Joy Chandi Pahar
Joychandi Pahar is a hill which is a popular tourist attraction in the Indian state of West Bengal in Purulia district. It is two kilometres from the subdivisional town of Raghunathpur and four kilometres from Adra town. The hill is situated 2 kilometers south from Purulia – Barakar road via Nanduara village and 1 kilometer west from Raghunathpur-Adra Road via a growing township known as Annapurna pally. It is also just four kilometres away from Adra Junction railway station and 1.5 kilometres from Joychandipahar railway station, which is situated on Adra-Asansol section. Joychandi hill is a popular tourist centre and major attraction for rock climbing. Joychandi Pahar railway station is on the Asansol – Adra section of South Eastern Railway, in the state capital of Kolkata.
Every Year A Festival is held in the foothills after the Christmas and this Festival usually continues to 1 January or 2 January. This Festival often becomes tourist attraction and also motivates local artists. This Festival Gives all local artists to show their skills. The Festival Often referred as Joychandi Pahar Pariyatan Utsav .
The Bengali film directed by Satyajit Ray, Hirak Rajar Deshe was mostly shot in this mountain area.
Baranti
Baranti is a small tribal village in the Santuri in the Raghunathpur subdivision of the Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated beside Baranti Lake. This is a growing, but quiet, tourist spot.
Baranti is a developing tourist center located in the lap of Gorongi Hill. This village is surrounded by the Panchkot Hill at one side and the Biharinath Hill on the other, with a water reservoir under Ramchandrapur Medium Irrigation Project. This area is popular for hill and jungle trekking due to its natural environment. Garh Panchkot is only 12 km away, and Joychandi Pahar just 21 km away from Baranti. Biharinath, the Araku Valley of Bengal is just 18 km from Baranti.
The place has been aptly described in The Telegraph, “right in the lap of a hilly range with a huge water reservoir…Sunset is particularly special in Baranti. The lake keeps changing colour from time to time. It’s a real treat for the eyes to sit and watch the various shades of yellow and red reflected on the water and quietly spreading out on to the paddy fields… The huge water body around the dam attracts a lot of migratory birds every winter.
The nearest railway connection of Baranti is Muradi railway station (6 km) on the Asansol-Adra line of South Eastern Railway zone. Bus and cars are available from Raghunathpur to nearby Baranti Lake.
Garh Panchkot
Garh Panchkot is a ruined fort located in the eastern part of India at the foothills of Panchet Hill in the district of Purulia, West Bengal. The ruins of the Panchkot Palace are a silent testimony to the Bargi attack during the 18th century.
From a historical perspective Alivardi Khan had become the Nawab of Bengal in April 1740, having defeated and killed Sarfiraz Khan. Rustam Jung, Sarfiraz’s brother-in-law, challenged Alivardi Khan but failed in his endeavours which prompted him to seek the help of the Maratha Rulers of Nagpur, Raghoji Bhonsle. A Maratha cavalry was sent by Bhosle who entered Bengal through Panchet and started looting the countryside. These Maratha men came to be known as “Bargi’s”. For about 10 years they looted and plundered Bengal. It ended in the year 1751 after a settlement was reached between the Nawab of Bengal and Maratha King.
During one see of these encounters, Garh Panckot was attacked by the “Bargi” and, having defeated the King’s guards, they destroyed it after looting and plundering the palace. It is believed that all the 17 wives of the king committed suicide in a nearby well during the attack. Garh Panchkot has lain in ruin ever since.
In the fort’s construction a combination of natural and man made resources were used to build it.
A semicircular moat was built which started from one end of the foothill to the other end. The only way to enter was by crossing the moat by using a boat at the centre of the semicircle. The rest of the area was either inaccessible due to large growth of a special type of bamboo tree which grew thick wild making it very difficult for intruders as well as a thick and high stone wall that was constructed.
600 feet above in the middle of the Panchakot Hill were the guard’s quarters. In contrast to the architecture of the palace below, it was completely made of large stone slabs.
The guard’s quarter has a strategic position. Spread over a 500 square meters area is more of a miniature fort surrounded by solid rock walls with only one entry point, the pyramid like hollow gate from where the entire palace below and the surroundings could be watched.
Once inside the fort, on the right as well as left there are two long and narrow rooms with small vents overlooking the plains. In the centre stands a stone temple dedicated to Rama the king of ayodhya, this signifies that it was truly a guards quarter as more appropriately the people who guarded the area were the elite warriors and generally worshiped Rama as he represented strength, courage and who had fought many wars. From the other remains one can’t ascertain the true nature of its usefulness; a hollow lions head made of stone known as the “Singh Mukh” or other artefacts mostly made of stone.
Garh Panchkot is situated only 17 kilometers from Raghunathpur.