Megahahatu Buru

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)

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Singhbhum in Jharkhand

Megahahatu Buru (मेघाहातुबुरु) is a small Village in Noamundi tahsil in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand State, India. Meghahatuburu is a Forest village in West Singhbhum district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The town was largely built by the Steel Authority of India Limited as it is the Raw Material Division of SAIL. The towns of Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu are contiguous, sharing many local facilities. Author visited the place on 19.1.1981 when the Project was in offing.

Variants

• Meghahatuburu

Location

Meghahatuburu (south) is a Village in Noamundi Block in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand State, India. It is located 60 KM towards South from District head quarters Chaibasa. 151 KM from State capital Ranchi. Meghahatuburu (south) Pin code is 833223 and postal head office is Meghahatuburu. Meghahatuburu (south) is surrounded by Jagannathpur Block towards East , Joda Block towards South , Tonto Block towards North , Champua Block towards South . Barbil , Joda , Chaibasa , Chakradharpur are the near by Cities to Meghahatuburu (south). This Place is in the border of the West Singhbhum District and Kendujhar District. Kendujhar District Joda is South towards this place . It is near to the Odisha State Border.

Origin

Meghahatuburu derives its name from the word ‘Meghata’ which means ‘Clouds’ thus citing it as a ‘Hill of Clouds’, as it remains covered under layers of clouds most time of the year. Meghahatuburu is also often addressed to as ‘Cherrapunji of Jharkhand’.

History

Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu, the twin hills that spreads across the two states of Jharkhand and Odisha are the most underrated and undiscovered places.

Kiriburu hill is located at Kiriburu, a town in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand but also stretches a little in the Kendujhar district of Odisha, and therefore, most of the tourist places to visit in Kiriburu lies in Odisha.

Meghahatuburu hill on the other hand is located at Meghahatuburu, a town in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.

The word ‘Kiri’ means ‘Elephant’ and ‘Buru’ means ‘Hill’ which rightfully describes Kiriburu as the ‘Hill of Elephants’ as it provides shelter to an enormous number of wild elephants.

Meghahatuburu derives its name from the word ‘Meghata’ which means ‘Clouds’ thus citing it as a ‘Hill of Clouds’, as it remains covered under layers of clouds most time of the year. Meghahatuburu is also often addressed to as ‘Cherrapunji of Jharkhand’.

Due to the presence of iron ore in excess, the twin hills are also referred to as the ‘Iron Hills’. Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu both lie within the belt of the Saranda Forest and both the township are developed by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

Tourist Places in Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu

Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu are the hidden jewels of nature. The place is packed with greenery and has many waterfalls, adding to its scenic beauty. It is a perfect place for adventurers and explorers.

Here is the list of places to visit in Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu:

Saranda Forest: Saranda, the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, stands proudly in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand and also stretches a little into the state of Odisha. The forest covers an area of 820 sq km and is home to a huge variety of wild animals. A large part of the forest is under the iron ore mining project. Saranda forest remained out of the tourist limelight for long, irrespective of nurturing many amazing places of tourist interest within its belt. Saranda is said to be the land of seven hundred hills.

Some of the wild animals found here are Wild Elephants, Sambar, Chital, Beers, Bison, Tigers, and Leopards. Although the forest is stuffed with a huge number of Sal (Shorea robusta) trees, some of the other trees which are also found in large numbers are Mangoes, Jamun, Jackfruit, Guava, Mahua, Kusum, Tilai, Harin Hara (Armossa Rohitulea), Gular (Ficus Glomerata), and Asan. River Karo and Koina flow through the forest, contributing to a variety of flora and fauna. Due to the presence of a high amount of iron ore, the soil in the entire forest is red in color.

Pundul Waterfall: Pundul Falls is located in Kiriburu and is surrounded by the dense Saranda forest. The river Karo originates from the Pundul Falls. The path that leads to the fall is small and is fenced with Sal trees on both sides, hence, one has to walk their way to the falls. Walking down the beautiful path covered with sal trees will surely take away all your anxieties.

Swapneswar Temple: Swapneswar Temple is located on the way to Pundul Falls. The temple has an idol of goddess Durga and also a shiva lingam. The mesmerizing sound of the Pundul falls can be heard from the temple. It is from this place, one has to start their on-foot journey for Pundul Falls.

Khandadhar Waterfall: Khandadhar Waterfalls located at Sundergarh district of Odisha is the 12th highest waterfall in India. The waterfall falls from a height of 244 meters, giving it a shape of a sword, hence, the name Khandadhar. It derives its name from the word ‘Khanda’ which means a ‘sword’ and ‘Dhar’ means ‘Sharp’. The most breathtaking sight of the place is that the water, falls from a great height thus creating a cloudy appearance that sometimes gives birth to rainbows at the base of the falls. Khandadhar is 95.7 Kms from Kiriburu via Koida Rd and takes almost 3 to 3 and a half hours to reach. It is a perfect picnic spot as well so what can be better than packing some food on the way to have a mini picnic at Khandadhar.

Sanaghagara Waterfall: Sanaghagara Waterfall is a small waterfall located in the Kendujhar district of Odisha. The fall got its name from the word ‘Sana’ which means ‘small’ and ghagra which means ‘waterfall’. True to its name, the small waterfall lies in the Keonjhar to Sambalpur National Highway, 5 km from the Kendujhar town. A small river named San Machakandana swiftly flows down the hill creating the natural waterfall.

Badaghahara Waterfall: Badaghahara Waterfall is also located at Kendujhar district of Odisha, 9 km from the town of Kendujhar and 3 km from Sanaghagara Waterfall. River Machha Kandana makes a single drop from the height of 200 feet, hence creating the waterfall. A dam has been constructed on the waterfall as it a perennial waterfall. The place is untouched for any commercial purpose hence one can enjoy nature here at its raw form.

Handibhanga another waterfall located in Bahalda village of the Mayurbhanja district of Odisha is located at a distance of 45 km from the town of Kendujhar. The best time to visit Handibhanga is between the months of October to March. The height of the fall is almost 100 feet and is one of the best picnic spots in the region.

Jhikra waterfal: Jhikra waterfal is also known as the rainbow waterfall as the water creates a rainbow effect while dropping from a great height. The fall is in the middle of the sal forest which makes it look divine. The path leading to the waterfall is rocky with streams of water flowing which one has to cross to reach the spot.

Pachri falls: Pachri falls is another beautiful fall that should be on the list while on a Kiriburu Meghahatuburu trip. The falls lie between the dense forest and it is a 30 minutes walk through the rocky forest to reach the amazingly beautiful Pachri fall.