The temple ruins
Terracotta and stone temples in various states of ruin, scattered through the trees. Take a local guide if one offers; the stories are the point.
travel guide
Garpanchkot: ruined temples under Panchet hill
Garpanchkot is what is left of the Panchakot kings’ fort town at the foot of Panchet hill: broken temples in a forest, some of them still standing, with the hill above and the Panchet dam nearby. About 266 km from Kolkata. Almost everyone stays at Baranti, 4 km away, and comes here for a morning.
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The short version
- Road distance from Kolkata
- 266 km
- From Barrackpore side
- 263 km
- Usual drive time
- 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore
- Best time to go
- November to February
- Suits
- History readers, photographers, families who like walking in forest
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What you actually see there
Panchet dam
A big dam on the Damodar a short drive away, with a long view over the water and the hill.
The forest walk
Tracks through sal forest between the ruins. Elephants do move in this belt, so ask locally before you walk far.
How to reach
Durgapur Expressway to the Asansol side, then towards Neturia and Panchet, about 266 km from Kolkata and 263 km from Barrackpore. The last part is a forest road. Stay at Baranti or at the resort inside Garpanchkot itself, and keep the car with you for the two or three days, because there is no local transport worth relying on.
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What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
Do not walk into the forest after dusk, and do not leave food out at the resort.
Wear closed shoes. The ruins sit in undergrowth with loose brick and snakes in warm weather.
Combine with Baranti and Panchet in one day, and Biharinath or Maithon on the next.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
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Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
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We pick up from these areas
A day trip works best when the car reaches you early, from your own side of town.
questions
Questions about Garpanchkot: ruined temples under Panchet hill
Is Garpanchkot the same as Baranti?
No, they are about 4 km apart. Baranti is the lake and the resorts, Garpanchkot is the ruins and the forest. Most trips use one room and see both.
Which vehicle for this trip?
An MUV for four to six people. The highway is good but the last stretch and the forest roads are better in a higher vehicle, and you will be driving on them for two days.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
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