ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES of Jharkhand
Hawaah Palace Padma
Hawaah Palace Padma can be categorised under Historical Places and is a popular tourist place in Hazaribagh. This Hawaah Palace Padma draws huge crowds from the neighbouring places of Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Nambol, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal, Ukhrul. Some of the other tourist places in the city of Hazaribagh – Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary, Canary Hills, Budhwa Mahadev Mandir, Narsigsthan Temple, Raj Derwah, Silwar Hill, Konar Dam, Hawaah Palace Padma.
Palamu Forts Purana And Naya Kila
wo large forts are located deep in the forests of Palamu on the Sher Shah Suri path near Daltonganj. These forts were attributed to the Vanvasi kings of the Chero dynasty. The best part of these forts is that they had defences in three directions guarded by three huge main gates. The architecture that we see now is Islamic in nature as Daud Khan the trusted general of Sher Shah Suri had rebuilt the forts after conquering it from the Chero rulers.
There are two forts, in the Palamu forest- the Purana Kila or Old Fort and the Naya Kila or New Fort, located very close to one another. Though both belong to the same period and were probably built during the same time, the kings that built them, Medini Roy and Pratap Roy ensured that the forts were strong and could withstand any kind of intrusion.
But though they seemed invincible the forts were first captured by the Mughals and then by the British. The walls of the fort still bear marks to the same. Historians are of the view that the architectural style of these forts bears resemblance to that of the Rohtasgarh and Shergarh forts.
The old fort contains the remains of two storied houses and a mosque, which has three domes. The new fort, built around the slopes of a pointed hill, is noted for its beautiful gate named Nagpuri. The walls of these forts are built with stones and concrete.
A specialty is that the remnants of ancient paintings and stucco ornamentation are still present here. Apart from this, Buddhist and Hindu idols can be found, which are in a ruined state.
Situated amid dense forest at Palamu, these forts are a favorite haunt of tigers, whose pug marks can be seen nearby.
Teliagarhi Fort
The location has the remains of an old fort that was built by a Zamindar called Teli Zamindar. It is said that the Zamindar embraced Islam during the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. The fort has a rich history since many of the wars fought in Sahibganj district were centered on the fort. The fort is situated very close to the Karamtola Railway station.
Gopalpur Historical Ruins
The historical ruins of Gopalpur that contain an ancient pillar and the stone image of Emperor Ashoka have brought lot of curious historians, archaeologists and tourists to the place. The small indescripit village of Nirsa-cum-Chirkunda development block, is just 37 minutes from Dhanbad, which is 31.7 kms from the heart of Dhanbad city. The pillar is said to date back to the time of Emperor Ashoka’s rule.
Seraikela Palace
The Seraikela Palace is a 300 year old heritage building having lot of historical importance. This is the main landmark in the city that stands out from the rest of the monuments found. The palace is known for its architectural exquisiteness and one of the must see sights for those visiting the city.
The Maa Paudi temple which is famed for all over the region is located within the palace premises. The royal family was the guardian of the temple when royalty was still practiced in India.
Anjani Gufa
Anjani Gufa or Anjani cave is situated in a small historic scenic village of Aanjan. It is believed that goddess Anjani used to dwell in the caves that have been discovered in this region.
As the name indicates the village got its name from goddess Anjani, the mother of Lord Hanuman. This village is also considered to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman.
Many objects of archaeological importance have been recovered from the area that has been placed on display at the museum of Patna.
There is an idol of goddess-mother Anjani with Lord Hanuman as a child, in her lap in front of the caves. The village of Anjani is situated nearly 18 kms away from Gumla.
Archaeological Ruins Of Benisagar
Benisagar is a historic place located on the borders of West Singhbhum and Orissa. The town has been named after King Beni and has come onto the world map for its rich historical and archaeological findings.
It is said that the village has its moorings during the Mahabharata period and that the Pandavas spent a large part of their exile in the forests of Benisagar during their exile.
