Purulia is that place that takes you back and forth into the lap of nature

Purulia is that place that takes you back and forth into the lap of nature. Once known as the red corridor comprising of West Bengal and adjoining states today a trip to Purulia will take you to a place which speaks of transformation. A change in the way of how the people are transforming along with the infrastructure is evident in the way I saw Purulia town. Although the real natural beauty of Purulia lies just outside of the town. Therefore, the three of us which included me and my two friends went out to see the age old geological formations today in the form of Ajodhya and Jay Chandi Pahar (Hill in Bengali language). The climb on the way up can be steep and demanding even for the young people. The steps are somewhat man made and the rest are undefined when you take on the adventure trek for reaching the top of the hill. These hills represent similar mountains of the aboriginals where they call it the mountains. It also reminds that the continent of Australia and sub-continent of India were once part of the super continent. Purulia takes you to that place in West Bengal which is rich in mineral as well as natural resources that includes falls such as Bamni and Turga to name a few.Well our group of three managed to go up to the Bamni falls which has more than 700 steps half of which is not concrete but rather stones which are lying naturally as a trekking path to guide you to climb up or down. The most interesting part is that if you feel climbing up can be difficult then climbing down can be a real challenge as we felt it not only through our sweat but by our pounding heartbeat. The reason why we avoided the Turga Fall trek as the path was even more steep and dangerous. Then a visit to Panchet Dam would give you a feel of the Jurassic Park movie set in terms of natural beauty and calm your nerves. The same applied for the second day when we got to visit the natural and historically blessed Garh Panchakot which once housed many temples amidst the natural beauty but today most of them except for one is in ruins or in a dilapidated scenario. Although the new resorts coming up and the growing amount of eco-tourism promotion around the area including one of the resorts where we had lunch shows signs of a resurging tourism growing around the region. If you have a religious bent of mind then the visit to the Ram Temple in AJODHYA not to be confused with Ayodhya Ram Mandir can be worth a try. The same can be said for the temple on top of Jay Chandi pahar. Although the hassle of locals asking for money for festivals and parking charges on your way to the tourist spot and at the very spot itself can be mood spoiling. The locals begging for money especially the tribal children and the one I saw with Down Syndrome still can pain your heart and make you remember that this place once had and still has lots to do to fight the chronic poverty or the marginalization of the dominant local Santhal tribal here. The lunch at one of the diners there which consisted of cabbage boiled and boiled potatoes with Lentils combined with Egg plant fries as well as French fries or as we Bengalis call it Aloo Bhaja gives you the humble feeling. However on the other hand cafes in Purulia which are coming up will get you the feel of the plush café in any other city which marks for a sharp contrast and the change in the way the town of Purulia itself is shaping up. We did have a quiet and nice evening on the very last day of 2021 in one of those cafes before soaking in the sunset which was tranquil at Baranti Dam close to Jharkhand state. For a town visit to Purulia one can check out the local park with a shikara ride, surulia mini zoo and science museum.