Chotanagpur Travel Guide
¤ Picturesque Location
Blissfully remote and uniquely beautiful, the tranquil environs of
Chotanagpur offer an ideal escape from the restrictions of
civilization. It is the land of serendipity, where the unexpected seem
to lie around every corner. Here one is dazed by day and seduced by
night.
¤ Charm of Postcard Landscape
One of the most common expectations cherished by travelers as they
leave home is to find a ‘lost paradise’ or the last unknown
corner of the planet, alternatively, a postcard landscape. Geography
conspires in this direction to make the visitors believe that
Chotanagpur was built for the purpose of eco-tourism. Surprisingly
this region is a great recluse that stubbornly refuses to be on the
tourism map of Bihar.
¤ The Simple People
As you travel to this magnificent city, the first thing you notice is
that the people here have the time to chat. More so the educated
tribal people are trustworthy, straightforward and very friendly,
lacking that neurotic stripe that makes urbanites identified anywhere.
They are the best guides and caretakers in the deep jungles of
Chotanagpur. Secondly, there is no such mad crowd of tourists and
their vehicles. Pollution is something unheard of and for the fraction
of the amount of what we pay in metros, one can buy fruits and
vegetables with unmatched natural taste and flavour.
¤ Chotanagpur Claims To Be The Oldest Setup on Earth
Geologists make us believe that here in Chotanagpur we find a portion
of the oldest part of the Earth’s rocky crust, making it the
oldest geological formation of India. Anthropologists stake the claim
that Chotanagpur region of Bihar must have witnessed the
transformation of Homo erectus to Homo Sapiens. Their claim is based
on the findings of hand axes and blades that are littered here in the
region of Pathalgarwa. The discovery of Harappan pottery in Hazaribagh
further strengthens the claim to antiquity. Senior archaeologists are
staking their professional reputations on the findings of the cave
paintings in the Isko village. Chotanagpur has impinged on the
attention of researchers as being an ancient site of continuous human
habitation.
¤ Mineral Deposites
Amidst the archaen rocks of Chotanagpur lies hidden a vast deposit of
a variety of minerals which caters to national and international
needs. Chotanagpur is a region of great unevenness and consists of a
succession of plateaus, hills and valleys. Most of the plateaus has an
elevation exceeding 1000 feet, while the hills rising to 3,000 feet or
more. In the heart of Chotanagpur there are two main plateaus - those
of Ranchi and Hazaribagh.
¤ The City From the Eyes of Firoz Shah Tughlaq
 Firoz
Shah Tughlaq, the medieval monarch must have enjoyed the landscape of
Chotanagpur in 1359-60 during his Jajnagar expedition. He attests
little about the scenic beauty but Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi has this to
say about the people, "In this wilderness are found savages who
have never set their eyes on civilized people... Their dress consists
of peacock feathers and their food the flesh of buffaloes; the trees
are their dwelling and leaves and feather their bed... They are nude
and barefooted men, devoid of all human sentiments. They shun the
haunts of man... " Few centuries later, Sher Shah had to fight
the Raja of Jharkhand to obtain the white elephant, Syama Chandra,
which had the peculiarity of never throwing dust upon his head. The
Pathan king believed that its possession would ensure him the throne
of Delhi!
¤ Mughals Cannot Escape From Its Allure
There was an added attraction for the Mughal generals under Akbar and
Jehangir, who invaded this territory referred to as Khukradesh for the
sake of its diamond. Chotanagpur was annexed by the Mughals in 1615
A.D. All the diamonds found here were forwarded to the Mughal court.
An unusual large diamond was valued at 51,000 rupees. Jehangir in his
Tuzuk writes about the river from where diamonds were procured.
Chotanagpur is still the country of bygone days tempered with moments
of serenity, goodwill and charm that makes it impossible not to be
seduced by its beauty and climate.
