Showing posts with label Karmatar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karmatar. Show all posts

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Mahupur and Karmatar Tour 

Day 0: HWH (2320 hrs) > Madhupur (Sept 4, 2025)

Day 1: Madhupur Local Exploration (Sept 5, 2025)

Day 2: Parasnath Trek & Giridih Local (Sept 6, 2025)

Day 3: Deoghar (or Baba Baidyanath Dham) (Sept 7, 2025)

Day 3-4: Madhupur (22 25 hrs) >HWH (Sept 8, 2025)

Tour plan  : https://maps.app.goo.gl/QiP7JQNGo2TnJ1MN8

📍 Day 1: Madhupur Local Exploration (Sept 5, 2025)

Madhupur is a city in Deoghar district of Jharkhand. 

In the last century, Bengalis used to go to the West (‘Hawa Badol’ in Bengali means going to western states : Paschim -Madhupur and Giridih) to nurse back their health. This ancient city is famous for its healthy climate and water. You should visit this health resort because the water there is said to cure your stomach and digestion ailments.

Historically, many notable people, particularly from Bengal, owned a vacation house in Madhupur. Amongst them was Sir Asutosh Mookerjee. His younger son, Uma Prasad Mookerjee, the writer famous for his travel books spent time there. Their house Ganga Prasad Bhaban is still there.

🌅 Morning (5:30 AM – 9:00 AM)

  • Arrive at Madhupur Junction. Freshen up and grab tea & snacks near station.

  • Optional: Early visit to Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhupur National Park) for birdwatching.

🏛️ Mid-Morning to Afternoon (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

Explore the town’s colonial-era charm + ashrams + temples:

  1. Kapil Muni Ashram – serene start.

  2. Vivekananda Ashram – spiritual vibes.

  3. Sonar Bangla – historic bungalow.

  4. Columbus Church – a colonial relic.

  5. Rabindranath Tagore Bari – where Tagore once stayed.

  6. Pathrol Kalibari & Nag Devta Temple – vibrant architecture & local faith.

  7. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ashram (Karmatar) – ~40 km drive, history meets countryside.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

    Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891) was one of the pillars of Bengal Renaissance who continued the social reforms initiated by Raja Rammohan Roy in the early 1800s. Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta, while writing about Ishwar Chandra said: ‘The genius and wisdom of an ancient sage, the energy of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother.’

    Vidyasagar was a man with exceptional strength of character and self-respect. He had the guts to hold his own against high ranking British officials. Unshakable courage was the mettle of his success. So when his very own flesh and blood hurt him, Vidyasagar was shattered and decided to distance himself from his known world. He left the city in 1873-74 and migrated to Karmatar, a sleepy hamlet in Bihar to spend the last 18 to 20 years of his life in isolation and oblivion.Vidyasagar bought a house at Karmatar for Rs 500 and moved in to be amid the Santhals at Nandan Kanan, Karmatar. Karmatar is a quaint little village, about 20 km from the district headquarters of Jamtara. The long association of Vidyasagar with Karmatar was a forgotten chapter till the Bihar-Bengalee Association members discovered it and decided to buy it and build it as a museum in memory of Vidyasagar. After Vidyasagar’s demise, his only son, Narayanchandra, sold the house to a businessman, who used the plot for floriculture. Many varieties of roses were grown here and exported to European countries. The house exchanged hands several times after that. Finally, the Bihar-Bengalee Association purchased the house in 1974 by paying Rs 24,000 to Singhdas Mallick sons -- Birendra Nath Mallick and Jitendra Nath Mallick, the then-owners of the house.The purpose of procuring the property was to preserve the memory of this great scholar and extraordinary Renaissance man and save the sprawling Nandan Kanan, spread over 3 acres of land from the clutches of the land-sharks. The Bihar-Bengalee Association decided to buy the property and went for crowd funding. It sold Re 1 coupon to ordinary people and collected funds. The then chief minister of Bihar, Abdul Ghafoor, donated Rs 15,000 for the purpose.Subsequently, the Bihar-Bengalee Association formed Vidyasagar Smrity Raksha Committee with noted litterateur Bibhuti Bhushan Mukhopadhyay as its president. The committee established Vidyasagar Balika Vidyalaya, which was recognised by the then Bihar government as an unaided minority school. Unfortunately, the school was shut down due to paucity of funds.Emulating Vidyasagar who learnt and practiced homeopathy to treat the local Santhal tribals free of cost, the Smrity Raksha Committee set up ‘Vidyasagar Databya Homeopathic Chikitsalaya’ with financial support from Chameli Chatterjee of Jamshedpur, to provide free treatment to the locals. The Bihar-Bengalee Association went all out to appeal to the Railway Ministry through the Bihar government to christen the Karmatar railway station as Vidyasagar railway station.In 1993, a marble bust of Vidyasagar was laid on an erected pedestal at the place where Vidyasagar used to sit in the evenings. He was revered as God by the local Santhal populace, who still worship the cemented dais, marking the spot where their benefactor, Vidyasagar, sat and met them daily. Since 2011, the Bengali Association has been organising ‘Smriti Tarpan’ programme named, ‘Guru Dakshina’ every year on March 29, the day Association acquired the property. Steps to develop Nandan Kanan as heritage site and a tourist spot was also initiated..

    The Vidyasagar Smrity Raksha Committee has renovated the house, which was in a dilapidated condition when the Bihar-Bengalee Association purchased it. The wooden cot, used by Vidyasagar, has been put up for display in one of the seven rooms of the house. Vidyasgar’s life is shown in sketches in the other rooms. A separate guest house has been constructed within the campus for visiting scholars and guests.However, a portion of the building is still occupied by one Mohan Mandal, who claims that his great grandfather, Kartik Mandal served Vidyasagar. But members of the Vidyasagar Smrity Raksha Committee insist that one Adhiram Mandal, assisted Vidyasagar and took care of his charitable work. Before the house was identified and bought, it used to be the local wing of the RSS and the members used the ground for their daily shakha drills.

    At present, the refurbished and well-maintained house is a matter of great pleasure for the ‘probashi’ Bengalees who take pride to be part of the revival journey of Vidyasagar’s legacy at Jharkhand.  https://www.getbengal.com/details/bengali-bihari-association-of-karmatar-preserves-vidyasagar-s-house-and-turns-it-into-a-museum

  8. Sikatiya Dam – perfect for some monsoon greenery.

  9. Bokulia springs, 8 km away, is a popular picnic spot.

       If time allows, stroll at Laopala Park or Indira Gandhi Ground for fresh air.

🌇 Evening (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

🛏️ Stay in Madhupur

  • Kumar International 

  • Stoneberry Resort (upscale, pool, bonfire).

  • Hotel Nilkanth (budget, clean, good service).

  • For Sett Heritage Bungalow Booking:
    Contact No - 092415 85081
    Room Rent - 1500-3500 Rs / Day
  • ABTA Holiday Home - 8013909366 Room Rent - 600 Rs/ Head/Day
  • Leela Kamal Guest House - 9123284297 Room Rent - 700 Rs/ Head/Day


 
Toto Fare - 200/Hr for sightseeing
 
Car Hire - 1000-1200 Rs / day

📍 Day 2: Parasnath Trek & Giridih Local (Sept 6, 2025)



🌄 Early Morning (5:00 AM – 9:00 AM)

  • Drive to Madhuban Village  ~2 hrs.

  • Begin trek to Parasnath Hill (Shikharji) — Jainism’s holiest site (20 temples, 1,350m peak).

    • Full trek: 27 km, 6–8 hrs (challenging).

    • Short trek: 20 km round-trip to main Parasnath Temple.

  • Carry water, snacks, and sturdy shoes.

🏞️ Afternoon (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

Explore Giridih highlights:

  1. Usri Falls – scenic, monsoon-fed cascade. The fall, gushing down from 40 feet high in three separate streams, is surrounded by a range of the famous Parasnath Hills.

  2. Khandoli Lake & Park – boating + hilltop views.

  3. Budhai Pahar – natural landscapes.

Optional: Harihar Dham (Shiv Temple) if time/energy permits.

🍲 Evening (6:00 PM – 9:00 PM)



Back to Madhupur by Car

📍 Day 3: Deoghar (or Baba Baidyanath Dham) (Sept 7, 2025)


🌄 Early Morning (5:00 AM – 7:00 AM)

  • Drive from Giridih/Madhupur to Deoghar (~1 hr).

🙏 Morning (7:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

🍲 Afternoon (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

  • Lunch at Hotel Baidyanath or Ishaan Sarovar Portico (good thalis).

  • Visit Triyuginarayan Kund & Rikhia Ashram for peaceful closure.

🌆 Evening (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

  • Return to Madhupur.

  • Explore Burdwan Sweets – famous for rosogolla, chamcham, mishti doi.

  • Quick snack hunt: rolls, momos, bakery treats at local stalls.

🚉 Late Night

  • Depart from Madhupur Junction after 10:25 PM.

🍴 Foodie Highlights

  • Madhupur: Burdwan Sweets (must!), Hotel Blue Heaven (multi-cuisine), street momo stalls.

  • Giridih: Local dhabas for litti-chokha, Orbitz for Mughlai/Chinese.

  • Deoghar: Hotel Baidyanath (classic), street-side jalebi + puri-sabzi for breakfast.


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