Baranti

Baranti is in Purulia district, in the Rarh region of West Bengal.

Understand

Sun set at Baranti Lake

It's a small, quiet and scenic place. There is a 1 km long irrigation project dam, between two small hillocks, Muradi Hill and Baranti Hill. Baranti is in the vicinity of Ramchandrapur Irrigation Project. One gets a grand view of the reservoir from Baranti. It's part of the Rarh countryside, and also a picnic spot, where people from nearby areas, such as Asansol, come for a day-long picnic. Reportedly, it's best in winter.

Now another side of the dam/lake is Muradi, a recently developed area with a lot of accommodation, including Government accommodation. This side is nearer the rail station, health center and other facilities, and has also a better view of the lake.

Get in

By rail

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

By car

Road towards Baranti lake

One can drive down from Kolkata (around 263 km, 5–6 hours): Kolkata to Dankuni, NH 2 to Asansol, leave NH 2 and take the old GT Road through Asansol city, just before entering Asansol to Neamatpur, turn left to Disergarh Bridge across the Damodar River to Sarbori Morh on Barakarar Purulia Road to Subhas Morh, turn left to Kotaldih village then to Ramchandrapur village and Muradi village to Baranti. One can also take Raniganj Punjabi More-Mejia More-Shaltora-Santuri-Baranti/Muradi. This route is 35 km shorter than Asansol route.

Get around

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

See

• Hillocks all around Baranti. 
• 🌍 Ramchandrapur Irrigation Project.  
• Temple beside Muradi railway station. 

Do

• 🌍 Baranti Hillock. You can climb it. 
• 🌍 Muradi Hillock. You can climb it.This hill is called Gorangi Hill, adjacent to the Muradi reservoir/ Baranti Lake. 

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.

• 🌍 Spangle Wings Restaurant (In between Baranti Lake & Baranti Hill), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Modern Indian cooking with locally-sourced ingredients (updated Jan 2018)

Drink

It is preferable to carry one's own requirement. One may visit the restaurant of Baranti Tourist Point for soft drinks/ packaged drinking water.

Sleep

Budget

• 🌍 Aaronnok, ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 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), ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 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, ☎ [phone], [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 9AM. 
• Lake Hill Resort, ☎ [phone], [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-out: 9:30AM. Food prepared to order. ₹850 per day for 3 persons. 

Mid-range

• 🌍 Akashmoni Resort (Beside Baranti Lake), ☎ [phone] (jolly Das in Salt Lake GD Block). 5 cottages with food and other amenities. Around ₹1500 per day. 
• 🌍 Baranti Wildlife & Nature Study Hut, ☎ [phone]-9330958926-9874887046, [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 8:30AM, check-out: 8:30AM. Total-16 rooms, three beds each both ac and non. Also one ac dormitory. 3 deluxe rooms, ₹1000 each; 3 AC rooms ₹1500; 2 semi-deluxe rooms, ₹800 each; 4 general rooms, ₹650 each. One-time service charge: ₹50 for each room. Food: bed tea to night dinner - ₹320 per person. (updated Jul 2015)
• Mahulban Hill Resort (beside the lake), ☎ [phone]. Double sharing room ₹1050, triple sharing room ₹1300, ₹300 extra for AC. (updated Aug 2017)
• 🌍 Monpalash Resort (near Baranti Dam), ☎ [phone], [phone] (Booking facility also available from Dhakuria), e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 8:30AM, check-out: 8AM. Double room cottage accomodation-5 heads: ₹1800. Single room cottage accomodation 3 heads ₹1200. ₹300 for breakfast and dinner per head per day.. (updated Mar 2017)
• 🌍 Spangle Wings Resort, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. In between Baranti lake and Baranti hill Standard Room ₹1500, DeluxeAC Room ₹2000, Superior Room ₹2495,Premium AC Room ₹3200.. (updated Jan 2018)

Splurge

• 🌍 Ankhaibari Family Village Resort, Near Baranti Reservoir (near Baranti Dam), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 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)
• 🌍 Manbhum Holiday Home, ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 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)

Connect

Go next

• Biharinath - 25 km
• Garh Panchakot, historical ruins with a grand view of Panchet Lake – 18 km
• Joychandi Pahar, popular for picnics and rock-climbing - 25 km
• Maithon Dam – 38 km
• Mukutmanipur - 105 km
• Panchet Dam – 22 km
• Susunia Hill – 40 km

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