¤ Ranchi
Ranchi, perched 2,140 feet above sea level is an ideal base of
excursions in and around Chotanagpur. Once the summer capital of
Bihar, Ranchi is rich in waterfalls. Hundru Falls (45 km on Ranchi
Purlia road) where Subarnarekha river cascades down from the altitude
320 feet is a sight not to be missed especially in monsoon or when the
wind sets the motion. Johna Falls or Gautamdhara (43 km on
Ranchi-Purulia road) is another enchanting retreat, replete with flora
and fauna beside the Kanchi river. To admire the fall one is required
to descend 500 paved steps. Lord Buddha is believed to have bathed
here and hence the name. Adjacent of Johna is Sita Falls which can be
seen at its best early in the morning sun shine. Afternoon may best be
saved for the Dassam Falls (45 km on Ranchi-Tata road) where river
Kanchi falls from a height of 114 feet.
¤ Main Attractions--Tagore Hill
On the periphery of Ranchi is the
Tagore Hill, named after the Bengali poet who often turned to Ranchi
to sharpen his wit and supposedly found inspiration for his work
Gitanjali and other poems. Ranchi played a significant role in the
life of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who started writing his famous
commentary on the Quran here, which gained him recognition as an
Islamic scholar. At the foot of theTagore Hill lies Ram Krishna
Ashram. On the other end of Ranchi is Kanke Dam which is ever crowded
with tourists. Few kilometres from the dam is the 17th century
Jagannath Temple where the annual Rath Yatra (car festival) is held in
the month of June/July. Should one be interested in tribes and
anthropology a visit to the nearby Bihar Tribal Research Institute
will be a rewarding experience for its rich anthropological museum,
library and publications. Besides few majestic churches in Ranchi,
there is a war cemetery, believed to be the smallest ‘concentration’
cemetery in India with a total of 708 burials which includes a soldier
of the army of undivided India, besides various other countrymen who
fought for the British cause.
Mutta Muggar Breeding Centre
23 km from Ranchi is a Mutta Muggar Breeding Centre in Ormanjhi
which took off with three Bihari muggers and two from Madras. Today
they account for over fifty ! Nearby is the biological park replete
with valuable samples of wildlife.
Netherhat
150 km from Ranchi is Netherhat, the ‘Queen of Chotanagpur’
at an elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level.
Dense forests, serpentine roads, cool bracing breeze, moonlit nights
must have persuaded the English to call this place which possibly sums
up the ‘nature’ and ‘heart’ of Netherhat.
This place is an out of this world experience. Nightfall may arrive
with boring regularity everywhere, but not so in Netherhat when it is
pleasantly cool and the mysterious sky is ablaze with stars. The
solitude and silence combine to promise a romantic tourist a refuge
where one might try to stitch one’s life back together.
Magnolia Point
10 km off is Magnolia Point where the nearest thing to entertainment
is the sky at sundown, when it turns to orange and mountain ranges of
pink clouds build on the horizon. Most of the tourist bungalows at
Netherhat are purposely built to catch a glimpse of rising sun that
emerges from the quintessential landscape, layer upon layer of blue
hills rising from the eastern sky like an old water colour. Water
cascading from the height of 468 feet at Lodh falls is a sheer
celebration of natural splendour. This highest waterfall in Bihar is
61 km from Netherhat and it can be reached via Mahuatand. Another
alternative is Sadni Falls, 35 km from Netherhat, where the water fall
is taken over by numerous curves.
Mc Cluskieganje
Mc Cluskieganje, a sleepy hamlet amidst picturesque forests that is
around 60 km from Ranchi on Highway 47. Film makers have taken note
not only of the spectacular natural beauty, clean air, and extravagant
greenery, but of the village itself, a heady mix of the untamed and
the sophisticated. The name evokes nostalgia and one gradually
discovers that the place was once popular with the Anglo Indian
community. Some of the houses here have retained their English names
together with the epitaph of ‘haunted houses’. During the
1950s there were no less than 100 Anglo Indian families with their
typical cottages, clubs and shops. Now the number of families have
come down to 25.
The English Houses and Cottages come cheap and one can get lost in
solitude for a week or so. Those who like being waited upon can avail
of the chowkidar’s (watchman’s) culinary skills.
