Baranti

Baranti is a small tribal village in the Santuri (community development block) 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.[1]

Baranti
Village
Baranti Lake
Baranti
Location in West Bengal, India
Baranti
Baranti (India)
Coordinates: 23.5811°N 86.8463°E / 23.5811; 86.8463
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DistrictPurulia
SubdivisionRaghunathpur subdivision
Languages
 • OfficialBengali, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Police StationSanturi

Geography
Places in Raghunathpur subdivision in Purulia district
M: municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre, T: tourist centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Baranti is located at 23.5811°N 86.8463°E / 23.5811; 86.8463.

Area overview

Purulia district forms the lowest step of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The general scenario is undulating land with scattered hills.[2] Panchet Hill rises to a height of 1,600 feet (490 m).[3]The Damodar forms the northern boundary of the district, but the Panchet Dam across the river is in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.[4]Raghunathpur subdivision occupies the northern part of the district. 83.80% of the population of the subdivision lives in rural areas. However, there are pockets of urbanization and 16.20% of the population lives in urban areas. There are 14 census towns in the subdivision.[5] It is presented in the map given alongside. There is a coal mining area around Parbelia[6] and two thermal power plants are there – the 500 MW Santaldih Thermal Power Station[7] and the 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station. The subdivision has a rich heritage of old temples, some of them belonging to the 11th century or earlier. The Banda Deul is a monument of national importance.[8][9] The comparatively more recent in historical terms, Panchkot Raj has interesting and intriguing remains in the area.[10][11]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Transport

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 through the district headquarters Purulia to nearby Muraddi.[12]

Tourism

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.[13] Garh Panchkot is only 12 km away, and Joychandi Pahar just 21 km away from Baranti.[14] 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."[13]

  • Reflection at Baranti
  • A panoramic view
  • Palash in bloom
  • Baranti village road
  • Sunset at Baranti Lake
  • The day comes to an end

References
  1. "Tourist spots in Purulia being developed by the Bengal Govt". news.webindia123.com. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  2. Houlton, Sir John, Bihar, the Heart of India, 1949, p. 170, Orient Longmans Ltd.
  3. "Bengal District Gazetteers - Manbhum by H. Coupland, ICS". First Published 1911. University of California, San Diego. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  4. Mahesh Chand; V.K. Puri (1983). Regional Planning in India. Allied Publishers. p. 423. ISBN 978-81-7023-058-8.
  5. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Purulia". Tables 2.1, 2.2. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  6. "Area wise Closed User Group (CUG) Telephone Numbers" (PDF). Sodepur Area. Eastern Coalfields Limited. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  7. "Santaldih Thermal Power Station - WBPDCL". WBPDCL. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  8. "Old temple at Banda (locally known as deul)". ASI, Kolkata Circle. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  9. "List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of West Bengal - Archaeological Survey of India". Item no. 134. ASI. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  10. "Capital in shambles: Garh Panchakot, Purulia". Heritage in Peril. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  11. "Historical ruins". Trek Earth. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  12. "PURULIA". wbtourismgov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  13. "Next weekend you can be at ... Baranti". telegraphindia.com. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  14. "নীলাভ সুন্দরী হয়ে প্রতীক্ষায় বড়ন্তি". anandabazar.com. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.

Baranti travel guide from Wikivoyage

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