Birbhum is a district of the Burdwan Division of the State of West Bengal. It is located on the northernmost side of the Burdwan division. There are, in total, 5 administrative divisions which are present in West Bengal, and one of these divisions is the Burdwan division. The headquarters of the district Birbhum is in Suri. Some of the major cities of Birbhum district are Sainthia, Rampurhat, and Bolpur.
This whole region is covered by around 4545 square kilometers. Birbhum also shares its border with the state of Jharkhand. The location at which Birbhum is located makes it very accessible from all the other parts of West Bengal. Also, there are many places to explore in this district of West Bengal, which includes many holy places that are very popular among pilgrims.
Birbhum is also known as the Land of Braves and the Land of Red Soil. In this article, we will get to know about some major tourist places that are must-visit sites for people visiting Birbhum.
1. Bolpur Shantiniketan
The first tourist site of Birbhum on our list is Bolpur Shantiniketan, which is a perfect spot for those who are travel enthusiasts. It is also known as Tagore’s Land. It has everything like beauty, nature as well as literature.
It is not just a tourist site but an educational institution as well. People from all over the world love to visit here because of its beauty, peace, and charm. The tourists love to explore many significant places inside the Shantiniketan, and they click pictures with them for their memory. These special places include Chhatimtala, Rabindra Bhavan, Kala Bhavan, Cheena Bhavan, and many more.
If you look at the soil of the Shantiniketan complex, then you will find only red soil or Laal Mati. The complex is surrounded by a lot of greenery, which makes this place more beautiful. Near the Shantiniketan Complex, there is also a river that flows through, and the name of this river is Kopai.
Whether it is a child, an adult, or an older adult, tourist of all age group loves to visit this place. A fair (mela) is held every year in Shantiniketan and during this time a large number of people come here. In the fair, many artisans, folk dancers, and singers participate, which increases the importance and charm of this fair. This mela, which is held in Shantiniketan, is known as Poush Mela.
The best time to visit Shantiniketan is not only during the Poush Mela but also during a festival called Dol Utsav. It is advised to visit here during this time as well.
2. Ballabhpur Wildlife Sanctuary
The next place you must visit in Birbhum is the Ballabhpur Wildlife Sanctuary, which was established in the year 1977. This sanctuary is known for its beauty and is located near a place called Bolpur. The flora and fauna of this sanctuary is what makes it special. This sanctuary is a home for a variety of animals as well as plants, and it is a perfect spot for those who are nature lovers and love to explore wildlife.
Some of the main creatures for which this sanctuary is primarily famous are deer and blackbucks. There are other animals as well, such as foxes, jackals, and some water birds, which you may also get to see in this sanctuary.
Apart from the beauty of its flora and fauna, the sanctuary also has some mud houses, which makes it look very authentic. Also, it is advised to bring your binoculars and camera to view and capture the beauty of this sanctuary and some rare creatures like Blackbuck.
However, the park remains closed for tourists on Wednesday, but it remains open on other days of the week from 10 AM to 4 PM only, as staying there during the night may get risky. The entry fee for the park is also very minimal, which is around Rs. 10 per person.
The best time during the year to visit this beautiful sanctuary is the winter season, as it may be uncomfortable for you to visit this sanctuary during summer due to high temperatures during the daytime.
3. Hetampur Rajbari
Hetampur Rajbari is one of the famous historical places in Birbhum district of West Bengal. It is located in the city named Siuri (often spelled as Suri). What makes this Royal palace special is its architecture. You will get to see arched gateways, terracotta shrines, and palaces made in Victorian style, which gives it a very elegant and royal look. The visitors are captivated by the rustic charm of this Royal Palace. Terracotta temples are present in a large number near this palace, and all these temples have very impressive and unique architectural styles.
The interesting part about this palace is that there are a total of 999 doors, which is really amazing. This is the reason why it is also known as Hetampur Hazarduari, which means a place with a thousand doors. This place perfectly reflects the beautiful part of the Birbhum district.
4. Mama Bhagne Pahar
The next place is a natural wonder named Mama Bhagne Pahar/ Pahad. This is located in a place called Dubrajpur of district Birbhum. This place is famous because despite being situated at a height, two large circular rocks remain balanced on each other and never fall. It is said that these two rocks are signifying the burden of guilt which is on the humanity. These two gray boulders are very famous among tourists, and many curious travel enthusiasts visit this place to see this natural wonder and be amazed by the balance it holds. This place has many other boulders present, and because of that, Geologists also often visit this place for their research purposes. This place is known as Mama Bhagne Pahar, which means the maternal uncle and the nephew.
According to locals, this place also holds a mythological significance. There is also a temple located near the base of this upland. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva, and the tourists who come to see these two balanced rocks also go to visit this Shiva temple.
5. Amar Kutir Eco Tourism Park
If you are looking for a place where you can visit with your family and spend some time in Birbhum, then Amar Kutir Eco-Tourism can also be an amazing destination for you. Many people with their family often visit there. The park is very clean and a river flows along its banks named Kopai River. There is a lot of greenery around the park. It is a perfect spot to spend your whole day and to click pictures.
There are restaurants inside the park that offer very delicious food, and the prices of the food items are also reasonable. The staff of the restaurants are also very polite and well behaved. The park also has a very large parking area so even if you are coming here in your own vehicle, there will be no problem regarding parking here. The time to visit the park is from 8 AM to 5 PM, and it is open every day of the week for visitors.
