Situated at a height of about 615 metres above sea level in the Chotanagpur plateau area in eastern India, the town of Hazaribagh, a town once built by the British, falls in the state of Jharkhand.

In the past (and even today), the place has been noted for its fame as a health resort.

The forest of Hazaribagh (now a National Park) is spread nearby and is a major attraction for tourists.

The hills of Canary, Sitagora, Silwar and Bamunbere hills surround the town. About 5 kms from the town is the Canary Hill (also known as Observatory Hill). A climb of 500 steps takes one to the observation point on the hilltop from where one can have panoramic views of the town and its surroundings. The place is ideal for watching sunrise and sunset.

About 5 kms in the south-west of the town, by the side of a village named Khaparia off Barkagaon Road, is Narasimha-sthan or Narsinghsthan in a serene atmosphere surrounded by greenery all around. It is said that one Pandit Damodar Mishra, a renowned exponent of music and a contemporary of Tulsidas, brought with him the jade black statue of Narasimha (an incarnation of Sri Krishna) from Nepal in the 16th century and started worshipping in Hazaribagh. Time had taken its toll on the old temple which once stood. There are no traces and the present temple which stands has been renovated recently in 1992.

The hill of Silwar or Tower Hill is famous for the Jagannath Temple. One can see the beautiful rock-cut statue of Lord Ganesha and enjoy the view from the hilltop.

A recent notable discovery has been the cave paintings of Isko at a distance of 35 kms from the town, claimed by archaeologists to be one of the oldest to be discovered till date.

HOW TO REACH...

Hazaribagh is well connected by road to Kolkata and Ranchi (present capital of Jharkhand). Regular bus services are available. The nearest railway stations are Koderma and Hazaribagh Road on the Grand Chord railway link, from where the town can be reached by road in about a couple of hours. The nearest airport is at Ranchi.