At a glance
- The Howrah–Chakradharpur Express (18011) leaves Howrah late on Friday night and reaches Purulia and Barabhum early on Saturday morning.
- Two nights is enough for the Ajodhya Hills cluster: the dams, Bamni and Turga Falls, Pakhi Pahar and the Charida mask village.
- For the trip home, the Rupasi Bangla Express (12884) reaches Santragachi on Sunday night, and the Chakradharpur–Howrah Express (18012) reaches Howrah early on Monday.
- By road it is roughly 300–330 km; leave Kolkata at dawn rather than driving through the forest after dark.
- Save Garh Panchkot, Baranti and the Ranchi waterfalls for a longer trip; they are too far to add to a two-night weekend.
A Purulia weekend trip from Kolkata works best on the Friday-night train: leave Howrah late on Friday, wake up in Purulia district on Saturday morning, spend two days in the Ajodhya Hills and take a train home on Sunday. Two nights is enough for the hills, dams and waterfalls around Baghmundi and the Chhau mask village of Charida. It is not enough for the whole district, so this plan stays in one area and keeps the travel short.
Is a weekend enough for Purulia?
Yes, if you keep to one cluster. Most of the well-known sights of the Ajodhya Hills (also written Ayodhya Hills) lie a short drive from Baghmundi. From our cottages at the foot of Matha Buru, the Lower Dam is 11 km by road, Bamni Falls 13 km, the Upper Dam 16 km and the hill top about 20 km.
What does not fit is the north of the district. Garh Panchkot is about 110 km from the resort and Baranti about 120 km, and the Ranchi waterfalls are a long day trip into Jharkhand. Leave those for a longer visit; our 3-day Purulia itinerary shows how to add them.
Purulia weekend trip from Kolkata by train: the Friday options
Several direct trains run from Howrah and Santragachi to Purulia. These are the ones that suit a weekend, as listed on erail.in and ConfirmTkt in November 2026. Timings change, so confirm on IRCTC or the NTES app before you book.
| Train | Leaves | Arrives | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18011 Howrah–Chakradharpur Express (daily) | Howrah, 11:30 pm Friday | Purulia 6:25 am, Barabhum 7:09 am Saturday | Leaving after work; a full Saturday |
| 12827 Howrah–Purulia Superfast (daily) | Howrah, 4:50 pm Friday | Purulia 10:40 pm Friday | Leaving work early; a late-night arrival |
| 20897 Howrah–Ranchi Vande Bharat (not Tuesdays) | Howrah, 2:35 pm Friday | Purulia 7:23 pm Friday | A half day off on Friday |
| 12883 Rupasi Bangla Express (daily) | Santragachi, 6:30 am Saturday | Purulia 12:05 pm Saturday | A one-night trip |
For most people the Chakradharpur Express is the obvious choice. You board after a normal working day, sleep on the train and arrive with the whole of Saturday ahead. The Purulia district administration lists the same three daily trains, 18011, 12883 and 12827, as the main links from Kolkata.
Barabhum or Purulia Junction?
The resort is closer to Barabhum, the station at Balarampur, which is roughly 20 km away by road. Purulia Junction is roughly 50 km away but has many more trains. Of the trains above, only the Chakradharpur Express stops at Barabhum. We can arrange a pickup from either station on request.
For every train, class and station in detail, see our guide to Kolkata to Purulia by train.
Driving instead: what to expect on the road
By road, Kolkata to the Ajodhya Hills is roughly 300–330 km, depending on the route. Wikivoyage gives 332 km; a TV9 Bangla rider who came home via Purulia town, Bankura, Bishnupur and Dankuni put the drive at about 300 km. Either way, it takes most of a day.
Don't set off after work on Friday and drive into the hills at night. Elephants move through the Ajodhya forests, mostly after dark, and the last stretch of road runs through forest. Leave Kolkata at first light on Saturday instead, so that you reach the hills in daylight. A car does make the weekend more flexible, and there is free parking at the resort. Our Kolkata to Ajodhya Hills by road guide covers the route in detail.
