Anu and I spent a weekend in Ranchi attending the IIT Kanpur 1990 yearly reunion. Our host was Avinash Kumar, the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand.
Fri, Oct 3: Arrival in Ranchi
We reached Ranchi on Fri, Oct 3 early morning. We landed at the Birsa Munda airport. Birsa Munda was an Indian tribal independence activist, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency in the late 19th century, during the British Raj, thereby making him an important figure in the history of the Indian independence movement. The revolt mainly concentrated in the Munda belt of Khunti, Tamar, Sarwada and Bandgaon.
Friends started trickling in throughout the day.
We checked into the Marriott Hotel in Ranchi.
Avinash Kumar hosted a party at his residence in the evening. There was live music and karaoke.
Sat, Oct 4: Exploring Ranchi and its vicinity
Saturday morning, we headed to Patratu Lake, a reservoir lake. I realized that Ranchi is at an elevation of 2,000 ft on the Chhota Nagpur Plateau. The weather is cool and the area is very green.
We stopped at the Palani Waterfall on the way. It is a small but beautiful waterfall near Patratu Lake.
We were then taken by boat to the Patratu Lake island resort.
There was live music, drinks and great food.
We clicked a great group picture. The weather was cloudy but not rainy. Very pleasant weather.
We left Patratu Resort around 4 pm.
In the evening, there was a party at a local restaurant in Ranchi.
Sun, Oct 5: Sightseeing in Ranchi
There was a small farewell cake cutting ceremony at around 11 am. Then we left for sightseeing.
We first visited the Jagannath Mandir. This restored Hindu temple originally built in 1691 is on top of a hill with scenic city views.
Next we visited the Kanke dam. The reservoir supplies water to the town of Ranchi.
Next we visited the Pahadi mandir, a hillside Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shankara, offering sweeping views of the countryside.
We stopped by at Jharcraft, an art and crafts hop dedicated to the tribal artisans of Jharkhand.
Last stop was the rock garden of Ranchi. The location is nice and it is a great place to hang out.
We then met Kiran Keshari, an acquaintance in Ranchi.
From there, we headed directly to Ranchi airport for our flight to Bhubaneshwar.
It was a small but interesting weekend in Ranchi.
