INDIALINE
Complete India Travel Guide

Jharkhand Tourism

Set in the picturesque Chhotanagpur Plateau, Jharkhand carved out of Bihar on 15 November, 2000. It shares its boundary with Bihar in the North, Chhattisgarh in the West, Orissa in the South and West Bengal in the East.

As the name implies, Jharkhand, a 'piece of land of thickets and bushes', coloures the canvas of the state into some magical shades of green. Be it the greenery of the dense forest or the murmuring of the gushing wild waterfalls or the lush green rolling hills, Jharkhand is synonymous with the natural beauty in every aspect of its character.

The colour of nature has touched the lives of the tribes too. The fervour and vibrancy of their lifestyle exhibits from the exuberance of tribal festivals. Thousands of people from the tribes including Santhal, Bedia or Kond in winter gather to dance chhau while humans taking on the masks of gods and goddesses. This lively celebration brings the supernatural tales from ancient texts alive.

State and Central governments have come up with a number of tour packages to explore the untouched beauty of the serene forest, rich wildlife and mind blowing waterfalls.

Ranchi - The Capital City

The beautiful city Ranchi amazes you with its scenic splendour and salubrious climate while sitting comfortably at an altitude of 2140 feet above the sea level. The Tagore Hill, Racnhi Hill and the spectacular Ranchi Lake are some places in the city which takes you to a world of tranquility and serenity where you seem to get a chance to romance with the nature. A panoramic view of Ranchi from the top of the Ranchi hill is something unbelievable.

The Land of Waterfalls

There are a number of waterfalls and rock formations in the state that are no less than wondrous creations of the nature. You will love to get soaked in the water sprinkles wetting the entire region as you stand below the Hundru Falls falling from an altitude of 320 feet. The bewitching sight of the Dassam falls while falling from the height of 114 feet is something which tourists never miss once they are in Jharkhand. But most breathtaking experience may be while descending 500 pared steps to have a complete view of the majestic Jonha Falls surrounded by picturesque scenery. Hirni Falls and Sita Falls situated amidst the jungles also seem to take you to a pre-historic age.

Sacred Destinations

Jharkhand is more than natural beauty and tribal life. As the legend goes, after Ravana had dropped the jyotirlingam (idol of Lord Shiva) in Deoghar, it became a must visit pilgrimage with 22 temples comprising the Baidyanath Dham Complex. With the chant of 'Bol Bam' in the air and thousands of pilgrims visiting here, Deoghar comes alive in the Shravan (July-August). The Sun Temple at a distance of 39 km from Ranchi built as a huge chariot with exquisitely decorated wheels, attracts the pilgrims as well as other tourists alike. The temple complex of Agrabadi is another devotional destination with some beautiful temples of Lord Ganapati, Ram-Sita, Hanuman and Shiva.

Wildlife Treasures of Jharkhand

With almost 30 percent of Jharkhand's land area under forest cover, the state is undoubtedly an outstanding wildlife heaven. Betla National Park, one of India's earliest tiger reserve, spread over 250 sq km is adventure lover's paradise with tiger, panther, sloth and wild bear, gaur and elephant as its permanent residents. The call of the nature takes you even further as you go to Dalma Sanctuary, where the sight of elephants roaming carefree in the intense greenery of the jungle is something incredible. If you are lucky, you can even spot the near-extinct Indian giant squirrel.

By Air

Ranchi airport is well connected with Patna, Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai by the regular Indian Airline, Air Deccan and Air Sahara services.

By Rail

Ranchi is on the S.E. Railway & connected with Patna, Rourkela, New Delhi, Kolkata, etc. Daily Rajdhani Express runs from Ranchi to New Delhi.

By Road

Ranchi is situated on NH 23/33 & there is a network of good roads around it. Ranchi is directly connected by regular bus service with Patna- 289 km, Rourkela- 222km, Asansol- 226 km, Dhanbad- 167 km, Jamshedpur- 132 km, Kolkata- 409 km and New Delhi-1162 km.