The reservoir
Still water with the hills reflected in it, best at sunrise. Most resorts are a short walk away.
travel guide
Baranti: a lake, a hill and two days of nothing
Baranti is a small village in Purulia beside a reservoir, with the Baranti and Panchet hills behind it. About 262 km from Kolkata. There is genuinely nothing to do: you sit by the water, walk to the dam, and in February the palash trees turn the whole area red. That is the entire trip, and people come back every year for it.
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The short version
- Road distance from Kolkata
- 262 km
- From Barrackpore side
- 259 km
- Usual drive time
- 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore
- Best time to go
- November to February, and February for the palash
- Suits
- Couples, families of four to six, anyone who wants to switch off
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What you actually see there
Garpanchkot, 4 km on
Ruined temples at the foot of Panchet hill, and the Panchet dam close by. Everyone does both from the same room.
Muradi lake and Maithon
Muradi is a few kilometres away, Maithon dam about 40 km. Both fill an afternoon if two days feels long.
How to reach
Durgapur Expressway, then the Asansol and Muradi road, about 262 km from Kolkata and 259 km from Barrackpore, five to six hours. Trains run to Barakar or Asansol and a car from there works too, but most families take the car from home because the resorts are scattered. In February book the room a month ahead.
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What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
Book the resort first. There are only a few, and in palash season they are full.
Carry cash and any medicine you need. The nearest town of any size is far.
Do not expect a market or restaurants. You eat where you stay.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
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Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
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We pick up from these areas
A day trip works best when the car reaches you early, from your own side of town.
questions
Questions about Baranti: a lake, a hill and two days of nothing
How many days do we need for Baranti?
Two nights is right: drive down, a full day for Baranti, Garpanchkot and Panchet, then back. One night is possible but you spend most of it in the car.
Is February really different?
Yes. The palash flowers turn the hills and roadsides red for a few weeks, and that is the busiest and best time here. It is also when rooms are hardest to get.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
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want a car for it
Tell us the date and we plan the day
Send the date and how many people are going. We tell you which car fits, when the car should start, and the full price in writing before you decide.