How to Reach Purulia by Train, Road and Air

The easiest way to reach Purulia is by train. Direct express trains run every day from Howrah and Santragachi to Purulia Junction in about five to six hours, and a few also stop at Barabhum (Balarampur), the station closest to Bagmundi and the southern side of the Ajodhya Hills. By road, Purulia town is about 255 km from central Kolkata and Bagmundi about 310 km. There is no airport in the district: Ranchi is the nearest, about 112 km from Bagmundi.

This guide covers every practical way in, with distances worked out to the Matha forest at the foot of Matha Buru, where our cottages are, and then the last stretch into the hills.

How to reach Purulia at a glance

Distances are road distances from OpenStreetMap routing, rounded. Village traffic, cattle and ghat bends slow you down, so allow more time than a map app suggests.

How to reach Purulia by train

Purulia Junction (station code PRR) is in Purulia town, in the Adra division of South Eastern Railway. Lines run from here towards Adra and Bankura, towards Kotshila, Muri and Ranchi, towards Bokaro, and south-west through Barabhum and Chandil to Tatanagar. The district administration's own page names three regular trains from Kolkata: the Chakradharpur Express, the Rupashi Bangla Express and the Howrah–Purulia Express.

Trains we checked on erail.in in November 2026:

• Rupashi Bangla Express (12883/12884) — Santragachi to Purulia Junction, daily, leaving in the early morning.
• Howrah–Purulia Superfast Express (12827/12828) — Howrah to Purulia Junction, daily, leaving Howrah in the late afternoon.
• Howrah–Ranchi Vande Bharat Express (20897/20898) — via Tatanagar and Chandil, stops at Purulia Junction; runs every day except Tuesday and is the fastest, at under five hours.
• Howrah–Ranchi Intercity Superfast Express (22891/22892) — via Tatanagar; stops at both Barabhum and Purulia Junction on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
• Howrah–Chakradharpur Express (18011/18012) — overnight and daily, via Bankura and Adra; reaches Purulia Junction early in the morning and Barabhum shortly after.

Timings change, so confirm on NTES or IRCTC before you book. Our detailed guide to Kolkata to Purulia by train covers which train suits which plan, return journeys and booking tips.

From Asansol, Durgapur and Bankura

Every Kolkata–Purulia train on the Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra route stops at Bankura, so Bankura travellers can use the same trains. From Asansol, MEMU locals run to Purulia, and one of them, the Asansol–Barabhum MEMU (68060), continues to Barabhum. Durgapur has only a slow MEMU passenger train to Purulia, so most people either change at Asansol or simply drive.

From Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Dhanbad

The Jharkhand side is well connected: the Vande Bharat and the Intercity from Ranchi, the Purushottam Express from Bokaro, the Subarnarekha Express from Dhanbad and several trains from Tatanagar. These are set out in our guide to reaching Purulia from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Bokaro.

Which station is nearest to Bagmundi and the Ajodhya Hills?

For the Bagmundi side of the hills, Barabhum (BBM) is the nearest well-served station. It sits on SH4 at Balarampur, about 18 km by road from the Matha forest, a drive of around half an hour. Fewer trains stop here: from Kolkata, mainly the overnight Chakradharpur Express and the three-days-a-week Intercity.

Purulia Junction has many more trains but is about 52 km from the Matha forest, roughly an hour or a little more by road via Balarampur. If your train reaches Purulia late at night, it is worth arranging the onward car in advance rather than looking for one at the station.

Rangamati can arrange a station pickup and drop from either Barabhum or Purulia Junction on request; ask when you book.

How to reach Purulia by road

Purulia is well linked by highways. NH314 (the old NH60A) runs from Bankura through Purulia towards Jhalda, Muri and Ranchi. NH18 runs from Dhanbad through Chas, Bokaro and Purulia, then on through Balarampur towards Jamshedpur. From Balarampur, the state highway SH4 runs past the Matha forest to Bagmundi.

From Kolkata

There are three sensible routes, all ending on NH18 and SH4 through Balarampur:

1. Via Arambagh, Bishnupur and Bankura — the shortest, about 310 km to Bagmundi.
2. Via the Durgapur Expressway (NH19), Durgapur and Bankura — longer, roughly 370 km, but with more dual carriageway.
3. Via Kharagpur, Jhargram and Bandwan — about 313 km, with forest stretches around Jhargram and Bandwan.

We compare them in detail in Kolkata to Ajodhya Hills by road. Allow seven to eight hours with breaks.

From Durgapur, Asansol and Bankura

• Durgapur: cross the Damodar and drive about 44 km south to Bankura, then follow NH314 to Purulia and NH18 to Balarampur; about 183 km in all.
• Asansol: the road runs south through Neturia and Raghunathpur to Purulia (about 88 km), then on via Balarampur; about 142 km in all. This road also passes close to Joy Chandi Pahar, a good stop.
• Bankura: NH314 through Chhatna to Purulia, then NH18 and SH4; about 140 km.

From the Jharkhand cities

Jamshedpur is the closest big city, about 80–85 km via Chandil and Balarampur. Ranchi is about 105–110 km via Muri and Jhalda, Bokaro about 105 km via Chas, and Dhanbad about 111 km via Jharia and Purulia. No permit is needed for a private car to cross between the two states.

Is there an airport in Purulia?

No. Purulia district has no commercial airport, so flying means landing in a neighbouring city and finishing by road or rail.

• Ranchi (Birsa Munda Airport): the best option for most flyers, about 112 km from Bagmundi. It has direct flights to many cities, including Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.
• Durgapur (Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, Andal): about 178 km from Bagmundi, with a small set of domestic routes. Check current flights before planning around it.
• Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International): about 317 km by road. The practical plan is usually to fly into Kolkata and take a train from Howrah or Santragachi.

Airline routes change often, so treat these as a starting point and check schedules when you book.

By bus

State-run SBSTC buses and private operators run between Kolkata and Purulia town, and buses also connect Purulia with Durgapur, Asansol, Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Ranchi. Timetables listed online disagree with each other, so confirm the boarding point and time before you set out. Buses are cheap, but you will still need a car from Purulia town to the hills.

The last stretch: getting to Bagmundi and the Ajodhya Hills

Local public transport around the hills is thin. Wikivoyage's advice holds good: hire a car for the day. Wikipedia lists three roads up onto the Ajodhya plateau: via Bagmundi, via Sirkabad (from the Purulia side) and via Jhalda.

From the Matha forest, the hill road climbs from Bagmundi past the dams and waterfalls to Ajodhya Hill Top, about 20 km away. Along SH4 itself you pass the carved bird figures of Pakhi Pahar, visible from the road, and beyond Bagmundi the mask workshops of Charida. Our Ajodhya Hills travel guide covers what to see once you are there.

Practical tips for the journey

• Book trains early in season. Reservations open 60 days ahead, and the winter holidays and spring palash weeks are the busiest times to travel; see the best time to visit Purulia.
• Note your Kolkata terminal. Some trains leave from Howrah, others from Santragachi or Shalimar.
• Arrange the last mile before you arrive, especially for late-night or dawn arrivals.
• Expect patchy mobile signal in parts of the hills, and download maps before you leave town.
• Fill up with fuel in Purulia town or Balarampur rather than counting on finding a pump in the hills.

Once you have your route, have a look at where to stay and our things to know before visiting Purulia.