Jharkhand is a nature lover’s paradise; it is home to countless waterfalls, like the Hundru Falls, Lodh Falls and Johna Falls, where you can spend a day in peace and quiet surroundings. In Jharkhand you can visit the lush green forests, national parks and rivers.
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Odisha to the south, and West Bengal to the east. The city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka is sub capital.
Almost 80% of Jharkhand’s people are farmers, although it contains 40% of India’s mineral reserves it has some of India’s poorest people.
Deoghar is the most sacred place in Jharkhand. It holds great sanctity among Hindus because it is believed to be the only kamanalingam – a lingam that has the power to fulfil all dreams. Every year, in the month of Shravan (July-August), devotees undertake an arduous 100 km trek from Ajgaibinath (Sultanganj) to Baidyanath Dham. The pilgrimage ends at Basukhinath, a hilly, scenic town about 43km from Deoghar. Naulakha Temple is situated 1.5km from the Baidyanath Temple. The yoga centre (Ashram) at Rikhia is worth a visit and is situated about 8Km from Deoghar.
Jamshedpur is the largest and the biggest industrial city of the state. Jharkhand is famous for its rich mineral resources like Uranium, Mica, Bauxite, Granite, Gold, Silver, Graphite, Magnetite, Dolomite, Fireclay, Quartz, Fieldspar, Coal (32% of India), Iron, Copper (25% of India) etc. Forests and woodlands occupy more than 29% of the state which is amongst the highest in India.
About 80 k.m. from Ranchi on Ramgarh Chitrapur Road, Rajrappa is situated at the confluence of river Damodar and Bhairavi popularly knows as Bhera. Rajrappa, which was once a isolated hillocks with a small temple of Chhinamastika, now turned into a famous pilgrim resort for the hindu devotees mainly from Bihar and West Bengal.
Jaganathpur Temple and Hill : About 10 km. from Ranchi is another sight seeing place where the tourist can rejoice and worship. The old temple of Lord Jaganath, built in 17th Century in architectural style of Puri Temple stands like a fort on top of the hill. A portion of the temple has come down and awaits renovation. Its chariot festival held in the light part of “Ashadh Mas” draws a big crowd comprising of devotees. HEC township nearby is an added attraction.
Angrabari (Amreshwar Dham) is a temple consisting of the deity of Lord Shiva, Ram and Sita, Hanuman and Ganesh. It is situated near Khunti at a distance of about 40 kms from Ranchi.
Sun Temple is built by Sanskriti Vihar headed by Sitaram Maroo. It is situated at a distance of 40 kms on Ranchi Tata Road. It is built in the form of a Chariot with 18 wheels drawn by 7 white horses. It is surrounded by a pond which is used by devotees during Chhath Puja for worshipping of Sun.
Parasnath Temple The highest hill in Jharkhand, towering to an elevation of 4480 feet. The Parasnath Temple is considered to be one of the most important and sanctified holy places of the Jains. According to Jain tradition, no less than 23 out of 24 Tirthankaras (including Parsvanatha) are believed to have attained salvation here.
Betla National Park: Wild elephants freely roam the virgin forests of this lovely, rarely visited national park, spread over the hilly landscape of picturesque Palamau district, 140km west of Ranchi . Tiger sightings are rare, but a trip to this primeval region of Jharkhand offers a glimpse into the rich tribal heritage of the state. The park covers around 1026 sq km, about 232 sq km of which was declared as Betla National Park in 1989. The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit is November to April. If you can stand the heat, May is prime time for tiger spotting as forest cover is reduced and animals venture out in search of waterholes.
Jharkhand Tourist Destinations
The state of Jharkhand is a popular tourist destination with the city of Ranchi as its capital. The other tourist places in Jharkhand include Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Betla, Deoghar, Dumka, Giridih, Netarhat and Saranda.
Wild Life in Jharkhand
The rich forestland of the Chota Nagpur plateau, including Hazaribagh National Park and Palamau Tiger Reserve are areas where you can easily spot elephants, tigers, leopards and sloth bears. Another popular national park is the Betla National park, rich in forest area, hills and valleys.
Temples to visit in Jharkhand
Parasnath is the holiest place in Jharkhand, where hundreds of devotes throng every day. The Baidyanath Dham complex of Deoghar comprises of temples, which forms an important place of worship. Jharkhand has been home to all religions that have existed and flourished at parity, Deoghar or Baidyanathdham is the most important Hindu pilgrimage site here. “Ma Chhina Mastika” temple in Rajrappa, is a beautiful site where the River Bhera joins the Damodar, forming a 20 feet high waterfall. Trikut, Tapovan, Basukinath. Parasnath, Jagannath Temple Ranchi, Naulakha Mandirand Kulbanga Mahadev are some religious places to visit.
Jharkhand Culture
The state of Jharkhand is rich in culture and tradition; there are about 30 communities that exist in the region. Some of the major tribes are Santhals, Oraons, Mundas, Kharias, Hos and Cheros.
Hotels in Jharkhand
Jharkhand State has hotels of star and non-star category catering to the needs of the tourists . There are a number of luxurious hotels and inns in Jharkhand state that provide almost all-modern facility for comfortable stay.
Water Sports, Giridih
A water reservoir some 8 km North-East of Giridih headquarter is one of the best site for water related adventure sports and bird-watching. A watch tower and 600 feet high hillock offers a panoramic view of Khandoli site. Elephant and Camel Safari and numbers of other amusement facilities are available there including boating , Rock-climbing ,Parasailing and Kayaking.
Latehar District has always been the best destination for Adventure Tourism in Jharkhand. Latehar district has been created on 4th April 2001. Previously, it was a subdivision of old Palamau district of Jharkhand State. Latehar district is situated between 84deg. 31 min. East latitude 23 deg. 44.4 sec north latitude.The geogrophical area of the district is 3651.59 square kilometers. There are 7 (Seven) Development Blocks, namely Latehar, Chandwa, Balumath, Manika, Barwadih, Garu and Mahuadar
Tata Steel Adventure Foundation
The Foundation provides scope for a wide variety of adventure sports, such as rock climbing, river rafting, para sailing, etc. The 40-old adventure clubs under its umbrella maintain a hectic pace of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. There are a number of other private clubs offering a variety of sporting activities such as golf, tennis, squash, billiards, horse riding etc.
Parasnath and Satpahar hills in Giridin district are rated among best sites in the country for paragliding and parasailing. Lower Ghagri, Lodh Water Falls and Rajadera are the hidden treasures for adventure tourism in the country.