Baranti

Baranti is a small tribal village in Santuri block, on the shore of the reservoir behind the Ramchandrapur irrigation project's dam near Muradi. Low wooded hills ring the water. People come to walk by the lake, watch the sunset colour the water and the paddy fields, look for migratory birds in winter and see the palash turn the hills red in spring.

Hills close in on every side. Muradi Hill, also called Gorangi Hill, and Baranti Hill flank the dam, and the village lies between Panchet Hill on one side and Biharinath on the other. The lake's water is used mainly for irrigation and fish farming, and treated water from it is piped to the neighbouring villages.

The far side of the lake, at Muradi, is nearer the railway station and the health centre. People from Asansol and other nearby towns come for day-long picnics, especially in winter, and the area is also popular for walks and treks over the hills and through the forest.

In The Telegraph's words, sunset is particularly special here: the lake keeps changing colour, and shades of yellow and red spread from the water onto the paddy fields.