Jharkhand Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Jharkhand

Baba Basukinath Dham is a renowned pilgrimage site in Dumka district of Jharkhand. It is one of the revered destination for the Hindus. Shravan Mela, which takes place in between July and August, is the time when devotees throng at this place from every corner of the country. Foreign tourists are also seen during this occasion. The holy water of Ganges is offered to the deity and the devotees are found in saffron-dyed clothes.

They offer their prayers by stretching on the road. These devotees also pay a visit to Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deogarh. Vivah Panchami or Ram Janki Vivah Utsav is another festival which takes place at the end of the year. It was inaugurated by Baba Basukinath and is still being continued.

‘Palki Utsav’ is also a part of the celebration. Innumerable people come to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. Situated on Dumka-Deoghar Highway, it is close to Jasidih Dumka Railway line. The closest station is Basukinath and Jamtara Railway Station. If one is travelling by air, Ranchi Airport is the nearest.

The Baidyanath Dham or Baidyanath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingams in India is one of the major tourist destinations of Jharkhand. There is a very famous story behind the foundation of this temple. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva impressed by Ravana's prayer gave him a lingam which Ravana had to carry to his kingdom by completing an uninterrupted journey.

The gods were not happy to let the divine lingam pass on to the enemy kingdom and so Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a brahmin and successfully made Ravana drop the lingam and thus it remains in Deoghar. The temple was established in the year 1596. The lost lingam was found by a man named Baiju and then it was named as the Baidyanath temple.

In the Puranas, the significance of Baidyanath is also given. It is also a shaktipith. Naulakha Temple is also situated nearby. Every year the famous Shravani Mela is held in Jharkhand and thousands of devotees visit the temple during this 30-day festival.

The devotees of Lord Shiva offer the holy water on the Shiva lingam. However, the small shops and the small eateries around the place selling a variety of delicacies and local sweets like peda are also a major draw for the tourists visiting there. The temple opens at 4 am in the morning and closes at 9 pm at night.  

Situated in the district of Bokaro at Jharkhand, Bokaro Steel Plant is world famous as it was India’s first swadeshi movement-steel plant. This steel plant is also the fourth integrated public sector steel plant in the country, which was established with Soviet help and later it was merged with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

The first blast furnace of the Bokaro Steel Plant was started on 2nd October 1972. This plant houses five blast furnaces at present. Bokaro Steel Plant produces an array of products like hot rolled coils, hot rolled plates, hot rolled sheets, cold roll coils, cold roll sheets and so on.

Mining is one of the significant occupations of the people residing in and around Dhanbad. Mines and minerals are the main source of the economy in Jharkhand. Iron and steel, coal and mica are some of the treasures which forms the principal industries of the state.

Places around Dhanbad are rich in coalfields. There are 112 coal mines which have made the city one of the busiest commercial centres of India. 27.5 million tonnes of coal are produced which brings 7000 million Rupees to the state.

Coal washeries are also present here. Power-generating plants are also set up in various parts of the city. While Maithon and Panchet are responsible for hydro power, Tata Power and Damodar Valley Corporation are responsible for thermal power production.

Some of the mines are generating power with the help of ONGC which is using CBM. BCCL is responsible for mining activities and operating coking coal mines in Jharia and Raniganj Coalfields. DGMS is a government agency which takes care of safety in mines.

Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) is the first coal mining company which supplies coal to power and steel industries of the nation. Jharia, 10km from Dhanbad is a rich storehouse of coal. For several years there has been fire in the mines below the town.

Indian School of Mines is a renowned technical institute that deals with various branches of science like mining, geology, geophysics, petroleum, mineral and others.

The Kelaghagh Dam is located at a distance of around 4 km from Simdega. What makes this dam even beautiful is its surroundings. The dam is surrounded by hills and a park. Tourists can enjoy water boating and parasailing services offered here.

Kunda is a small village in Chatra. Kunda cave consists of the ruins of the Kunda Palace, which is a few miles from the village. Studies reveal that the palace might have been built during the end of 17th century or in the beginning of the 18th century.

The other attractions of Chatra include the Kolhua Hill and the Kauleshwari Temple.

Madhuban is one of the tourist attractions among several places to visit in Giridih district of Jharkhand. It is a village where a temple, more than 2000 years old, is believed to exist.

It lies in Pirtland Block and is a religious site for Jains. Samosharan temple and Bhomiyaji Asthan are the most important Jain temples in Madhuban. Jain scriptures, manuscripts and idols at the Jain museum make the tourists aware of the many unknown facts.

The museum balcony has a telescope through which enthusiasts can visualize the Parasnath Temple. If one is trekking to Parasnath Temple the journey starts from Madhuban. It is a stretch of 13 km at the northern side of the temple. Even the bus route ends at Madhuban from where one has no other way other than trekking.

Madhuban is 28 km from Giridih and Parasnath is distanced by 10 km. Presence of numerous Jain temples has made the place extremely sacred for Jains all around the globe.

Therefore, Madhuban also being a picnic spot, has limitations regarding non-vegetarian dishes and alcohol. Rest houses at Madhuban provide rest to the tired devotees from the temple.

