|
Precocious
JharkHand
Carved out of Bihar, the mineral rich state of Jharkhand is
a mix of heavy industries and natural beauty. Besides two
major steel plants, Tata Steel and Bokaro, and several coal
mine fields, Jharkhand is also dominated by tribals. The gamut
of tourist offerings of the state includes wild life sanctuaries,
waterfalls, lakes, mineral springs, hills and pilgrimage centres.
Dassam Falls and Hundru Falls are two scenic cataracts near
the state capital Ranchi. The first is a 144 feet drop of
river Kanchi while the second is a thundering 320 feet free
fall of river Swarnarekha. The other major attraction in the
region is Ranchi Hill, a popular health and holiday resort
with a panoramic view of the town. The ancient hill top shrine
of Jagannathpur built in 1691 in the architectural style of
Puri temple is also a major draw.
Popularly called the ‘Queen of Chhotanagpur’, Netarhat
154 kilometres from Ranchi, is a thickly forested area situated
at a height of 3,700 feet. The place is famous for breath
taking sunrise and sunsets. Hazaribagh National Park, with
an abundance of wildlife like wild boar, sambar, nigai, chital,
sloth bear, tiger and panther, is another major tourist attraction.
Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar) located in the Santhal Parganas
of Jharkhand, is a very important pilgrim centre.
Upcoming
Chhattisgarh
The nascent state of Chhattisgarh in central India is an ideal
far-from-the-madding-crowd destination. Endowed with a rich
cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity, Chhattisgarh
offers a plethora of attractions like ancient monuments, rare
wildlife, exquisitely carved temples, palaces, waterfalls,
ancient caves and hill plateaus.
A veritable green carpet with 44 per cent area under forests,
boasting of three national parks and 11 sanctuaries, one can
view a wide range of wildlife, especially the endangered wild
buffalo and hill myna. Chitrakote Falls, a thundering cataract
plunging down 100 feet, is a must-visit idyllic picnic spot
deep in the heart of Bastar forest. A predominantly tribal
belt, Chhattisgarh is the best bet to experience and understand
the mystic of the aboriginal tribes.
Bhoramdeo Temple near Kawardha, an ancient temple on the banks
of a lake, matches the Khajuraho temples in architectural
grandeur and is worthy to be deemed as a world heritage site.
Several such ancient monuments are found in Rajim, Sirpur,
Tala, Malhar and Sheorinarayan. Other places of tourist interest
in the state are Tirathghar falls, Kailash caves, Kuthumbhsar
caves, Keshkar valley, Bagicha and Chaiturgarh. All in all
the state is a kaleidoscope of tourist attractions waiting
to be discovered.
|