6. Prakriti Bhavan
The next tourist place on our list is Prakriti Bhavan or Natural Art Museum. It is situated in the Ballabhpur area of Shantiniketan. The main focus of the museum is the beauty of nature and its richness. There are a number of sculptures and art forms present in the museum. It also displays natural driftwood and metals. There is an open garden in the museum, which displays the beauty of nature and it has many natural rock sculptures as well. For those who are nature and art lovers, there are many pieces of art and crafts displayed in the museum which are really unique and amazing.
One of the centers of attraction of the museum, which is very iconic, is the rock sculptures of birds that are displayed there. The time of the museum for the visitors to visit is from 9 AM to 5 PM. However, it should be noted that it charges around Rs. 30 per person as an entry fee, and if you are taking your camera with you and want to click pictures, then you will need to pay an extra Rs. 20 for that. Amar Kutir is also near to this place, and you can view it from there.
7. Nandan Art Museum & Gallery
Nandan Art Museum and Gallery is situated on the campus of Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. This museum is a part of Kala Bhavan and there is a Sangeet Bhavan as well as a Kalo Bari. This museum features both a library and an exhibition hall. On the request of Rabindra Nath Tagore and under the supervision of Ramkinkar Baij, Nandalal Basu, and Surendranath Kar, this Kala Bhavan was built in the year 1923. There are paintings of many prominent artists, including Nandalal Basu, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and Ramkinkar Baij, which are displayed in the museum.
There are many murals on both the exterior and interior walls of the museum which cover all the walls of the museum. The art, culture, and literature of the museum are really very admirable. However, the museum remains open for only two days a week, i.e., on Wednesday and Thursday. The time to visit the temple starts from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
8. Srijani Shilpagram
Situated in the Eastern Zonal Cultural Center of Birbhum, Srijani Shilpagram is a small but very famous tourist spot. This whole area has spread over around 26 bighas of land and has many museums that are shaped like traditional huts. There are over 1000 artifacts that are kept in these hut-shaped museums of Shilpagram.
This place is emerging as a cultural center in this area, and the peaceful environment and the atmosphere of the Shilpagram make this place a favorite among tourists.
There are two pavilions named ‘Adi Bimb’ and ‘Adi Kranti’ that are dedicated to the tribal heroes of Eastern India. These pavilions are located within the Shilpagram, Bolpur. For art lovers, there is also a very famous art gallery dedicated to the folk painting of the region.
The price of the ticket to enter this place is just around Rs. 10 per person. Tourists from all over India often come here when it hosts a fair (mela) or any cultural program.
9. Tarapith Kali Temple
Tarapith is a very famous temple which is located in the Rampuraht town of Birbhum. This temple is very famous for Tantric rituals which are performed by the tantric of that place. However, these tantric rituals are not performed in the main temple but in the cremation ground, which is adjacent to the main temple. This place is known as Maha Samshan, and these tantric rituals are called Sadhna. This tantric temple is dedicated to the goddess named Tara.
This temple is not only famous because of a Hindu temple but also because of a very famous Sadhak named Bamakhepa. He was also known as a ‘mad saint’. He used to live in the cremation ground and use to worship in the temple. Bamakhepa was very dedicated to the goddess Tara and spent his whole life worshipping there in the temple. His ashram is also there, which is very close to the temple. Additionally, there is a total of 52 Shakti Peethams in India, and Tarapith is one of them.
10. Fullara Mata Temple
Fullara Mata Temple is located in a small town called Labhpur, which is in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum. This place is mainly known because of Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, as it was his native place. This place is also considered one of the Shakti Peethams as it is said that the lower lip of Goddess Sati fell here when it was cut. This temple is said to be around 100 years old.
This temple is dedicated to the Goddes Fullara and there is also a lake named Daldali. Inside the temple, there is a tortoise-shaped rock that has been placed as a substitute and is admired by the followers. During the period of Magh Purnima, a fair is also held for 10 days, and tourists from all over the world visit there.
11. Kankalitala Mandir
This temple is also one of the Shakti Peethams, and it is said that the skeleton of the Goddess Sati (Shakti) fell on the earth at this place. There is also a river named Kopai, on the banks of which this temple is situated. To reach this place, you will need to take the Bolpur Labhpur road. This place is also known because of a very famous Avadhuta, Naban Das Baul, as he used to do his Sadhana at this place. He was also known as Khyyapa Baul.
The story behind Shakti Peethams starts with the Daksha Yagna and Sati. All the Shakti Peeths have two shrines inside them. One is for Shakti, which is known as Devgarbha, and one is for Bhairava, known as Ruru. Ashta Bhairav is eight forms of Shiv Shankar.
12. Ekachakra
The next place on our list is Ekachakra, which you must visit while visiting Birbhum. This is the place where Sri Nityananda Prabhu was born. Padmavati and Hadai Pandita were the parents of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. His whole childhood was spent in this village. He also spent some of his time in the city of Mathura as a Sanyasi, where he first came to know about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s past time in Navadvipa. He also went to meet Sri Chaitanya in West Bengal, and they two had a meeting at this place.
When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to know that Nityananda had arrived to meet him, he sent his devotees to receive and greet him. This place is not just the birthplace of Nityananda but is also the birthplace of the demon named Bakasura. It was the demon Bakasura who was later killed by Bhima during the Mahabharata.
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