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The land of Jharkhand, a state in eastern India, is a land of incredible beauty and extreme diversity, with forests, mountains, and vast plains, making it one of the most ecologically diverse states in India. It is home to some of India’s most revered and sacred pilgrimage sites, such as Deoghar and Dumka.
Jharkhand is known as the Rice Bowl of India for its agricultural productivity and the quality of the rice grown here.
One of the sacred and significant Hindu pilgrim sites is situated 43 km from Deoghar, a hilly and scenic town. Deoghar means ‘the abode of the gods’, possessing 22 temples wherein Baisyanath Temple is the tallest and the most visited one. The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and is considered a very holy place due to the belief that it is the only kamanalingam (a lingam with all the powers to fulfil your wishes). It is visited more often by the devotees every year in July and August, known as Shravan month in the Hindu calendar and a special month for the worshippers of Lord Shiva. The entire Deoghar complex has many other temples for Goddess Shakti like Maa Kamakhya, Maa Mansa, Maa Sandhya, and Maa Bagla. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites of Jharkhand.
It is situated around 7 km from the Ranchi railway station at a height of 300 feet. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva; devotees visit it throughout the year, but it has particular significance in the monsoon month of Shravan. It is also known as ‘Richi Buru’. People visit it for a pilgrimage and also for birdwatching.
In the 17th century, this Jaganathpur Temple was built like the Jagannath Dham in Puri. It is situated like a fort on top of a hill, around 10 km from Ranchi. Furthermore, it is devoted to Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Not only that, it is a famous and most visited temple during the ‘Rath Yatra’, also known as the Chariot festival when devotees come to pay homage to Lord Jagannath.
This temple, located 40 km from Ranchi, as the name signifies, is devoted to Lord Surya. It is made in the structure of a Chariot with 18 wheels, being pulled by seven white horses. Devotees visit this temple throughout the year to worship the Sun, but it is crowded during the Chhath Puja. The temple also has deities with Shiv Pariwar (Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha).
The Parasnath Temple is the holiest place of worship of the Jains. As per the Jain religion, 23 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained salvation at this place. It is 25 km from Dumri and is located on the highest hill in Jharkhand, at a height of 4,480 feet. People come to the hills for their pilgrimage and to visit the famous Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary.
This is located 70 km from Gaya and is devoted to Maa Shakti, who is worshipped here in the form of Bhadrakali. It is an ancient structure dating back to the 7th to 10th century AD and is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. Here many remnants of Buddhist and Jain remains are found. Buddhist stupas and footprints of the Jain Teerthankar and Sheetalnath are preserved.
This temple has references in many Puranas and religious books of the Hindus. It is located 80 km from Ranchi at a beautiful meeting point of two rivers, river Damodar and river Bhairvi. The shrine is dedicated to Maata Chhinnamasta, also known as Prachanda Chandika.
Trikuti is a popular shrine dedicated to Maa Shakti, located 10 km from Deoghar while going towards Dumka. Trikuti is also known as the Garden of Shiva as this place has plenty of wood apple trees. From ancient times, many sages have attained salvation in this place. During the month of Shravan and the festival of Maha Shivratri, this temple is visited in abundance by the devotees.
Kulbonga Mahadev, also known as Kulbonga Mahadeo, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located 15 km from Manoharpur. It is a well-known pilgrimage of Jharkhand famous for a special fair to celebrate the religious heritage and significance of Lord Shiva.
You can visit the Deori temple in Tamar, which is 60 km from Ranchi while going towards Jamshedpur. It is an ancient temple of Goddess Durga with a 700-year-old idol having 16 hands.
The main airport in Jharkhand is the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. A few other airports in the state are:
Ranchi is the main airport in Jharkhand and is well connected with major cities in India. It is located around 7 km from the city centre. One can book a cab or hire a taxi from the airport. The nearest bus station is around 4 km away, and a taxi can take you to the bus stop if you wish to travel to the nearby place by bus.
Jharkhand has connections by rail with almost all the major cities. The main railway stations are Tata Nagar at Jamshedpur, Ranchi Railway Station, and Hatia Railway Station, which are connected through major trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Lokmanya Tilak Express, etc.
Ranchi is placed at the intersection of National Highways 23 and 33. The GT (Grand Trunk) Road, NH 2 between Kolkata and Delhi, crosses the northern part of Jharkhand. NH 6 also touches the southeast part of the state. Jharkhand is well connected with all the major states due to the spread of all the major road links within the state and with neighbouring states.
While this should be the first exercise when planning a trip, it is advisable to follow a few tips in advance to have a safe, clean, and nice place to stay.
Jharkhand houses many temples of great spiritual significance. To thoroughly immerse yourself in this spiritual journey, it is best to be prepared in advance and have your travel and accommodation sorted. ClearTrip offers all the details and tips you require for the same to any part of the country or world.
Baidyanath Temple in Deogarh is the most important shrine and pilgrimage site in Jharkhand. It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas in the country.
Jharkhand is famous for its forest, waterfalls, woodlands, and rich mineral resources in India.
It was called Kukara during the Mughal era, and after British time, it was named Jharkhand meaning ‘the land of Jungles (forests) and Jharis (bushes)’.
Jharkhand is a state with great pilgrimage significance and has around 72 Hindu temples.
Hindi is the main official language in Jharkhand, and there are a few other languages spoken by locals, such as Bhojpuri, Magahi, Nagpuri, Kurmali, and Khortha.