Archaeologists and historians stumbled upon a rich find of a 45-cm-tall ancient statue that bore resemblance to the statues found at the Konark Sun temple and Khajuraho.
The village has a tank named after the legendary ruler Benu Raja and it was this king who could have been instrumental in building the temple and adorned the sculptures in it. But the temple and the rest of the sculptures are yet to be discovered. Captain Belgar, a British officer, had discovered the site around 75 years ago. Benisagar had been a protected site for years and the ASI brought it under its control three years ago.
The ASI found a terracotta seal depicting a seated lion. They also found brick structures and architectural fragments, along with the sculptures of Lord Ganesh, Goddess Mahisasurmardini, and Lord Hanuman at the eastern and southern sides of the Benisagar tank.
Digging at the site confirmed that there was indeed a temple that existed in the site. An archaeologist said nine shrines of various sizes had been found, which indicated that a panchayan type or a temple dedicated to the five chief gods of the Hindus might have existed at the spot.
Another archeologist was also of the opinion that occult practices too could have flourished during that period as they have unearthed a vedi (a raised platform used for sacrificial fires and performing sacrifices) and a brick kund (an open pit like enclosure used in lighting the sacred fire) pointed to it.
The ASI too had discovered two inscriptions in “shell script” at Benisagar, closely resembling those seen on the Ashokan pillars in Vaisali and Rajgir in Bihar.
Benisagar is still being dug. The findings till date reveal multi-layered mounds, ruins of a stone temple and centuries-old bricks at the site which is around 60 km from Jamshedpur.
It is said that a couple of years ago, a villager had chanced upon a seal that could date back to the Gupta period. Besides, remains that probably belonged to the Pala period had also been found.
The seal that was found bears a rosary; a couple of motifs kamandalu- the sacred pot carried by ascetics and sadhus, a danda- a hand rest and a legend in Brahmi characters. A beautifully carved Ganesha belonging to the Pala period was also found.
The archeologists are also on to desilt the ancient Benisagar tank in the hope of gathering more material or findings regarding the history of the place and its people.
Apart from Benisagar, there are other sites close to Benisagar that are in the possession of ASI. They are the Jami Mosque in Mangalhat, the baradari (leisure retreat) in Arzi Mukhimpur, both of which are in Sahebganj, and a Shiva temple at Khekparta in Lohardaga.
Bibhuti Smarak Bhavan
Earlier known as Gaurikunj, the place gained popularity for the famed home of the noted Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay.
On the road to Dohijora in Ghatshila City, along Apu s Road named after the famous character of Apu in the writer s stories, and located a few miles from the ruins of the Rajbari (was also the house where Bibhutibhushan formerly lived) is the former residence of Bibhuthibhushan Bandhopadhyay. He is the author of the famous novel Pather Panchali and has also penned many other stories, as he spent the last few years of his life in this house.
Like the house at Rajbari, Gaurikunj house was also falling into disrepair if the state government wouldn t have intervened taken the initiative to save it.
The same house has been turned into a memorial of the author. Presently known as the Bibhuti Smarak Bhavan, it is one of the proud heritage sites that Ghatshila can boast of. Close to the memorial is a library that has been set up in honor of the author.
Ruins Of Porahat Raj
Porahat is another important place which is about 7kms to Chaibasa that is known to be the kingdom of erstwhile Porahat Raj. One can visit the place to take a look at the dilapidated palaces and other historical buildings in the area.
Except for the North Karo valley and some 20 kms in the Koel valley, the Porahat area is a hilly tract extending to the Chotanagpur plateau, which reaches down to the area of Bandgaon. To the extreme north of the attraction is the Phuljhur river that comes down from a plateau in a cascade, forms a pool which is supposed to be unfathomable and the subject of many discussions, myths, stories and legends. The only level or gently undulating land of any extent is found in the region is in the upper valley of the Sanjai near Sonua and Goilkera on the South Eastern Railway, and in Chakradharpur, an outlying portion of the Porahat area on the north bank of the Sanjai.
List of Archeological sites notified by ASI is as under:
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