Garhpanchkot: History with Nature

GARHPANCHKOT

Garhpanchkot, a historical tourist spot of Purulia dist of West Bengal is a place where one can feel the natural beauty at its best. Garhpanchkot is situated at the slop of the Panchet Hills near to the Panchet Dam of DVC. It is about 25km from Kumardubi railway station of Jharkhand and 36km from Asansol Jn Railway station. An about 30 mins Auto ride from Kumardubi Railway  Stn crossing the Panchet dam will bring you to Garhpanchkot. 

A ruined pavilion

        The word Garhpanchkot starts with Garh which means fort. so by its name you can understand that its a historical place. Yes, its indeed a historical place. Infact Panchkot or Panchet has a long connection with history. Panchkot kingdom was founded by king Damodar Sekhar of the Singh Deo family. It is believed that Panchet or Panchkot kingdom was built by 5 clans of local rulers. Panchkot came from five (panch) and khunt meaning clans. So, Garhpanchkot is the fort which was ruled by 5 clans of local rulers. According to some studies the Panchkot raj has relations with the Tailakampi kingdom, contemporary to the pala empire of Bengal.

        Great Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt was once appointed as a dewan of the Panchkot kingdom in mid 1800s.

Panchratna or 5 pinnacled temple

        But, today such a place with so rich historical and cultural background is just in a phase of decay. Only the Panchratna temple, which is renovated and reconstructed by the Archeological Survey of India shows the rich Panchkot legacy. Other than the panchratna temple one can see the guards quarters, Rani Mahal, Jor Bangla Temple, a royal pavilion and the royal gateway. All in a form of decay. According to local folks this fort had a secret pathway leading to Kashipur palace, the later capital of the Panchkot rulers.

       

Ruined parts of Rani Mahal

        According to some scholars, the destruction of Panchkot fort had occured due to the attack of Maratha (Bargi) rulers in Bengal. The Marathas had a ill relationship with the Nawabs of Bengal. In Between 1740 to 1750 continuous fight between Marathas and Nawab Aliwardi Khan of Murshidabad costs too high for the Panchkot kingdom, which eventually falls on the pathway of the Marathas to Murshidabad. As a result this kingdom experienced heavy raid by the Maratha army. On the other hand, the Panchkot rulers of that time were much more indulge in pomp and luxury. So, destruction became inevitable.

Ruined Jor Bangla Temple

        According to local folks, the Panchkot king had many queens. When the king came to know about the Maratha raids, he fled away through some secret passage. Those queens committed suicide inside the palace, before the Marathas led seige the fort. 

The secret passage

The royal gateway

A broken Temple

        Their are few roadside shops around the Garh area where one can have tea, breakfast or snacks. These shops sells some local handicraft items. Those sellers are mostly children from local villages. They also acts as guide. It is recommendable to have a guide when you visit this place. Otherwise it is hard to roam around this place as most of the structure is in a ruined state. 

Chhau Dance Masks sold in garh area

        Garhpanchkot is not only for history lovers. It has a lot for nature lovers too. One can have a trek or bike ride to the panchet hill nearby. Its quite adventurous too. You will find a breathtaking view of the Panchkot valley from hilltop. There is a watchtower in a eco-tourism centre near the Garh area. One can enjoy some moments at the watchtower which offers a birds eye view of the Garh area. 

View from watch tower

        If you are in Garhpanchkot, it is must to visit the Panchet Dam nearby. Panchet dam is one of the four dam constructed by the DVC to control flood situations in the damodar basin of West Bengal and to help in generation of Hydro-electric power. This dam is inaugurated in 1959 by the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Sunset from Panchet Dam

        The dam offers brilliant view of sunset. So, it is highly recommended to visit this dam in the evening hours before sunset and have a glimpse of the setting sun in the damodar water. 

        One can also visit the Panchet snake park near the dam.

Time to visit :- Any time round the year.

Place to stay:- WBFDC Eco-tourism centre is the best place place to stay. It is on the slope of the panchet hill inside the jungle where you can enjoy the nature at its best. Food provided at the resort is good and tasty... Other than this there are few private hotels and resorts to stay...