Gangani Travel Guide

 

Heard that the Gangani ravine is called the Grand Canyon of West Bengal because of its visual similarities with the actual Grand Canyon of Arizona. After knowing this, I went to Garhbeta last winter wanting to see it with my own eyes. There are some similarities with the Grand Canyon that I saw in the picture, but that's not the only reason to write a blog about it. Truly speaking there is no such natural wonder in Bengal as Gangani! So if you are interested to see the diverse nature of West Bengal, you must visit this place once.

 Gangani is a destination that has a wonderful combination of a river, sandstone hills, green forest, mythology & history. I have discussed in detail all the information you need to know before visit such a great place.

How to reach

By train or car, Gangani is easily accessible from Kolkata.

By Road: Garhbeta is well connected by NH14, so it is easy to get here by car or bus. From Howrah, Dharmatala, Purulia, or Bankura, various buses travel over Garhbeta regularly.

By Train: It takes about three hours by local train from Howrah to reach Garhbeta station or you can take Howrah Shalimar Express or Ruposhi Bangla Express from Santragachhi to reach Garhbeta in less time.

From the station: Rental Auto or Toto can be easily found from Garhbeta station for a day trip.

Where to stay

We toured the whole city in one day, but those who want to spend a day or two can get some moderate hotels nearby.

What to see

Ganagani ravines

Just as the Colorado River formed the vast grand canyon of Arizona, so did the Garhbeta's Shilabati River erosion formed the gorges of Gangani for more than a thousand years.

Here you can see how the laterite and limestone rugged cliffs have created a bright landscape. Now the municipality has built a stairway to get down from these gorges. The Shilai river flowing by the Gangani ravines is very calm. It originated from Purulia then merged with the Dwarkeswar river and fell into the sea under the name Rupnarayan.

Myth: There is a folklore surrounding this place that when the Pandavas* came here in exile, during that time Bakasura caused great terror in the region. Every day that terrible monster demanded a person from a nearby village to voluntarily attend as his food. One day it was the turn of the Brahmin at whose house the Pandavas had taken shelter. Seeing him broke down in tears, Kunti** ordered Bhima*** to kill the Bakasura****. At his mother's advice, he rushed to fight with the demon. There was a fierce battle between the two and finally, Asura was defeated. It is said that this canyon was created as a result of that battle.

Historical Importance: Achal Singh, one of the leaders of the Chuar-Layek rebellion, set up camp with his troops in the dense shawl forest of Gangani. He fought in a guerrilla-style and frightened the British army. They have been fighting for their freedom for a long time but they were caught in the end.

During Sunset

Best time to Visit

In summer the temperature here is extremely high, the river water decrease to about knee level, all in all, this is not a good time to visit.

During the monsoons, the Shilai river become fiercely so avoid that time too. Winter is the ideal time to visit Gangani.

Shilabati river in winter

Tips: You must wait until sunset in the afternoon because the fiery orange of sunset moment and the color of the laterite red soil are mingled with each other and create a surreal world.

Sarbamangala Temple 

Sarvamangala temple is one of the ancient temples in Garhbeta. There are many folk tales centering on it. The temple is about 500 to 600 years old. It is said to have been established in the Gupta period. However, it is also heard that Maa Sarvamangala has been worshiped as a Goddess of Jungle by the locals for a long time.

Sarvamangala temple

During the reign of King Vikramaditya, a yogi came to the Bagri kingdom. He built this omnipotent temple. Once King Vikramaditya came to this temple and after being satisfied with his long pursuit, Goddess Sarvamangala blessed him with the power to rule over Tal-Betal. To prove the success of the goddess's blessing, Vikramaditya instructed Tal-Betal to turn the face of the temple from south to north. The order is effective immediately. The place was named “Beta” after Betal. The city was later founded by Betra Burma during the reign of Kumar Gupta. Probably he built a fort or Garh to protect the city. And maybe since then, its name has become Garhbeta.

 But according to another common view, due to the geographical location of the Shilabati river to the north, the main gate of the temple is to the north. All places north of a river are considered sacred.

  In any case, the historical significance of this temple is important and it has made it a very popular tourist destination.

Amlagora Range Elephant Corridor 

The road from Garhbeta station to Gangani is very beautiful, as well as the forest is rich with various flora and fauna. The entire road passes through the Amlagora Forest Range, which is also known as an elephant corridor. You can intrude a little with of course the help of locals but this place is not safe because of wild elephants.

Amlagora Forest

In that case, there are few things you should mind, such as not going deep into the forest at all, not to throw food packets or in any other way polluting the forest, most importantly, do not speak loudly or use anything noisy in the forest area. We must always remember that we are entering the wildlife area and give them that respect and enjoy nature. And if you are lucky, you will see wild elephants.

Today Gangani is no longer an unknown destination, throughout the year, many nature-loving people flock here. So if you still do not see this creation of nature, then plan your trip. Hope this article will help you.

Footnote

* Pandavas: are the five brothers Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, the main characters in the Indian epic Mahabharata.

** Kunti: Mother of Pandavas.

*** Bhima: Second brother between Pandavas

**** Bakasura: A man-eater demon who is known as Baka or Vaka