Birbhum

Cultural

West Bengal

30°C / Clouds

History
Places to visit
How to reach

Often referred to as the land of the red soil, Birbhum is an administrative district in West Bengal. Majorly, this place is known for its diverse topography as well as exquisite cultural heritage.

Interestingly, it is also known to be the home of one of the greatest historical personalities of India - Rabindranath Tagore.

Best Time to Visit Birbhum

Birbhum as a travel getaway resonates with people who have an interest in exploring India. Thus, the best time to visit Birbhum would be between the months of September to February. During this timeframe, the overall weather conditions are quite good for sightseeing activities.

History of Birbhum

Many experts claim that this area was inhabited since the pre-historic times. Apparently, many elements of the stone age have also been found here.

According to Acaranga Sutra, the great sage, Mahavira also had wandered through these lands in the 5th century.

Coming on to the medieval era, Muslim rule became a part of everyday life here. However, the western parts of the district were still under the control of Hindu chiefs by the 13th century.

Mythological Connection. If we go by mythology, the forests of Vajjabhumi were hot-spots of Hindu as well as various tantric activities. Due to this, many authors have also called this land Kamkoti which majorly relates it to its tantric roots.

Perhaps, it is due to Birbhum’s tantric historical past that today we find several temples (that were built for tantra practices) here.

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Birbhum

1. Shakti Peeth

This takes us back to the tale of how Goddess Sati had self-immolated herself as her father King Daksha had insulted Shiva. It is believed that after this incident an angry Lord Shiva performed Rudra Tandav. He then carried her remains and scattered them throughout the Indian Sub-Continent.

2. Jaydev Kenduli

A huge number of pilgrims attend the annual fair which is held in the village of Kenduli. This place is also regarded as the birthplace of the renowned Sanskrit poet Jaydev who is known to have composed Gita Govinda in the Sanskrit language.

3. Bakreswar

This place will simply delight you to your core as it has its presence of several old temples. Thus, if you are interested in Hindu culture, then a visit to Bakreswar can surely fetch you some interesting perspective.

4. Hot Springs at Bakreswar

Now, this is the kind of place which will introduce you to some fun and adventure. Apparently, Bakreswar is one of those sites where you can find natural hot springs; the temperature of these pools can range from 90 degrees to seething 200 degrees.

How to Reach Birbhum

Birbhum is a place which satisfies your thirst for exploring something unique and something refreshing. To reach here you will need to travel approximately 1,406, 2,025, 214, 1,999 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Here are the details on how you can reach Birbhum.

By Air

The nearest airport is the Kolkata Airport (CCU) aka Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Situated about 17 km from the city centre, this airport earlier was known as Dum Dum Airport. Then in 1995, it was renamed to its current name.

Spread over an area of about 1,641 acres, this airport is also known as the largest aerodrome receiving highest traffic from the eastern parts of the country. It has overall good connectivity with other Indian cities with major airlines operating their flights to and fro. Once off the airport, you can easily take some means of local transportation to reach your destination.

From Guwahati - Board IndiGo, Spicejet, AirIndia, Air Asia flights from Guwahati Airport
From Patna - Board IndiGo, AirAsia, Spicejet, Vistara flights from Patna Airport
From Kanpur - Board Spicejet, IndiGo, Air India flights from Kanpur Airport

Here is a list of Indian cities from where flights are available to Birbhum

By Train

Birbhum has good rail connectivity with other Indian cities. The loop of Howrah-Sahibganj of the eastern railways passes through this particular district. Thus, you can easily take trains to this region from nearby places and deboard at either Howrah Junction, Sealdah Junction, or Dum Dum Junction. All of these are situated approximately 200 km away from Birbhum. Thus, once you get off the train, you will need to cover the remaining distance by some means of local conveyance like a taxi or a bus.

From Delhi - Board POORVA EXP SPL from New Delhi Railway Station and deboard the Howrah Junction
From Patna - Board PNBE HWH SPL from Patna Junction and deboard at Howrah Junction
From Agra - Board POORVA EXP SPL from Agra Cantt and deboard at Howrah Junction

By Road

Birbhum is well connected and well-maintained by roadways and smooth national highways from the nearby towns and districts. To travel here, you can easily book interstate/private buses as well as local taxis to reach here. If you are planning a fun road trip, then, the best option would be to take your own vehicle.

From Ranchi - 304 km via NH320
From Jamshedpur - 250 km via NH14
From Bhubaneswar - 557 km via NH16
From Patna - 394 km via NH333

Frequently Asked Questions about Birbhum

Q. Where is Birbhum located?
A. Birbhum district is located in the western part of the Indian state of West Bengal.

Q. What are the best places to visit in Birbhum?
A. Some popular tourist attractions in Birbhum include the Tarapith Temple, Surul, Nalhati, and Jaydev Kenduli Mela.

You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here