Got 48 hours in Madhupur? Here’s everything you should explore

People once escaped to this mineral-rich part of the Chota Nagpur plateau to recover from the harsh weather and epidemics, and today, people come here to escape deadlines, high blood pressure, and insomnia. This is Madhupur in Jharkhand, and is definitely an offbeat yet mesmerising place to visit. While there are regular trains from Kolkata and Bihar, it is still recommended that you travel by road to soak in the scenery and have hands-on transportation.

Now, if you have only 48 hours to spend in this relaxing town, then here’s an itinerary that you should follow. Typically, most trains reach by afternoon, so you can check in to your accommodation, have a quick local lunch and visit the Usri Falls and Burhai Pahar. It is best to return by evening as the place can become very dark, and there aren’t many lights on the road. Within the next 24 hours, keep aside some time to explore the place on foot and you would need at least 5-6 hours to visit the Baidyanath Dham nearby, before you pack up and head home.

Here’s a complete list of places to visit in Madhupur that we believe will be handy for you

Usri Falls: The Usri falls are located almost 35-40 minutes away from the station road. Once you enter the car parking slot, take a moment to soak in the sudden cool breeze and a hurried murmur. This is the sound of the waterfall. Venture further in and you would be greeted by the sight of people swimming at the base if the waterfall, excited chatters and camera clicks all around, and young boys not wasting a moment to show some antiques by jumping over the rocks. Walk around the place, check out the forest road beside and sit quietly on a rock to see the sunset.

Burhai Pahar: If short temple treks, green temple pond view and steep hilly mounds are your forte, then Burhai Pahar is the destination for you. A short trek from the main road, crossing the temple pond, leads you to the Shiva temple itself. Right beside it is a hilly mound which you have to scale to reach to another Shiva temple. All throughout the mounds you would find small burrows and caves with inscriptions all over. And once you have scaled the height, the view that greets you is worth climbing the barren land for.

Check in a home stay: Deep into the city, you would be able to stay in modern hotels or hostels but if we were to give you a pro –tip, choose a heritage home stay to spend your night. It is not only pocket-friendly and homely, but also gives you the full charm of how life used to go about in the past. From four poster beds to antique teak and wood furniture, from nooks and corners and steep stairways to large lawns and open-air courtyards, you would find them all.

 Local cuisine: Madhupur has a mix of Bengali, Jharkhandi and local dishes that are served. While the food is genuinely very simple, what make it special are the techniques or the way ingredients are sourced. Desi murgi / locally grown chicken are a delicacy and any hotel or home stay would recommend it to you for dinner along with hand-made rotis or boiled rice. If you have a sweet tooth, then organic jaggery rosogolla is another treat that you should not miss. Dipped in freshly harvested jaggery, it is less sweet in flavour than most artificial ones.

Morning Walks: If digital detox is on your to-do list then blindly leave your phones locked away, keep your manual camera in hand, wear your walking shoes and hit the roads of Madhupur. The quiet town wakes up as early as 5 am and that is perhaps the best time to take a stroll. Not only would you have the vast expanse of the fields to walk through, but also smaller by-lanes where the locals would be happy to let you pass.

Sometimes, you might come across old abandoned houses which are in ruins and associated temples on the same land. You are most welcome to ask the locals about the origin or history of the place. While oral histories may differ, most of the time they comply and give you a tour of the place willingly. These bits and pieces of strewn colonial history is what give the town its essence.  

Baidyanath Dham: One of the reasons that makes Madhupur a very sought-after destination is the presence of the Baidyanath Dham in Deogarh. It takes around an hour to reach the Dham and it might take quite a few hours for the darshan even after queuing in the priority line. In fact, people start lining up from 4 am in the morning just to get a glimpse of the Shivalinga.

According to legend, when Ravana wanted to relocate Shiva from Kailash to Lanka, it was agreed upon with the condition that if he placed the Shiva Lingam anywhere on earth mid-route, the Lingam would find a permanent abode there. Worried that Shiva would no longer be found in Kailash, the Gods conspired, and by destiny, Ravana had to stop in the region and ended up placing the shiva Lingam mid-route. That is why Deogarh, in colloquial language also means Dev-ghar or abode of the Lord. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas spread across the country.

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