Shantinekatan, Hill view, Tip Top, Hermitage and Highland Guest House
are the only places with three to five rooms. The closest to the
railway station is Highland Guest House and an ideal place to stay
with Captain. D.R. Cameron - a senior citizen and a perfect guide who
continues his pioneering efforts in developing Mc Cluskeigunje as a
tourist center.The surroundings and the river banks of Chatti provide
rare scenic beauties. If you are lucky enough you can see the tribal
people using their rods for fishing and if you can spare some time
with an element of risk, spotting an elephant in the wilderness is not
so difficult. Each day the morning news in Mc Cluskeigunje is about
the wild elephant ruining the crops or trampling the hut in the night.
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh (thousand gardens) is a famous
hill resort with a pleasant climate and picturesque places. Notable
among them is the Kunhary hill, now corrupted (corrected!) to Canary
hill, which offers a panoramic view from the observation tower.
Salparni lake is an equally popular picnic spot with opportunities for
water sports. Hazaribagh is home to 186 sq. km wildlife sanctuary
which continued to be the royal reserve of the Raja of Ramgarh until
1950. Numerous observation towers in the sanctuary makes it all the
more easier to have closer encounter with the wild.
Rajrappa Temple
90 km from Hazaribagh town is Rajrappa, famous for "Maa Chhina
Mastika" temple where river Bhera joins the Damodar from a height
of 20 feet. The little waterfall offers boating facilities which
introduces some very spectacular rock formations.
The Dams
Few of the reservoirs of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams
offer ideal recreational facilities amidst scenic surroundings. Tilaya
Dam, across Barakar river in Hazaribagh was built to check the floods.
The main road through the reservoir and the adjoining hillocks offer
very tempting photo views. One can follow the main road and drive to
Hari Har Dham at Bagodar which is famous for the 52 feet high Shiv
Ling amidst serene surroundings. It is believed to be the tallest Shiv
Ling in the world which took thirty years to complete. Maithan Dam, 48
km from Dhanbad, is another flood control project across Barakar
river. It has a unique under ground power station which is first of
its kind in South East Asia. Panchet Dam across Damodar river offers
stunning views from the surrounding hill.
Dhanbad
The mining town of Dhanbad is internationally famous for its rich
coal fields. Next door is Bokaro, India’s biggest steel complex
and further south is Jamshedpur, acknowledged as the Steel City of
India. Adjoining the steel city is Dalma Sanctuary (193 sq. km) where
the elephants love to spend their summer. Within the heart of
Jamshedpur lies the famous Jubilee Park.
Besides the industries, collieries and institutions, there are
numerous scenic attractions in the vicinity. Topchanchi
Topchanchi, 37 km from Dhanbad is a beautiful dam amidst lush green
hills. Maithan Dam 48 km from Dhanbad is another flood control project
across Barakar river. It has a unique underground power station which
is first of its kind in S.E. Asia.
The southern tip of Bihar is made up of hilly regions of Porahat and
Kolhan in Singhbhum. More than seven hundred hills in the Saranda
offer a breath taking view. The best place suggested for is Kiriburu.
In fact, the entire Chotanagpur claims to be ‘salubrious’
round the year but winter is best avoided for the temperature zooms
down.
¤ Resources
1.Ranchi would serve as an ideal base for touring the tracks of
Chotanagpur.
2.Ranchi is well connected by road, rail and air services.
3.The best time to plan a tour would be around the tribal festival,
Sarhul when Ranchi is richly decorated with flowers to welcome the
advent of spring and thereby the harvest season.
¤ Parsvanath Hills
The highest and most important of hills in Bihar is the picturesque
Parsvanath Hill perched 4,500 feet above sea level, in the district of
Giridih. The mere altitude is not the point. The loftiness here is of
another order.
According to Jain tradition, no less than twenty out of twenty four
tirthankaras are believed to have attained salvation in the
Sammetasikhara or the Parsvanath Hills. However the images in the
temple of Parasvanath are dated not earlier than 1765.
The hill seems to have been an abode of Jains. Parasvanatha, the 23rd
tirthankara was very popular among the tribal population of
Chotanagpur. He is identified by the snake king Dharanendra, whose
many hoods protect the meditating tirthankara.
Parsvanatha is said to have stressed on speaking the truth,
possession of no property, no injury to be inflicted to living beings,
and no acceptance of anything that is not freely given. He attained
nirvana 250 years before the last tirthankara, Mahavira.
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