Half day · hills close by
- Matha Buru3 km
- Pakhi Pahar6.5 km
- Lahariya Dam9.6 km
- Lahariya Shib Mandir10 km
Explore Purulia
Dam
Lahariya Dam
The small reservoir below the Lower Dam, facing the Lahariya temple
- 9.6 kmBy road from the resort
- NorthOf the resort
- DamDams, lakes & falls
Overview
Dam
Visiting Lahariya Dam
Lahariya Dam is the local name for the small reservoir at the foot of the Ajodhya hills, directly below the 95 m Lower Dam of the Purulia Pumped Storage Project and in front of the Lahariya Shiva temple. From the Lower Dam it shows as a sheet of water ringed by farmland, and the temple at its edge makes it a natural stop on the way into the hills.
A 2026 travel piece in the Bengali daily Bartaman names the reservoir in front of the Lahariya Shiva temple 'Lahariya Dam', and describes looking down on it from the Lower Dam, with farmland spread around it. Maps show a single small dam and reservoir in exactly this spot, with the temple at its eastern end.
It appears to be the reservoir that the dams-watch network SANDRP calls the Kistobazar irrigation dam, photographed from the crest of the PPSP Lower Dam. The Kistobazar is the hill stream on which the Lower Dam itself was built, so the small reservoir sits on the same stream, just below the big one.
When you're there
See & do
Things to see and do
- 01
Look down from the Lower Dam
The best overall view is from the Lower Dam above, where the reservoir and the fields around it are spread out below the hills.
- 02
Visit the Lahariya temple
The Shiva temple stands at the water's edge and is the focus of a large Gajan fair before Chaitra Sankranti in mid-April.
Gallery
Photos
Lahariya Dam in pictures
Photos coming soon
We're putting together our own photographs of Lahariya Dam. Been there with us? We'd love to see yours.
Getting there
From Rangamati
Where it lies
Lahariya Dam is 9.6 km by road from the resort, to the north. A local guide, sightseeing cab or driver can be arranged on request.
- The drive
- Drive north on the Balarampur–Baghmundi road (SH4) for about 4 km, then east along a smaller road towards the foot of the hills below the Lower Dam.
Through the year
Seasons & festivals
When to go
Fairs & festivals
- Chaitra, ending on Chaitra Sankranti (mid-April)
Gajan and Charak fair at Lahariya temple
The temple beside the reservoir holds a four-day Gajan with an all-night Chhau performance and Charak fair, drawing thousands from Purulia and Jharkhand.
Good to know
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How far is Lahariya Dam from Rangamati Eco Resort?
About 9.6 km by road.
Is Lahariya Dam part of the power project?
Not as far as we can tell. The power project's own reservoirs are the Upper and Lower Dams; this smaller reservoir below them appears to be an irrigation dam on the same stream.
What else is nearby?
The Lahariya Shiva temple stands at the water's edge, and the Lower Dam rises directly above. The resort can arrange a cab to see all three together.
Make a day of it
Close by
Nearby places
Other places close to this one, so you can see a few in a single trip.
On our suggested itineraries
From our travel journal
Nature & outdoorsDams in Purulia: Murguma, Khairabera, Upper Dam and the Other Lakes
Dams in Purulia compared: the Upper and Lower Dams, Murguma, Khairabera, Turga, Marble Lake and Baranti, with distances, sunsets, boating and what each is like.
Places to seeThe Purulia Pumped Storage Project: How Ajodhya's Upper and Lower Dams Work
The Purulia Pumped Storage Project explained: how the 900 MW plant in the Ajodhya Hills works, when it was built, who funded it and what visitors can see.
Sources: openstreetmap.org · openstreetmap.org · openstreetmap.org · en.wikipedia.org · theholidaystory.com · outlookindia.com · bartamanpatrika.com · sandrp.in · tv9bangla.com · en.wikivoyage.org · openstreetmap.org · router.project-osrm.org
Make Rangamati your base.
Rangamati is your base for the Ajodhya hills — tell us your dates and we'll plan the drive.