Jharkhand, 'Land of Forest' is one of the most undiscovered and underrated place in India. The state is overloaded with scenic beauty that your eyes can not behold. Hills, forests, wildlife, waterfalls, historic sites, pilgrimage, name it and Jharkhand have it all.
For a place that has the capability to offer such a rich experience, it is difficult to suggest just a few reasons to visit. However, if you're still undecided here are five tempting reasons why you should visit Jharkhand.
1. Forests And Wildlife
Almost three-quarters of Jharkhand is covered by dense forests, making the state one of its kind. The forest provides shelter to a large variety of flora and fauna. Saranda located in Jharkhand is the largest Sal forest in Asia.
Jharkhand has many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks including one of the first tiger reserves of India, Palamu Tiger Reserves, a part of the Betla National Park. Other famous wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the state are Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Hazaribagh National Park, Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park.
2. The Waterfalls
Jharkhand is blessed with uncountable waterfalls and is home to some of the highest waterfalls in the eastern region of India. Lodh falls located in the Latehar district is the highest waterfall of the state and the 21st highest waterfall of India with a height of 469 ft.
Lodh, Hundru, Sadni, Dassam, Jonha, Hirni, Panchghagh are some of the famous waterfalls in the state. However, there are a large number of waterfalls that are undiscovered such as Sita, Patam, Surkai Ghaghri, Mirchaiya, Suga Bandh, Indra, Lawapani, and many more. All the waterfalls are located amidst the forest and have a scenic backdrop that can help you rejuvenate.
3. Religious and Historic Sites
Jharkhand is an important religious site for the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain communities. Ithkori is located in the Chatra District of Jharkhand at the confluence of the river Mahane and Baska. It is believed that after abandoning his royal kingdom, Lord Buddha spent a few days here before he made his journey to Bodh Gaya.
Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, located in Deoghar is one of the twelve Shiva Jyotirlingas in India. It is considered as a highly auspicious site in Hindu mythology.
Shikharji located in Giridih is believed to be the place where twenty of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras along with many other monks attained Moksha, according to Nirvana Kanda and other religious texts.
Jharkhand also plays an important role in the history of India. Some of the important historic sites in Jharkhand are 108 terracotta temples of Maluti, Isko Village, Jagannath temple, Bhadrakali temple, Palamu Forts, Nilkanth Mahal, Rajmahal, Teliagarhi Fort and many other.
4. Art, Culture, and Folklore
Jharkhand is home to more than 40 tribal communities such as Munda, Oran, Ho, Santhal, Brihor, and Kharia. It is rich in art and culture. The Sohrai and Khovar art form have been honored by the GI tag.
To get acquainted with more traditional art forms, say paitkar paintings, stone cutting, Dokra art, Fresco painting, Chau dance, tribal mud huts, visit the rural tourism site of Jharkhand such as Amadubi-Panijiya Rural Tourism Centre or Deuridih Rural Tourism.
Amadubi-Panijiya Rural Tourism Centre also known as Amadubi Kalagram is an art village that was inaugurated on World Tourism Day in 2013 to spread the tribal and folk culture and tradition of Jharkhand.
Located at Amadubi in Dalbhumgarh at a distance of 65 km from Jamshedpur, it was developed by the Jharkhand Tourism department in association with Village Tourism Development Committee (VTDC) and NGO Kalamandir-The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation.
Deuridih Rural Tourism is another village displaying the tribal culture and tradition of Jharkhand. The village located in the Kharsawan block, 54 km from Jamshedpur, is a major silk hub of the state. Jharkhand is the highest producer of Tassar Silk/Tussar Silk India
5. Adventure Tourism
Jharkhand is surrounded by hills and forest which makes it a natural destination for adventure sports like trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, canoeing, and kayaking.
One of the best places to try adventure sports is Khandoli located in Giridih. India has only a few centers where all kinds of adventure sports, i.e air, water, and sky based are available in one place and Khandoli is one of them. It is a one-stop destination for both nature and adventure lovers.