Jain temples in this village have mural paintings that depict the temples on Parasnath Hill. An icon of Parshvanath, which dates back to 4th century, is present in a temple at Palganj. It is 19 km from Madhuban.

Pahari Mandir is a temple of Lord Shiva located atop of Ranchi Hill having an altitude of 2140 ft from the sea level. This hill was earlier known as Phansi Tongri as in ancient times, freedom fighters were hung here. To remember the sacrifice of these freedom fighters, the national flag is hoisted here on Republic Day.

The way leading to this temple comprises of 300 steps. The temple is said to have powers of blessing its devotees with the desired wishes. The site of this temple also provides a bird’s eye view of the entire city of Ranchi. Its surroundings comprise different species of trees. The Shravana month of the Hindu calendar is its busiest time, during which devotees offer Jal Dhara to the main deity of this temple.

The two majestic forts of Palamu, which now lie in a ruined condition, is a major tourist attraction in the region. The old fort and the new fort, both have an Islamic style of architecture and are located close to each other.

The Palamu forts are attributed to the Chero dynasty kings. The fort was built by Raja Medini Ray. The fort has a historical significance in India as it played a great role in the defense purpose from the enemies at that time.

Rajrappa is a pilgrimage centre in Hazaribagh, located on the NH23 in Jharkhand where the famous Chhinnamasta Temple is located. It is a Shaktipith and on the bodies of Rati and Kamdeo stands the headless statue of Goddess Chhinamastika. This old temple is famous for its Tantrik style of architecture.

Animal sacrifice is carried out in the Kali temples. Rajrappa is also a holy place for the tribal people, specially the Santhal tribe in Jharkhand. They visit the temple as yatris mostly in the month of December.

It is an important pilgrimage for Hindus. People from Bihar and West Bengal visit here throughout the year. Rajrappa is also a popular picnic spot. The Rajrappa Waterfalls is a tourist spot. River Bhera along with river Damodar forms this 30 ft high waterfall. People can enjoy the sight of nature and magnificent rock formations and boat rides are also available.

Located at Rajrappa is the renowned Maa Chhinmastika Temple, which is at a mere 28 km distance from the Ramgarh Cantonment. Being a popular destination for hindu pilgrimage, this temple is also known as a ‘Shakthi Peeta’. The ancient architecture of the Maa Chhinmastika temple emphasizes the importance of Tantrik tradition.

The major attractions of this temple are the headless statue of Goddess Chhinmastika, which stands upon the statues of Kamdeo and Rati, on a bed of Lotus. This Temple is situated near the confluence of the rivers Damodar and Bharvi, which is considered as the holy union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti. Many ceremonies and marriages take place at this temple.

The Siddhu Kanha Park is believed to be one of the most beautiful parks of Pakur. The Martello Tower, built during the British Rule is one of the main highlights of the park. The tower was built by the British rulers of Palur to defend their empire from the Santhal Warriors, who had waged war against the Englishmen to drive them out of the Indian soil.

The park is located in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office and the clean environment makes it an ideal place for travellers to visit.

At the confluence of the rivers Kharkai and Suvarnarekha, the Safari Park enables visitors to take a drive through a wooded area where animals roam free. Supplementing the flora and fauna in the zoo is a Nature Education Centre. Boating on the tranquil waters of Jubilee Lake adds a thrilling experience to the visitors.

The picnic spots and the nature trail in the zoo provide unique outlets to relax and spend hours in natural surroundings. The park has a beautiful lake, which has the provision for boating. The migratory birds fly in during winter. A variety of flora and fauna exists in conditions close to their natural habitat at the zoological park.

Situated besides the Jubilee Park, it is a great place for all the nature lovers. It has a good variety of flora & fauna and is a place for those who have passion to observe closely the flourishing nature and be with it for sometime. Watching migratory birds visiting every year during winters is equally enchanting for all the bird lovers. The park also has a beautiful lake and a small boathouse.

Dumka, the pilgrimage city of Hindus in Jharkhand is renowned for temples. Situated at Saraiyahat Block, Baba Sumeshwarnath is a renowned religious place in the district. It is located at a distance of 60 km from the main township. Devotees are seen thronging by the huge Shiva Temple at Baba Sumeshwarnath every day.

On special occasions, the temple is visited by people from every corner of the district. Mahashivaratri is a famous festival when people travel from various parts of the state in order to offer their prayers. Thousands of devotees also visit the temple during the month of Sravana. In Hindu mythology, this month is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Offering holy water from Ganges with chanting of prayer and hymns is a common scenario of Baba Sumeshwarnath.

Created in the year 1989, the Jawahar Nehru Biological Park is a vast area that constitutes a zoological park. This biological park houses an interesting array of species. Being the biggest zoological park of Jharkhand, this biological park proves to be a prominent tourist attraction.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park boasts of a large number of big cats, such as Asiatic lions, white tigers and royal Bengal tigers. Apart from birds and animals, this biological park also has other features, such as a kid’s corner, a toy train called as the Mowgli Express, boating at a man-made lake and a dam.