Maithon
Maithon is located in Dhanbad district of North Chotanagpur division of Jharkhand. The Barakar River forms the border with West Bengal.
Get in
Maithon can be reached by train, bus or car, from Kolkata, and by road from Dhanbad or Asansol.
By train
From Howrah Station catch trains heading for Asansol or Kumardubi (KMME). Maithon is 30 km from Asansol, local auto will charge approx ₹300-₹400. From Kumardubi, Maithon is only 9 km, local auto charges ₹100.
By train one can also go from Kolkata via Barakar railway station. Maithon is 16 km from Barakar. Convenient trains from Kolkata are:
- Black Diamond Express/13317 (Departure-06:15; Arrival-10:06)
- Howrah Dhanbad AC Express/12385 (D-08:30; A-11:37)
- Jammu Tawi Express /13151 (D-11:45; A-16:00)
- Shaktipunj /11448 (D-14:35; A-17:56)
- Coalfiled Express/ 12339 (D-17:20; A-20:45)
Doon Express and Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Allahabad also have stoppages at Barakar but around mid-night.
By bus
By bus you can reach Asansol, from there go by auto or a hired car (₹500-₹600). There is regular mini bus service between Asansol main city bus stand and Maithon.
By car
From Kolkata by road it is an approximately 250 km drive. NH 19 is world-class, a 4 lane highway with a divider. Earlier, the Panagarh stretch used to have traffic jams, but as of 2017, there is a bypass avoiding Panagarh Bazar.
See
Do
Row boat - a seat rowing boat is ₹300 and additional ₹20-50 tip to the boatman allows you to experience rowing with your own hand. Also you have options to do paddle boating. Or take a hi-speed trip in a speed-boat by paying ₹500.
Buy
If you are going from Kolkata by road, on the way back pickup langcha (sweet-meat speciality) from Shaktigarh, approx 20 km after Bardhaman towards Kolkata. NH 19 by passes Bardhaman. If you want to buy other sweet-meat speciality such as mihidana or sitabhog, then follow the old GT Road, which goes through the town and then get back to NH 19 after Bardhaman. Mihidana or sitabhog is also available at Saktigarh, but it is not always as good as in Bardhaman town. The best quality is available in shops around Curzon Gate.
Eat
On the Jharkhand end of the Dam you can get a variety of chat, dhokla, golgappa, chana-bhatura etc. On the Bengal end, try the Paneer Pakora & Chicken Pokora from Chittaranjan Debnath's shop near Mazumder Niwas.
You can enjoy thrills of three star dining at Maithon Hotel, Sanjay Chowk or try the chop/ cutlets in area 4.
- 1 Mirchi Corner, Main Gate, ☏ +91 89866 19139. Casual Indian that will satisfy your hunger but is often very crowded.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Asha Resorts (Lodging & marriage hall) (Near Kalyaneswari Temple), ☏ +91 341-2520135, +91 9732079996.
- 2 Hotel Barsha, ☏ +91 2520036 (Hotel), +91 9832130409.
- 3 Hotel Shantinivas (near maithon dam), ☏ +91 9830217777, info@hotelshantinivasmaithan.com. Restaurant, Parking, Conference Hall, Children's play area, Beautiful Rock Gardens, Dense Forest view etc. Double-bedded air-con room: ₹800-1,000, Double-bedded non air-con room: ₹700, Dorm: ₹300 per bed.
- 4 Maithon Hotel and Restaurant, Sanjay Chowk, NH 2, ☏ +91 6540-270042, +91 9204483017.
- 5 Majumdar Nivas of DVC, CPRO, DVC Towers, CIT Housing Complex, VIP Road, Kolkata 700054 (On an island in Maithon Lake, connected to the mainland by a bridge.), ☏ +91 33 2333-2115. Limited food menu.
- 6 Sunny Hotel, GT Road, Egarkunr, Kumardhubi, Distt. Dhanbad, ☏ +91 9801541566.
- 7 Tourist Lodge of West Bengal Tourism, ☏ +91 33 4401-26, fax: +91 (033) 22485168. Phone: 953412523894 Double-bedded room: ₹1000-2000.
- 8 Hotel Surya Nivas, Maithon Road, Kalyaneswari,, ☏ +91 9641587777.
- 9 Hotel Yatri Niwas, Maa Kalyaneswari Temple, Hadla, ☏ +91 97321 48410.
Connect
Internet service
- BSNL
- Vashudewa Enterprises +91-9905168865
Go next
- Asansol
- Baranti - holiday resorts, about 38 km
- Biharinath - holiday resorts, about 50 km
- Panchet Dam / Garh Panchakot
- Dhanbad
- Parasnath Hills