At a glance
- Day 1: arrive by midday, then spend the afternoon at the Charida mask workshops and the Turga Dam reservoir near Bagmundi.
- Day 2: drive the Ajodhya Hills loop — falls in the cool morning, Mayur Pahar and the hill top at midday, the dams in the afternoon.
- The Day 2 loop is about 50 km of driving, but the walks to Bamni and Turga falls make it a full day.
- Be off the forest roads by dusk: elephants move through the Ajodhya Hills at night.
- Stay a second night if you can, and see Pakhi Pahar and Matha Buru on the way to the station.
This Purulia 2 day itinerary is built around a base at the foot of the Ajodhya Hills near Bagmundi. Day 1 is arrival plus an easy afternoon at the Charida mask workshops and the Turga Dam reservoir. Day 2 is the full Ajodhya Hills loop: Turga and Bamni falls in the cool of the morning, Marble Lake, Mayur Pahar and Sita Kund around midday, and the Upper and Lower Dams in the afternoon, finishing before dusk. If you can, stay a second night and catch Pakhi Pahar and Matha Buru on the way out.
The Purulia 2 day itinerary at a glance
| When | Plan | Road distance from the resort |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 morning | Train or drive from Kolkata | — |
| Day 1 afternoon | Charida mask village, then Turga Dam | 10 km, 9 km |
| Day 1 evening | Dinner; bonfire or folk performance on request | — |
| Day 2 morning | Turga Falls, Bamni Falls, Marble Lake | 11, 13, 19 km |
| Day 2 midday | Mayur Pahar, lunch at Ajodhya Hill Top, Sita Kund and the Ram Mandir | 20 km |
| Day 2 afternoon | Upper Dam, Lower Dam, Lahariya temple and reservoir | 16, 11, 10 km |
| Departure morning | Pakhi Pahar and Matha Buru on the way to the station | 6.5 km, 3 km |
Before you go: getting there and getting around
The easy way to arrive by midday is the morning train. When we checked in November 2026, the daily 12883 Rupashi Bangla Express left Santragachi at about 6:30 am and reached Purulia Junction around noon, and the daily 12827 Howrah–Purulia Superfast Express also runs from Howrah. Barabhum, about 18 km from the resort, is closer than Purulia Junction (about 50 km) and is served by the 18011 Howrah–Chakradharpur Express and the Howrah–Ranchi Intercity. Confirm timings on IRCTC or NTES; our guide to Kolkata to Purulia by train compares them.
Driving from Kolkata is roughly 300–335 km depending on route, so leave early. There is no organised public transport in the hills, so book a car and driver for Day 2. Rangamati can arrange station pickup, cabs and a guide on request.
Day 1: arrive, Chhau masks and a reservoir at sunset
Afternoon: Charida mask village
After lunch, head north through Bagmundi to Charida, about 10 km away, where Purulia's Chhau masks are made. Workshops line about 3 km of the main road, so you can walk from one open porch to the next and watch the stages: a clay mould, layers of paper and cloth, sun-drying, then painting and beading. Look for the statue of the Padma Shri Chhau dancer Gambhir Singh Mura, and for the community museum.
Buy directly from the people who make the masks, and ask before photographing anyone at work. Workshops further from the first roadside shops get fewer visitors and are worth the extra steps.
Late afternoon: Turga Dam
On the way back, turn onto the Ajodhya Hill road just east of Bagmundi and take the short branch to Turga Dam (Thurga Dam), 9 km from the resort. The reservoir sits among low wooded hills and is a good place to spend a quiet hour as the light goes. Leave while it is still light: this is the edge of the forest.
Evening: back at base
Dinner, and, if you have asked in advance, a bonfire on the lawn, a Chhau or Santhali dance performance or Baul songs. These are arranged on request and charged separately, so mention them when you book; see experiences.
