Mukutmanipur - A heavenly pleasure

MUKUTMANIPUR

Mukutmanipur is a small town in Rarh in India. It is adjacent to the dam on Kangsabati River. This is considered as the second biggest earth dam of India. Mukutmanipur is famous as one of the best picnic spot in West Bengal.

Trains are available from Kolkata to the nearest railhead Bankura. Regular buses are available from Bankura to Mukutmanipur - distance 55 Km.

One can also drive down from Kolkata to mukutmanipur easily. It will take approximately 6 hours. There are two routes. The shorter one (241KM)is

Kolkata > Tarakeswar > Arambag > Bishnupur > bankura > Mukutmanipur. The second possible route(270 KM) is Kolkata > Dankuni > Burdawan > Durgapur (till here NH2) > Bankura (SH9)> Mukutmanipur.

The second route is recommended because of the excellent road condition in spite of the additional 30 KM. Regular buses are available from Kolkata, India's gateway in the east, distance 250Km.

Kangsabati Dam. The height of the dam is 38 metres with a lake of 86 Sqkm.

The island in the middle of the lake.

Ambika Nagar - a Jain prilgrimage.

No one knows what or where the heaven is. But one will surely en­joy heavenly pleasure, if he stays at Mukut manipur in a moonlit night. Staying arrange ment is there at the top of the hillocks at Mukutmanipur. After crossing the lock gate of the Kangsabati dam on the river Kang-sabati, there is the inspection bungalow, the Kangsabati Bhaban and the Youth Hostel. The barrage on the rivers Kumari and Kang sabati is 10098 m in length and 38 m in height, the area of the dam is 86 sq km. The dam is surrounded by hills.

This small hamlet in Bankura could be the perfect healing place for your weary soul. A giant lake with deep blue water, an open-air temple and a small forest with rare birds make it an ideal destination to satisfy weekend wanderlust.

Mukutmanipur is situated on the confluence of the rivers Kumari and Kangshabati at the Bengal-Bihar border. It’s a little-known fact that Asia’s biggest earthen dam is in Mukutmanipur, constructed in the early 1970s. The tourist destination grew around the dam.

The 86-sq-m lake provides an irresistible temptation to take a boat ride. One side of the lake is rocky and draws the border between Bengal and Bihar, while the other is dotted with green patches, part of the Bangopalpur reserve forest.

Sangama Trip

Sangama is the confluence of two rivers – Arkavathi and Kaveri(Cauvery). This place is around 2 hours drive from Bangalore and can be done on a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler. Arkavathi will be just a small stream for most of the year and will have some water during the monsoons. It is best to visit the place in rainy season when kaveri is running full of water.

The last 5kms of the drive to Sangama is quite interesting. The road takes a steep dip into a valley and offers a nice view of the running river. The waters here are shallow and wide, so you can walk around in the water or take a dip. When you are done, you can walk through the forest, along the banks of the river for around 3kms and reach Mekedatu. You also have the option to take a bus, but most people prefer to walk. As you move towards Mekedatu, you notice the river getting narrow, until at some point there is hardly a 20 feet distance between the banks. The river runs ferociously at this point and has formed beautiful soft structures on the rocky banks. Legend has it that the channel was so narrow that sheep would jump across, and hence the name Mekedatu(Meke = sheep, datu = cross in Kannada).

To reach Sangama, drive on Kanakapura road from Bangalore. You need to leave the highway after Kanakapura and take a left. Inquire once you reach the town. Another option is to take a circuitous route by driving on the highway till Satanur and taking a left from there. Once you are in Sangama, you can take a bus that keeps shuttling between Mekedatu and Sangama. But most people prefer to walk leisurely along the riverbank. To go to Chunchi falls, take a left turn around 5km before Sangama. There is a sign on the road which you will not miss.