Garh Panchakot is in Purulia district.

Understand

Ruins of Pancharatna Temple

Garh Panchakot is situated on the slopes of Panchet Hill and adjacent to Panchet Lake, is a scenic hilly forested area, with a tinge of history. It was a fortified area owned by the Rajas of Panchakot, the Singh Deo dynasty. Their antiquity and history are still to be ascertained properly. The family is reputed to have been established in 90 AD. They were possibly linked with the Tilkampa dynasty. The ruins of Telkupi, an ancient Jain centre, were submerged when Panchet Dam was built. It is said that the Singh Deos lost out to Bir Hambir of Bishnupur Raj around 1600 AD, albeit for a short period. The Maratha raiders, locally known as Bargis, ransacked the place in the 18th century. The Singh Deo family, ultimately, moved out to Kashipur, now in Purulia district.

Get in

Railway stations around Panchet Hill:

• Adra, on Kharagpur-Bankura-Adra-Purulia line, is 25 km via Raghunathpur
• Asansol, on Howrah-Delhi main line, is 34 km via Parbelia and Dishergarh
• Barakar, on Grand Chord line, is 19 km via Chirkunda on GT Road
• Kumardhubi, on Grand Chord line, is 14 km via Chirkunda on GT Road

It is about 250 km from Kolkata by road. The drive is of 5-6 hours. It is 56 km from Dhanbad.

Get around

Have your own transport.

See

• 1 Garh Panchakot. Ruins of a fort of the Rajas of Panchakot  
• 2 Panchet Hill. This hill is about 2,100 ft (643m) high and occupies an area of 18 sq km. It is thickly forested. The area is located on the lowest step of the Chotanagpur Plateau. The hilltop offers picturesque and panoramic view of the command area of the Panchet Dam on Damodar river and its reservoir.  
• Maithon Dam. About 30 km 
• 3 Panchet Dam. This was the last of the four dams erected by the Damodar Valley Corporation. It was inaugurated in 1959. Constructed across the Damodar River, it has a height of 45 metres (147.64 ft) and a length of 6,777 metres (22,234 ft). It is an earthen dam with a concrete spillway. The reservoir covers an area of 27.92 sq km at dead storage level and 121.81 sq km at maximum conservation pool. As a result of comparatively poorer communication links, it is less crowded than the Maithon Dam.  
• 4 Telkupi. The ruins of Telkupi, an ancient city, almost submerged in Panchet Lake  

Do

Sightseeing

Buy

The nearest urban shopping centres are at Chirkunda, 12 km

Eat

Eat at your place of stay.

Drink

It is preferable to carry your own requirement. You may get something locally or at Chirkunda.

Sleep

• 1 Garh Panchakot Prakriti Bhraman Kendra, Situated at the foothill of Panchet Hill, ☏ +91 9434246516 (helpline - for booking contact WBFDC - see below or website). Check-in: 11 am, check-out: 11 am. It is property of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation. Head Office: 6A, Raja Subodh Mullick Square, 7th Floor, Kolkata- 700013, Phones: 033-22370060/61 033-22368483/22365202. Another Kolkata office: BD Market, Salt Lake, Kolkata-700064. Phone: 033-23341756. Divisional Office: Divisional Forest Officer, Kangsabati Soil Conservation Division, PO Raghubpur – 723 101, Phone: 03252-222231. Cottages - Non-AC: ₹1,000 -1,200, AC: ₹1,000 – 2,000, Conference Room: ₹8,000. 
• Palash Bithi Eco Resort, Near Garh Panchakot Prakriti Bhraman Kendra, ☏ +91 8001702087. (updated Apr 2017)
• Garpanchkot Eco Resort, Garpanchkot Forest, ☏ +91 9830011715. (updated May 2019)

Go next

• Baranti -18 km
• Biharinath – 37 km
• Maithon - 30 km
• Dhanbad - 56 km
• Parasnath Hills - 100 km