Purulia is the westernmost district of West Bengal and it is a great option for a weekend getaway for people living in Kolkata and around.
My recent trip to Purulia made me wonder why it isn’t as popular as the other tourist destinations in Bengal. It has everything from hills and waterfalls to forests and ancient temples and probably much more!
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama and Sita had come to the Ayodha Hills in Purulia and stayed during their exile. Ayodha Hills is now popular among rock climbers and trekkers.
I went to Purulia in July this year with my family. We had booked our stay in Murguma village in Purulia and it turned out to be the perfect place to reconnect with nature.
MURGUMA
Murguma is a beautiful tribal village in Purulia. Although it is slowly opening its gates to tourism, Murguma is still a land of untouched natural beauty and serenity.
The cottages here are built amidst lush green fields and are surrounded by hills at a distance.
It was raining incessantly from the night before our journey and it continued to drizzle after we reached. But the rain just enhanced the beauty of the place! We decided to explore the surroundings in the evening.
AYODHA HILLS TOUR
We had planned the Ayodha Hills tour for the following day and our car arrived on time. It was raining heavily in the morning but we wouldn’t let it stop us!
Ayodha Hilltop
Our first point was the Ayodha Hilltop with many stunning viewpoints on the way.
Although we stopped at countless viewpoints, this particular one deserves a mention. It was a short walk from the main road and the view it led to was spectacular! And miraculously the rain also stopped as we got down from our car!
Purulia Pumped Storage Project (PPSP) Upper & Lower Dam
Pumping storage power plant is a concept where river water is stored in a reservoir and used for power generation at night. Both PPSP Upper & Lower Dams are major tourist attractions in Purulia.
Well, the best part about travelling during off season is that we got these entire places to ourselves!
Khairabera
Khairabera was actually my first choice to stay in when I was planning the Purulia trip. A tranquil lake on one side and the Khairabera dam on the other, surrounded by hills all around, it really is a beautiful place!
They have accommodation options like cottages and exclusive tents, though they are pretty expensive. They also host a lot of activities like boating, fishing, bird watching, etc.
Charida Village
Charida village is home to over 250 highly skilled mask makers. The masks come in various forms and sizes, the most popular being the Chhau masks used in the internationally famous Chhau dance, which is a folk dance form performed by tribals of Purulia. Some of the smaller masks can be used as home decor.
We had a good chat with some of the artisans and bought a few masks of Gods and Goddesses as souvenirs.
Turga Falls
Turga Falls seemed like a small waterfalls or maybe a small part of it was visible from the road. The whole area had a dense outgrowth and a part of the falls was playing peek-a-boo with us!
We couldn’t find any way to reach near the falls and our driver also told us there isn’t any. Also my camera battery was showing signs of drying out so I wanted to rush to Bamni falls!
Bamni Falls
Like most waterfalls, the way to Bamni falls was a tedious one! We got a nice view of the falls after going down halfway.
But the path got narrower after that and the steps got steeper. Also the path was quite slippery due to the heavy rainfall. This is strictly inadvisable for older people, pregnant women, and people with heart problems.
Marble Lake
We reached Marble Lake almost close to sunset and it looked incredibly beautiful in the golden light. We sat on the rocks for a while, watching the sun go down!
A local told us that some scenes from Tollywood movies were shot here and we could very well understand why!
DEULGHATA
We decided to visit Deulghata on the last day, on our way back to the station.
Deulghata is situated on the banks of the Kansai river. It is a historical site and has the ruins of 15 temples and small shrines.
Deulghata owes its name to its deul styled temples, inspired by Jainism, which once had a firm foothold in this region. At present there are two deuls left, the third being destroyed due to a man made accident sometime back.
The temples have rich carved brickwork with stucco application. The stucco application includes scrollwork, which bears resemblance with temple art from the Pala Sena period.
Deulghata was a good last minute addition to our trip and I would recommend visiting it on your way to the hotel from the station or on your way back to the station.
That was the end of the Purulia trip for us but there were so many places that we couldn’t visit this time and we will definitely come back for more.
PLANNING GUIDE
How To Reach
- Purulia Junction is the main railway station in the district. Muri station is an alternative if you stay in Murguma.
- If you are staying in Purulia city, most hotels are quite close to Purulia station and you can take a toto from the station to reach the hotel.
- If you are staying in Murguma or Garpanchkot or in some other place, you need to hire a car from the station. Car fare from Purulia Junction to Murguma is Rs. 1,000.
Accommodation
- Purulia city has many accommodation options and is perfect for this tour.
- You can also choose to stay closer to nature, like we did. We stayed at Palash Bitan Jungle Huts in Murguma.
- Another great place to visit in Purulia is Garpanchkot. Accommodation options are available there, the best being the government run one.
Car Fare For Sightseeing
- We were charged Rs. 2500 car fare for the Ayodha Hills tour. Opt for a Sumo or Scorpio, since small cars are not ideal in certain areas.
- We were charged Rs. 300 extra over the fare to the railway station for visiting Deulghata.
I really hope you enjoyed reading this article and you’ll find the information useful whenever you plan to visit Purulia. 🙂
Also, don’t forget to check out the YouTube videos I made on this trip!
Happy Travelling! 🙂
