SUNDAY POST FEB 22-28
DEEPAK MAHATO
Want to spend a splendid time in the midst of nature, in the contact of wild and gorgeous mammals with lots adventure thrown in? Then, without caring a second time, pack your bags for a visit to Jharkhand’s Netarhat.
The experience in Netarhat will definitely be more than the money spent, as tourists have explained the adventure of living at the heart of nature. Only a century back the British camping at Palamu’s had termed it as near to heart. The dense forests, colourful stream-fed valleys and luxuriant hills of Netarhat surely make the place unique. The hilly district spread over an area of 5043.8 km² located between 23°50’ and 24°8’ north latitude and between 83°55’ and 84°30’ east longitude and is only 165 km from Jharkhand’s state capital, Ranchi. It has exotic animals, water bodies, splendid jungles, a multi-hued sunrise and the most exciting part of a trip is the added adventure.
A trip to the hill station should be planned as a gentle vacation. To reach Palamu, one has to reach Jharkhand’s state capital Ranchi via train or airways. Then book a SUV only for the journey to Netarhat ‘Queen of Hills’ as roads get bumpy and rough once inside the hilly terrain. As you leave Ranchi and hit the highway to Palamu you start getting refreshed from the tiring journey.
Most important, prior to leaving the state capital do not forget to book the ‘dak bunglow’ situated at the heart of ‘Queen of Hills’, Netarhat. If you miss you will surely have a tiring holiday. While moving towards Palamu you will wish to stop every km to take a selfie but hang on till you enter the Palamu zone because the only word you will remember then
is wow! While marking your way 3,700 feet up-hills to reach Netarhat — sal, pine, cypress, tamarind and neem trees will be standing to welcome you. If you are lucky enough some wild beasts would also be there on the dusty roads to greet you.
Once at the dak-bunglow, you will get the feeling of being in God’s land. The herds of spotted dears and playful monkeys and langurs will make you forget your tiring journey.At lunch time or evening tea time, or dinner the dak-bunglow employees will describe to you Netarhat’s fabled sunrise which will force you to keep your eyes open till you actually see it.
After keeping yourself awake for the whole night — facing the cool breeze either in your tree house or dak-bungalow garden — you will relish the mood of watching the sun rising and the sky turning into an art-board — coloured with red and orange, streaks of purple and sapphire blue sketched all around.
After a few hours of rest, nature enthusiasts, animal lovers and bird-watchers can explore one of the most diverse eco-systems with the thrill of seeing predators walking beside you. The famous Betla National Park is known for its startling wildlife. If you are fortunate, you could sight 39 species of mammals, eight kinds of snakes and 95 genuses of birds. Tigers, leopards, wild elephants, sloth bears, brown bear, jackal and hyenas are the permanent predators to be sighted here. While the other attractions are the large families of langurs, rhesus monkeys, Indian civets, ant-eating pangolins, apart from large herds of mouse-dear, sambhar, large herds of gaur, chital, four horned antelopes, nilgai and spotted dear.
Bird lovers will also not regret visiting the place as the park is home to birds like the hornbill, peafowl, black partridge, black ibis, and swamp grey, crested serpent-eagle, forest owls, comb-duck and snipe. 
The road to Betla is great; both sides of the road are covered with thick forests. At the Betla Forest main gate an elephant will greet you and take you for a safari. If you fail to book an elephant safari then you will have to book a jeep or a guide.
One can plan a trip to the place throughout the year. But if you have plans to spend time with the exotic animals and birds timing of your visit to the plateau is very important. To make an eye contact with the tigers and elephants strolling freely you have to plan your trip during summer, but be ready to face the heat as the temperature might cross the 45 degree mark.
While driving through the dense sal and bamboo forest area in the plateau district one can hear the thundering sound of water falling from six waterfalls — Lodh, Mirchiya, Kund, Upper Ghahri, and lower Ghagri Waterfalls.During the trip every hour passes away in a span of seconds and yet you have not visited places which are exotic and filled with real-time adventure. If your trip is not short, Lodh falls 60 km off Netarhat and should be a must visit. The knick-point tiered waterfall is located deep in the forest and the multiple distinct drops of the Burha River from a height of 468 feet makes a thundering sound which is audible once you are 10 km away from the place.
If you are visiting Palamu with your girlfriend or wife then please visit the famous Magnolia Sunset Point to witness the most mystical sunset. The stories narrated to you by your attendee back at the dak-bungalow about Governor’s daughter-Magnolia who rode her horse off the cliff after realising that her love with an Adivasi youth was not recognised by her family. According to popular belief and folklore, Magnolia’s spirit helps love-birds visit the sunset point and eventually getting married.
On your return journey you can have a date with history at the Palamu Fort located at Keekhti. If you are planning a summer trip you can spend some time near the water of Koyal river. Another main attraction which you would not like to miss is the Bhai Shakhur river. In the hot weather when you would be looking for a little chill the river water comes to rescue. The water of the river is cool during the summer days and warm during the chilly weather. If you enough time before boarding your train or plane to home then visit Palkot, which according to local folklore is considered the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.