A Friday-to-Sunday plan for the Ajodhya Hills
This plan assumes the Friday-night train and a car with a driver for sightseeing. There is no organised local transport to the sights, so you need a car either way.
Friday night
Board the Chakradharpur Express at Howrah. Pack a light bag for the train with water and a shawl, as AC coaches can be cold.
Saturday: rest, then the hills close to Matha
Get off at Barabhum, or at Purulia if you have booked from there, and head to the resort. Check-in is at 10 am, so mention your train when you book. Have breakfast, rest for the morning and go out after lunch.
The afternoon covers the sights nearest the resort:
- Pakhi Pahar (6.5 km): a bare rock hill being carved with giant birds, with animals carved on the boulders below.
- Charida (10 km): the village where Purulia's Chhau masks are made. Artisans work in open-fronted workshops along the main road.
- Lahariya Dam and its Shiva temple (about 10 km), at the foot of the hill road, if you have time before dusk.
Be back before dark. In the evening you can ask for a bonfire on the lawn or a Chhau, Santhali or Baul performance. These are arranged on request and charged separately; see our experiences.
Sunday: the Ajodhya circuit
Check-out is at 9 am, so load the bags into the car and do the circuit on the day you leave. The road climbs from Baghmundi into the hills, with these stops along it or just off it. Your driver may change the order:
- The Lower Dam (11 km), with views down its long lake and over the farmland below.
- Turga Falls (11 km), also spelt Thurga, a short walk along a rocky trail from the road.
- Bamni Falls (13 km), a steep descent on narrow steps. Go only as far as you are comfortable.
- The Upper Dam (16 km), where the road runs along the top of the embankment.
- Marble Lake (19 km), a deep blue lake in an old quarry pit.
- Ajodhya Hill Top and Mayur Pahar (about 20 km), if time allows.
That is a full day. Head back down the hill road well before dusk and on to your train.
Getting home: Sunday return trains
Pick your return train first and plan Sunday around it. These timings were checked on erail.in and ConfirmTkt in November 2026.
| Train | Leaves | Reaches | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12884 Rupasi Bangla Express (daily) | Purulia, 3:25 pm Sunday | Santragachi, 9:00 pm | Home on Sunday night; a shorter Sunday |
| 18012 Chakradharpur–Howrah Express (daily) | Barabhum 8:10 pm or Purulia 9:05 pm Sunday | Howrah, 5:35 am Monday | The full Sunday circuit |
| 12828 Purulia–Howrah Superfast (daily) | Purulia, 5:30 am Monday | Howrah, 11:22 am | A long weekend with Monday morning free |
| 20898 Ranchi–Howrah Vande Bharat (not Tuesdays) | Purulia, 7:45 am Monday | Howrah, 1:10 pm | A long weekend |
If you take the Rupasi Bangla Express, you have only Sunday morning. Pick two or three stops on the hill road, such as the Lower Dam, Turga Falls and the Upper Dam, and leave a comfortable margin for the drive to Purulia Junction, roughly 50 km away. The Chakradharpur–Howrah Express gives you all of Sunday and gets you to Howrah early enough for a Monday at work.
Tips to make two nights count
- Pick the right season. October to March is the most comfortable time. In April and May the average daytime high in Purulia is about 37–38°C (IMD 1991–2020 averages), which makes long sightseeing days hard. Our best time to visit Purulia guide goes month by month.
- Go out early and be back by dusk. Daylight is short in winter, and the forest roads are best left before dark.
- Expect patchy mobile signal in parts of the hills. Agree pickup times and places with your driver before you set off.
- Carry water and snacks. There are few facilities at the falls and viewpoints.
- Take your litter home. Villagers near the dams say plastic left by picnickers has killed their cattle.
- Plan the late finish. If your train leaves Sunday night, ask your driver to plan the day around it, with time for dinner before the station.
For a fuller version of this weekend with more time at each stop, see our 2-day Purulia itinerary.
