West Bengal Tourism

Bankura, with its heart and soul in its culturally rich rural landscape, offers the tourists and visitors a breath of fresh air. The district takes immense pride in its art and temple architecture, lush green forests, and beautiful scenic hills. It lies in the Rarh region of West Bengal and is internationally well-known for the Bankura Horse - a terracotta crafted horse, and for Dashabatar Tash the historic paintings . Bankura district is nestled on the Eastern Chhotanagpur Plateau. It is dotted with intricately constructed terracotta temples surrounded by old brown hills and meandering rivers, a setting that is straight out of a fairy tale. Whether you are a holidaymaker, backpacker adventure traveler, a food traveler, a cultural tourist, or simply an exhausted urban dweller, Bankura offers a treat for everyone. Among the most famous temples of Bankura are Madan Mohan temple, Shyam Roy temple, Ekteswar Shiva temple and Sonatapal Sun temple. Jairambati temple, situated next to the divine Damaodar river is dedicated to Sarada Devi and attracts crores of devotees of the Ramakrishna Monastic Order. Bishnupur is a famous municipality in Bankura district, known for its terracotta temples, Gharana music, and Baluchari saree. The classical dance and music festival called Bishnupur Mela hosted by the city every year is an experience that one should not miss. Mukutmanipur, situated at the confluence of rivers Kansabati and Kumari, is a home to tribes like Santhal, Bhumij Sardar and Munda, which indulge in a variety of dance of forms such as Pata, Dasai, Ranpa, Karam, Raibeshe, Jhumur etc. They play musical instruments like Dhamsa, Kendra and Madal. The famous Mukutmanipur Loksanskriti Mela held every January is a fun-filled tribal display of folk songs, dances, cultural functions, and a variety of local artefacts. Additionally, Mukutmanipur is a famous nature destination that comprises the Kangsabati Dam the second biggest earth dam of India and the Kangsabati Water Reservoir, forests and hillocks. The hills at Biharinath and Susunia are spots of natural wonder and an ideal destination for trekkers and adventure seekers.

Destinations

Sutan Forest

Sutan forest, stretching across 6 km is a visual wonder, covered by the dense vegetation of Sal, Piyasal, Mahua, Palaash, and Simul. It is placed at about 60 km from Bankura via Ranibandh-Jhilmili road. The forest surrounds the tribal village of Sutan. While the vibrance of Palaash and Krishnachura flowers raises the spirits of the dwellers and tourists alike, the enchanting drumming sounds of the musical instrument Madal emanate from the village after sunset and bring an invigorating calm to all souls. The full moon nights at Sutan forest are mesmerizing. The forest is surrounded by quiet and peaceful hills, thus becoming an ideal destination for a short vacation. A forest bungalow perched atop a small hill enables the tourists and visitors to appreciate the serene beauty of the entire area. A few steps lead the tourists from the bungalow to a lake where they can enjoy boating in the still waters. There is also a trekker s hut about 9km inside the forest, on the bank of the lake.

Susunia

Susunia hill nestles in southern West Bengal, at about 13km distance from Bankura town along the route to Purulia. Rising to a height of about 1500 ft, the hill offers a spectacular landscape of lavish greenery on bright red soil. It is believed that Raja Chandravarman built his fort on this hill. Amazing natural beauty in the form of cascading waterfalls, pristine river Gandheshwari, fiery orange hues of Palaash trees, enticing rock faces, and vibrant butterflies renders Susunia a much-coveted travel destination. Nature photographers, backpackers, mountaineers, and tourists may be seen wandering about dreamily in this picturesque landscape. Susunia is also one of the richest reserves of medicinal plants. The hill is famous for its great archaeological value. One can find the oldest rock inscription of West Bengal in this incredible beauty of nature. It is also home to numerous ancient fossils like giraffe, Asiatic lion, Hyena and many more animal species. Susunia is also known for an open temple of Narasimha at the foothills. Purest form of spring water gushes out from a stone spout placed near the monolithic stone idol of Narasimha. It is said that the water has medicinal values and is of the highest quality. However, the actual source of water is unknown.

Mukutmanipur

Mukutmanipur, situated at the confluence of rivers Kansabati and Kumari, is a home to tribes like Santhal, Bhumij Sardar and Munda, which indulge in a variety of dance forms, crafts, music and delectable food. Additionally, Mukutmanipur comprises the Kangsabati Dam the second biggest earth dam of India and the Kangsabati Water Reservoir, forests and hillocks. It is a vibrant tourist destination, exhibiting culturally rich tribal traditions and festivals on one hand, and offering a serene, offbeat, and tranquil nature destination on the other. This ideal blend of culture and nature makes it the perfect choice for weekend getaways. Urban dwellers in search of some peace and relaxation visit Mukutmanipur, away from the usual humdrum of the cities, to rejuvenate themselves.

Jayrambati

Jayrambati village is the birthplace of Sri Sarada Devi, who is worshipped as the Holy Mother, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna. It is said that the village started to show signs of prosperity after the birth of Sri Sarada Devi in 1858. The main temple named as Sri Sri Matri Mandir was constructed here in the dedication of Sri Sarada Devi. It belongs to Ramakrishna Math and Mission Belur Math . The idol of the temple is placed exactly on the spot where the Holy Mother is said to have been born. Another temple, called the Narayanan temple can also be found in this village, where a child of ages below 5 years is worshipped every morning as Lord Narayana. This temple is run by Vivekananda monks, who also operate and manage an orphanage for boys.

Garh Darwaja

Garh Darwaja offers the tourists a glimpse of the historically prevalent architectural terracotta structures of Bankura district. Built entirely in terracotta masonry, this plain arched structure dates back to the period of Mallabhum kingdom. Garh Darwaja is also known as the Chhota Patthar Darwaja or small gateway of Bishnupur. It overlooks the famous Radhakrishna Lalji Temple. At a short distance from this arch lies another larger gateway known as the Bara Patthar Darwaja or Main Gateway of Bishnupur. These monuments are currently not protected by ASI, but act as a landmark destination for the local crafts market selling items like terracotta pottery, artifacts, jewelry and Balucheri sarees.

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL