Baranti

Sun set at Baranti Lake

Ruins of Pancharatna Temple

Baranti is a small, quiet and scenic place in the Purulia district of West Bengal. There is a 1 km long irrigation project dam, between two small hillocks, Muradi Hill and Baranti Hill. You can get a grand view of Baranti Lake. It's also a picnic spot, where people from nearby areas, such as Asansol, come for a day-long picnic. Reportedly, it's best in winter.

Another side of the dam/lake is Muradi, an area with a lot of accommodation, including state accommodation. This side is nearer the rail station, health centre and other facilities, and has also a better view of the lake.

This article also covers Garh Panchakot, a fortified area owned by the Rajas of Panchakot, the Singh Deo dynasty, reputed to have been established in 90 CE. It is said that the Singh Deos lost out to Bir Hambir of Bishnupur Raj around 1600, 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, in present-day Purulia district.

Get in

By rail

• 1 Muradi Railway Station. Baranti is 6 km from Muradi railway station on the Adra-Asansol line. You can hire an auto-rickshaw or a trekker at the railway station. 

By car

Road towards Baranti lake

You can take either use the historic Grand Trunk Road or the modern NH 19 (previously NH 2) to get into Asansol first. Just before entering to Neamatpur, turn left to Disergarh Bridge across the Damodar River to Sarbori More on Barakarar Purulia Road to Subhas Morh, turn left to Kotaldih village then to Ramchandrapur village and Muradi village to Baranti. You can also take Raniganj Punjabi More-Mejia More-Shaltora-Santuri-Baranti/Muradi. This route is 35 km shorter than Asansol route.

Get around

Baranti Lake

Akashmani Resort

Baranti Village

Cycle rickshaws are available for local movement in Muradi. Some hired transport is also available near Muradi railway station.

See and do

• 1 Baranti Hill. 
• Baranti Lake. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 Muradi Hill (Gorangi Hill). 

Buy

The nearest urban shopping centre is at Asansol, 23 km by train from Muradi railway station.

Eat

Eat at your place of stay. There are no eateries. Baranti Tourist Point (see "Sleep" below) has a good restaurant, which serves fish from Baranti Lake.

• 1 Spangle Wings Restaurant (In between Baranti Lake & Baranti Hill), ☏ +91 7278565656, spanglewings@gmail.com. Modern Indian cooking with locally-sourced ingredients (updated Jan 2018)

Drink

It is best to carry your own drinks. The restaurant at Baranti Tourist Point sells soft drinks and packaged drinking water.

Sleep

• 1 Garh Panchakot Prakriti Bhraman Kendra, Garh Panchakot, ☏ +91 9434246516 (helpline - for booking contact WBFDC - see below or website). Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 11AM. It is property of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation. Cottages - Non-AC: ₹1,000 -1,200, AC: ₹1,000 – 2,000, Conference Room: ₹8,000. 
• Garpanchkot Eco Resort, Garh Panchakot, ☏ +91 9830011715. (updated May 2019)

Budget

• 2 Aaronnok, ☏ +91 9836099007, +91 9874154268, aaronnokbononivas@gmail.com. Check-in: 10AM, check-out: 10AM. ₹900. 
• Baranti Tourist Point, Just beneath Gorang Hill adjacent to the Dam (beneath Muradi hill & very near to the dam), ☏ +91 8017202499, +91 8017745849, bublu.bnr@gmail.com. Check-in: Noon, check-out: 11AM. AC & non-AC rooms, restaurant, children's park, car parking space, travel help desk, etc. Restaurant serves fish from Baranti Lake. ₹800-1600. (updated Mar 2016)
• Baranti Palashbari Ecological Resort, ☏ +91 9874361951, +91 9831507644, +91 9051616012, palashbari73@gmail.com. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 9AM. 
• Lake Hill Resort, ☏ +91 9432296178, +91 9564925872, +91 33 24156368, pulak3398@gmail.com. Check-out: 9:30AM. Food prepared to order. ₹850 per day for 3 persons. 

Mid-range

• 3 Akashmoni Resort (Beside Baranti Lake), ☏ +91 8017215958 (jolly Das in Salt Lake GD Block). 5 cottages with food and other amenities. Around ₹1500 per day. 
• 4 Baranti Wildlife & Nature Study Hut, ☏ +91 33-25735288-9330958926-9874887046, +91 9239060292, baranti01@gmail.com. Check-in: 9:30AM, check-out: 8:30AM. Total-20 rooms, three beds each both ac and non. Also one ac dormitory and one honeymoon suite. 8 deluxe rooms, ₹1000 each; 6 AC rooms ₹1500; 6 general rooms, ₹800 each. Food: bed tea to night dinner - ₹390 per person. (updated Nov 2019)
• Mahulban Hill Resort (beside the lake), ☏ +91 98303 12333. Double sharing room ₹1050, triple sharing room ₹1300, ₹300 extra for AC. (updated Aug 2017)
• 5 Monpalash Resort (near Baranti Dam), ☏ +91 9062768434, +91 9874573687 (Booking facility also available from Dhakuria), monpalash@hotmail.com. Check-in: 8:30AM, check-out: 8AM. Double room cottage accommodation-5 heads: ₹1800. Single room cottage accommodation 3 heads ₹1200. ₹300 for breakfast and dinner per head per day. (updated Mar 2017)
• 6 Spangle Wings Resort, ☏ +91 7278565659, spanglewings@gmail.com. In between Baranti lake and Baranti hill Standard Room ₹1500, Deluxe AC Room ₹2000, Superior Room ₹2495, Premium AC Room ₹3200.. (updated Jan 2018)

Splurge

• 7 Ankhaibari Family Village Resort, Near Baranti Reservoir (near Baranti Dam), ☏ +91 9811886778, info@holiholiday.asia. Check-in: 10:30AM, check-out: 9:30AM. A small Santhal tribal village surrounded by forest, a big lake and a few hills. The hills are crowned with green and dark green during the rainy season, slightly grey during winter and dotted with fiery red during autumn. The fiery red colour comes from the fully blossomed palas tree. A/C deluxe room - ₹3300 (twin sharing with all meals), ₹4500 (triple sharing with all meals), ₹3700 (double sharing with up to 9 years child).. (updated Mar 2017)
• 8 Manbhum Holiday Home, ☏ +91 9732117660, +91 8158978363, info@barantimanbhum.com. Check-out: 8:30AM. Set amidst the natural environs of rural Bengal, this hut has 2 rooms (3 beds each) with attached bath dining room and kitchen facility. (updated Jan 2018)

Nearby

• 1 Garh Panchakot. The ruins of Garh Panchakot sit on the slopes of Panchet Hill and adjacent to Panchet Lake, in a scenic hilly forested area. The hilltop offers picturesque and panoramic view of the command area of the Panchet Dam on the Damodar River and its reservoir. The temples in Garh Panchakot include Jor Bangla Temple, Kankali Mata Temple and two pancharatna (five-pinnacled) temples, one of which has passed the test of time while the other has failed. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 Banda Deul. (updated Nov 2022)
• 3 Joychandi Pahar. (updated Nov 2022)

Go next

• Biharinath - 25 km
• Maithon – 38 km
• Mukutmanipur - 105 km
• Susunia – 40 km

Those who have their own transport can easily make it to these places.