से बात करते हुए मुझे भी क्लिक कर दिया
रेलवे लाइन के बीच में लिखा फतेहपुर आकर्षित करता है
इलाहबाद पहुँचते पहुँचते रात हो गयी
यात्रा जारी है..................... यहाँ क्लिक करें ....
स्टील सिटी में श्री जवाहर सिंह जी के साथ
इस यात्रा वृतांत को शुरू से पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें !!
इलाहबाद पर पहुँचते पहुँचते रात हो गयी थी ,पक्का था कि अब सो जाना चाहिए
क्यूंकि बहुत सुबह का जगा हुआ था ! इसी सोने सोने में मेजा रोड , विंध्याचल
, मिर्ज़ापुर , चुनार , रॉबर्टसगंज और चुर्क स्टेशन निकल गए ! चोपन स्टेशन
पर इसे रात को 10 बजे पहुँच जाना चाहिए था लेकिन जब हमारी आँख खुली और देखा
कि ट्रेन चोपन पर रुकी हुई है , सुबह के 6 बजे हुए थे यानि 8 घण्टे देरी
से चल रही थी ट्रेन ! चोपन पर मुंह हाथ धोकर चाय पी और पानी में भीगे चने
का नाश्ता किया ! मुझे बुरी आदत है कि मैं बिना मुंह धोये चाय पीता हूँ ,
लेकिन यहाँ कम से कम मुँह तो धो लिया था ! चोपन पर ही पहली बार वी.आई.पी
प्लेटफार्म भी देखा ! फोटो लगा है उसी वी.आई.पी प्लेटफार्म का ! ऐसा होता
होगा वी.आई.पी प्लेटफार्म ? चोपन के बाद रेनुकूट होते हुए निकल चले
विंढमगंज स्टेशन ! ये उत्तर प्रदेश में पड़ने वाला इस लाइन पर आखिरी स्टेशन
है , इससे आगे फिर झारखण्ड शुरू हो जाता है ! नगर उंटारी झारखण्ड का इस
ट्रैक पर पहला स्टेशन है ! जैसे जैसे झारखण्ड में आगे चलते गए वहां के
हालात से परिचित होते चले गए ! इतनी गरीबी , इतना सूखा ! इतनी खाली खेत
खलिहान ? छोटे छोटे खेत , जो उनकी जीवन चलाने के लिए किसी भी तरह से शायद
काफी नहीं होते होंगे ! राजधानी में एयर कंडिशन्ड कमरों में बैठे हमारे
माननीयों को इधर भी कुछ ध्यान देना होगा !
झारखण्ड को क्षमा याचना के साथ झाड़खण्ड कहना ज्यादा मुफीद होगा ! हर जगह बस
नीरसता , खालीपन ! हाँ , मोटर साइकल्स जरूर दिखती रहीं ! एक जगह पड़ती है
गढ़वा ! जब ट्रेन उस स्टेशन पर रुकी तो कई सारे लोगों ने अपने हाथ में
बन्दूक थाम रखी थी, सुनते रहे थे कि ये नक्सल प्रभावित इलाका है ! तो क्या
सच में नक्सली हैं ये ? लेकिन वहां का माहौल देखकर तो ऐसा नहीं लग रहा था !
जैसे ही ट्रेन रुकी , ज्यादातर वो लोग जिनके हाथ में बन्दूक थी , हमारे ही
डिब्बे में चढ़ आये ! फूंक सरक गयी अपनी ! उन्होंने एक के लिए जगह मांगी हम
पूरा ही खिड़की की तरफ सरक गए ! हालाँकि बाद में बातचीत में पता चला कि वो
सादी वर्दी में झारखण्ड पुलिस के लोग थे ! ऐसे होते हैं पुलिस वाले ? न ढंग
से दाढ़ी बनी हुई , न बाल ठीक से कटे हुए ! लेकिन सब जींस में थे और हट्टे
कट्टे थे ! हमें क्या !
जमशेदपुर में स्पष्ट रूप से कहूँ तो देखने को कुछ भी नहीं है ! बस , टाटा
का नाम जपते रहिये ! लेकिन इतना है की वहां के लोगों की पिकनिक बहुत सुन्दर
बन जाती है ! यानी एक दिन आप बढ़िया गुजार सकते हैं ! सब कुछ टाटा का दिया
हुआ है जमशेदपुर को ! शहर के नाम से लेकर बिजली पानी तक ! सब कुछ टाटा !
