It has been a difficult year to say the least, and I for one is glad that 2020 has finally come to an end. The new year brings hope and a chance to explore this beautiful world around us. If the last year has taught us anything is that we should never take our freedom to travel for granted.
Utilising the weekends to explore new places is a great way to unwind from the weekly grind and escape the relentless urban life. Being a resident of Kolkata, I am always on the hunt for obscure, off the radar spots around the city.
Garpanchakot is one such place located around 250 km from the city. It is a small village set at the foothills of the Panchakot mountain in Purulia. Garpanchakot itself is an ancient palace which lies in ruins today. The temple and the surrounding palace complex are the main popular tourist attraction of the area.
Rural Purulia has a sort of rustic beauty that always attracts the wandering spirit. There is so much to explore, discover and internalise from this district of rolling hills, winding mud tracks and dense forests.
The temple and the fort of Panchakot dates all the way back to 90 AD. The remaining walls, structures and buildings stand as silent sentinels of a past long lost in the dusty pages of history books. The Singh Deo Dynasty, who were the original rulers of Panchakot are supposedly the creators of this hidden archaeological marvel in the forests of Purulia.
Visually, the entire site and its surrounding offer a spectacular combination of human and natural architecture. A colossal, forested mountain dominates the background with the sprawling Palace complex ruins making an intriguing foreground. When the din of tourists, and cars die down you can hear the forests and the wind rustling down the Panchakot mountain and over the woods.
The dense forest and quiet surroundings act as a magnet for a diverse flora and fauna. Over the years Garpanchakot has become a haven for bird watchers and nature lovers. Wildlife includes rare sightings of foxes, wild boars and Hyenas.
A dense population of trees like eucalyptus and Sal provide shelter to the wildlife of the region. This same forest acted as a major barrier of plunderers and invaders in the ancient times. But eventually the fort of Panchakot was invaded and attacked by the Bargi of the Maratha Cavalry.
Today the ruined temples, smashed walls and buttresses are all that remains of the invasion. It is a place steeped in history, myths and legends. Walking through the ruins, is like taking a trip back in time; you can almost see what the palace used to be back in the day.
Garpanchakot has been inching towards mainstream tourism over the years but it is still quite secluded. There are a couple of resorts that have sprung up around the mountain, at the edge of the forest. The very first one was established by the Forest Department of West Bengal and is still one of the best accommodations there.
More recent addition to the list are resorts like Panchet Residency and Aranye Dinratri. Out the two, I have stayed in the latter one and it was a very pleasant experience. The resort is situated right at the edge of the forest, from where the mountain starts. The palace complex sits right beside Aranya Dinratri resort. So, going by location and scenic beauty, this is top notch real estate.
Resort Website: http://charulataresorts.com/
While staying at Garpanchakot, you can visit a few nearby spots that are worth visiting. This includes a hiking trail through the Panchakot forest, the Panchet Dam on river Damodar and Joy Chandi Hills nearby.
Resorts and accommodations are open to tourists year-round but personally I would visit it during winter. The cold coupled with the surrounding greenery and early morning fog makes for a truly intriguing spectacle.
So, if you are feeling bogged down by the relentless pressure of work from home and need to take a break from excel spreadsheets and glaring laptop screens. I suggest you look no further than Garpanchakot, this portal into a land frozen in time.
Aptly written