Day 2: the Ajodhya Hills circuit
Start by about 8 am. The loop below is about 50 km of driving in all, but the walks to the falls take time, so treat it as a full day. The order puts the falls in the cool of the morning and the dam viewpoints in the afternoon. For background on each stop, see our Ajodhya Hills travel guide.
Morning: Turga Falls, Bamni Falls and Marble Lake
- Turga Falls, about 4 km along the hill road from Bagmundi. Vehicles stop by the road and a rocky, lightly wooded trail leads to the water.
- Bamni Falls, about 6 km along the road. A steep path with narrow, uneven steps leads down through the forest to the upper falls; reaching the lower falls means scrambling over rock. Go as far as you are comfortable and save energy for the climb back.
- Marble Lake, on a spur just above Bamni: deep blue water in a quarry blasted out for the power project, a short walk from the parking area.
Midday: Mayur Pahar, the hill top and Sita Kund
- Mayur Pahar, on a branch road about 2 km before the hill-top settlement. Roughly 120 steps, with no handrail, climb to an observation tower over the range.
- Ajodhya Hill Top for lunch at one of the simple rice-and-curry eateries.
- Sita Kund, a short walk away, where cold water wells up through white sand, and the Ram Mandir with its Ramayana wall paintings a few hundred metres on.
Afternoon: Upper Dam, Lower Dam and Lahariya
- Upper Dam, about 6 km from the hill top. The road runs along the embankment, with the reservoir on one side and forest on the other.
- Lower Dam, down the project road. Look along the lake one way and over the small Lahariya reservoir and the fields the other.
- Lahariya Shib Mandir and the Lahariya Dam reservoir at the foot of the climb, then back through Bagmundi.
Departure morning: Pakhi Pahar and Matha Buru
Check-out is at 9 am. If you are heading for Barabhum or Purulia, both close-by hills are on or near your way along the Balarampur–Bagmundi road. At Pakhi Pahar, 6.5 km away, enormous birds are being carved into a bare rock face and animal carvings cover the boulders below; in 2023 the local women's guide service started at about 10 am. Matha Buru, 3 km from the resort, is the rocky hill where Bengal's climbing clubs have trained since 1980.
Leaving on the afternoon of Day 2 instead? The 12884 Rupashi Bangla Express left Purulia at 15:25 when we checked, which leaves only the morning. Do a short loop of Marble Lake, the Upper Dam and the Lower Dam, skip the falls, and allow plenty of time for the drive of roughly 50 km to Purulia Junction.
How to adapt this itinerary by season
Monsoon (July to September)
The falls are at their fullest and the hills are green, but this is when they are most dangerous. Stay out of the water: in July 2019 two students bathing at Bamni Falls were caught by a flash flood and had to be rescued by police. The steps and rocks are slippery and leeches are common, so you may prefer to view Bamni from the top. Carry rain gear and shoes with a firm grip. More in Purulia in the monsoon.
Palash season (around Holi, usually March)
Swap Turga Dam on Day 1 for Khairabera Dam, 22 km away, where the palash trees round the lake flower red around Holi. It is getting warm by now, so start Day 2 earlier and carry more water. See our palash season guide.
Winter (October to February)
The easiest season for this plan and the busiest for the Charida workshops. Days are short, so the dusk deadline on Day 2 comes early; start by 8 am. Pack warm layers for evenings on the lawn.
Summer (April to June)
Very hot, and the falls thin out or dry up. If you come now, do the falls at dawn, rest through the middle of the day and do the dams in the late afternoon.
What to skip if you are short on time
- Skip first: the descent at Bamni Falls (glimpse it from near the car park), then Turga Falls.
- Then: Turga Dam on Day 1, if your train or drive runs late.
- Keep if you can: Marble Lake, Mayur Pahar and Sita Kund, which take little walking, and Charida, which gives the trip its cultural side.
Have an extra day? Our Purulia 3-day itinerary adds Joychandi, Garh Panchkot and Baranti, and the weekend trip from Kolkata plan works around the train timetable.