जमशेदपुर पहुँचते ही श्री जवाहर सिंह जी और मित्र सुशील शर्मा को सूचित कर
दिया ! टाटा नगर पहुँचते पहुँचते हमारी ट्रेन 10 घंटे लेट हो चुकी थी ! ये
12 अप्रैल का दिन था जो ख़त्म हो रहा था ! सुशील से बात हुई तो मिलने का
प्रोग्राम भी फिक्स हुआ और हम करीब 9 बजे रात को उसके यहां जा धमके ! खाना
वाना खा पीकर होटल पहुंचे ही होंगे कि श्री जवाहर सिंह जी का फोन आ गया कि
कल मैंने शिफ्ट बदल ली है , अब मैं शाम को कंपनी जाऊँगा ! पक्का हो गया
कि अगले दिन श्री जवाहर सिंह जी के यहां जाना है !
अगले दिन यानी 13 अप्रैल को अपना कॉलेज का काम ख़त्म करके करीब दोपहर 2 बजे
हम श्री जवाहर जी के यहां पहुँच गए ! खाना खाया , बल्कि ज्यादा खाया
क्यूंकि श्रीमती जवाहर सिंह जी ने खाना ही इतना स्वादिष्ट बनाया था ! अब बस
यही सोच थी कि ए.सी. की ठण्डक में एक नींद ले ली जाए लेकिन समय इजाजत नहीं
दे रहा था इसलिए वहां से जुबिली पार्क के लिए निकल चले !
भारतीय रेलवे का वी आई पी प्लेटफार्म
भारतीय रेलवे का वी आई पी प्लेटफार्म
ट्रेन से दिखता हिंडालको प्लांट
बहुत सुन्दर स्टेशन है ये
उत्तर प्रदेश का इस लाइन पर आखिरी स्टेशन
झारखण्ड का इस लाइन पर पहला स्टेशन
नक्सलवाद से प्रभावित लातेहार
शायद बड़ा भाई काना रहा होगा उसी के नाम पर बड़का काना यानी बरकाकाना
झाड़खण्ड
झाड़खण्ड
यहाँ रांची के लिए ट्रेन बदल सकते हैं
जमशेदपुर से बिलकुल पहले का स्टेशन ! बंगाल में पुरुलिया की तरफ की गाड़िया इधर से निकलती हैं
मुरी पर हालत खराब सी हो गयी थी बैठ बैठे ट्रैन में
आखिर टाटा नगर पहुँच ही गए
आदरणीय श्री जवाहर सिंह जी के साथ
विश्व प्रसिद्द मैनेजमेंट इंस्टिट्यूट
बाय बाय जमशेदपुर
इस यात्रा वृत्तान्त को शुरु से पढ़ने के लिये यहाँ क्लिक करें !!
जैसा
कि मैंने अपने इसी यात्रा वृत्तान्त में कहा कि जमशेदपुर मतलब टाटा और
इसीलिए इसका एक नाम टाटा नगर भी है ! जमशेदपुर भी जमशेद जी टाटा के नाम पर
ही है ! कोई अपने आपको कितना भी बड़ा देश भक्त क्यों न कहे लेकिन मैं समझता
हूँ कि एक उद्योगपति से बड़ा देशभक्त कोई नहीं होता ! सवाल उठाया जा सकता
लेकिन मैं ऐसा मानता हूँ क्यूंकि मुझे लगता है उसी की वजह से 10 - 20 से
लेकर लाखों घरों के चूल्हे सुबह शाम जल रहे हैं ! इसलिए टाटा को शत शत नमन
!
पिछले
वृतांत में एक बात बताना भूल गया ! हुआ यूँ कि जब हमारी ट्रेन मुरी
जंक्शनपर पहुँचीं तो मैं और सौरभ सारस्वत दौनों नीचे उतर गये ! हमें पानी
और कोल्ड ड्रिंक की बोतल लेनी थी ! हमारा डिब्बा इंजन की तरफ़ से चौथ
डिब्बा था और पानी और कोल्ड ड्रिंक वाले की दुकान बहुत पीछे थी ! लोगों
ने बताया था कि ट्रेन 10 मिनट रुकेगी यहां ! हम उतर गये और अपनी अपनी चीजें
खरीदकर वहीँ स्टेशन पर ही बैठ गये ! 2 ही मिनट हुए होंगे कि ट्रेन सरकने
लग गयी और सरकी क्या उसने बिना सीटी बजाये अच्छी खासी स्पीड भी पकड़ ली !
हमने दौड़ लगाई लेकिन कोई फायदा नहीं हुआ ! अब तो हम बस यही सोच रहे थे कि
चलो ये ट्रेन टाटानगर तक ही जाती है वहाँ शायद अपना सामान मिल जाये ! अगली
ट्रेन का इंतज़ार करने के अलावा और कोइ रास्ता ही नहीं था ! थक हार के बैठ
गये ! जब हम दौड़ लगा रहे थे तब शायद हमें लोगों ने देख लिया होगा , तो
उन्हीं मैं से एक हमारे पास आया और बोला आप लोग भाग क्यों रहे थे ? हमने
अपनी राम कहानी उसे सुनाई तो वो पास ही बैठ गया और आराम से बोला अभी आएगी
लौटकर ! फिर उसी ने बताया कि इसका आधा हिस्सा राँची होते हुए राउरकेला
जाता है और आधा टाटानगर ! अभी लौटके आएगी और उसमें अभी एक डिब्बा और
जुडेंगे यहॉं से ! ओह ! तो ये बात थी ! फिर तो ऐसे निश्चिंत हो गये जैसे अब
कहीं जाना ही नही है !
भले आप पूरे भारतवर्ष में महात्मा गाँधी , नेहरू जी और इन्दिरा जी की मूर्तियों के अलावा किसी और की मूर्ति न देख पायें लेकिन ज़मशेदपुर में तो
आपको टाटा का ही जलवा देख़ने को मिलेगा ! बहुत कुछ दिया है टाटा ने इस शहर
को ! मूलभूत सुविधाओं से लेकर एक पहिचान तक ! आसान नहीं होता ये सब !
पहली बार जे.एन ( जमशेत जी नुसरवान ज़ी ) टाटा , जिन्होने टाटा ग्रुप की
नींव रखी , के प्रयासों को करीब से जाना और समझा ! एक पारसी होते हुए भारत
को इतना सब देने का माद्दा ! मुझे पारसी बहुत अलग किस्म के लगते हैं ! कहीं
पढ़ा था कि अगर एक पारसी के परिवार की मासिक आमदनी 90,000 रुपये है तो उसे
गरीब माना जाता है ! और हमारे यहाँ ये शायद अमीर होने और दिखने का पहला
पड़ाव ! इन्होने कभी आरक्षण नहीं माँगा , कभी अपनी हैसियत के हिसाब से
लोकसभा या राज्यसभा का टिकेट नहीं माँगा ! सिर्फ अपना काम करना है !
आजकल
बच्चे बाय बाय बोलते हैं लेकिन मैने देखा है कि गाँव में ज्यादातर माँ
-बाप अपने बच्चों को टाटा , बाय बाय कहना सिखाते हैं ! टाटा एक परम्परा बन गयी है ! आसान नहीं होता ये सब !
अपनी ही लिखी एक हास्य कविता से एक पंक्ति भी जोड़ रहा हूँ शायद आपको पसन्द आये !
टाटा -बिड़ला -अम्बानी करते हैं मुझको फ़ोन
कहते हैं ! घर में बच्चे भूखे हैं , दिलवा दो थोड़ा सा लोन !!
अब चलते हैं ! फिर मौका मिला तो जमशेदपुर की जमीन और टाटा के प्रयासों को नमन करने जरूर आऊँगा !
टाटानगर में जो कुछ देखा उसके फ़ोटो दे रहा हूँ !
जमशेदपुर के चिड़ियाघर में रंगीन तोता ! इसका नाम लिखा था वहाँ , भूल गया
ये सौरभ का स्टाइल है
जयंती सरोवर में बोटिंग
शुतुरमुर्ग जैसा दिखने वाला ईमू
और ये शुतुरमुर्ग
एक फोटू मेरा भी
लकड़ी से बनी बेहतर स्टेचू
मनमोहन सिंह द्वारा यहाँ 2009 में एक पेड़ लगाया गया
पार्क
में खुले में पढ़ती लड़कियां , आश्रम की याद दिलाती हैं ! इनके टीचर ने हमें
फोटू खेंचने के लिये मना किया था लेकिन तब तक हम क्लिक कर चुके थे
टाटा के परिवार के सदस्य होंगे कोई
रुसी मोदी सेंटर के पास ही बना पिरामिड जैसा कुछ ! उस दिन ये सेंटर बन्द था इसलीये अन्दर नही जा पाये
टाटा बाबा
फिर मिलते हैं , किसी और जगह के विषय में जानने के लिये !
बाय बाय !
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