Ranchi

The "City of Waterfalls" on the Chota Nagpur Plateau, ringed by Hundru, Dassam and other falls, with the winding Patratu Valley road nearby.

Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand in eastern India. Set on the Chota Nagpur Plateau at about 650 m, it is cooler than the Gangetic plain and served as the summer capital of Bihar under British rule. Around the city, rivers plunge off the plateau's edge in a string of waterfalls, earning it the name "City of Waterfalls": Hundru, Jonha and Sita Falls on the Subarnarekha River to the east, and Dassam, Panch Gagh and Hirni Falls to the south, all most spectacular in the monsoon (Jul–Sep). To the north, Patratu Valley is known for its tiers of hairpin bends and valley reservoir, a favourite local drive. In the city, sights include the 17th-century Jagannath Temple, the hilltop Pahari Mandir, Tagore Hill, Rock Garden and Kanke Dam, plus the Tribal Research Institute Museum showcasing Munda, Oraon and other tribal cultures; outside town are the chariot-wheel-shaped Sun Temple and the Chhinnamasta Temple at Rajrappa. Best seasons: Jul–Sep for waterfalls, Oct–Mar for cool, pleasant weather; Apr–Jun is hot. Getting there: Birsa Munda Airport has flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and elsewhere, and Ranchi station has trains across the country. Sights are spread 40–60 km out of town, so hiring a car is recommended; in a day you can cover the eastern route (Hundru, Jonha and Sita Falls) or the southern route (Dassam and the Sun Temple). In the monsoon the water below the falls runs fast, so never go in. Plan on 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Hundru Falls – The Subarnarekha River plunges about 98 meters off a cliff, making it the tallest and most famous waterfall in Jharkhand.
• Dassam Falls – The Kanchi River splits into ten streams as it falls about 44 meters into a gorge, shrouded in mist. It is the most popular waterfall on th…
• Patratu Valley – A winding mountain road with hairpin bends runs through a lush green valley, with a reservoir far below. It is Ranchi's most popular drivin…
• Jagannath Temple, Ranchi – A temple built in 1691 on a hilltop in the style of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. Its annual Rath Yatra chariot festival draws hundreds of…
• Jonha Falls – Also known as Gangaghat Falls, a hanging waterfall of about 43 metres in the forest, reached by roughly 500 steps down to the pool.
• Sita Falls – A forest waterfall a few kilometres east of Jonha Falls, cascading in tiers for about 85 metres, said to be where Sita once bathed.
• Panchghagh Falls – A low waterfall where five streams fall side by side at a gentle pace, one of the few falls near Ranchi where swimming is safe.
• Hirni Falls – A forest-enclosed waterfall of about 37 metres, with a lookout tower overlooking the falls and the surrounding forest, passing Munda tribal…
• Patratu Dam & Lake Resort – A large reservoir at the foot of the Patratu Valley, where the lakeside resort offers speedboats, pedal boats and cruises, with mountain sh…
• Pahari Mandir – A Shiva temple on Ranchi Hill in the city centre, reached by about 470 steps for views over the city, with a giant national flag flying fro…
• Ranchi Lake (Bada Talab) – An artificial lake in the city centre excavated in 1842 under British supervision, with a large statue of Swami Vivekananda on an island in…
• Rock Garden, Ranchi – A park laid out on the natural rock of Gonda Hill, with sculptures, miniature waterfalls and a viewpoint overlooking Kanke Dam and the city.
• Kanke Dam – A large reservoir to the north of Ranchi, with walkways and footbridges along its shore, right next to the Rock Garden, popular with locals…
• Tagore Hill – A small hill where Jyotirindranath, elder brother of the poet Tagore, lived in seclusion in his later years, with a pavilion on the summit…
• Tribal Research Institute Museum – An ethnographic museum showing the clothing, musical instruments, hunting tools and house models of more than thirty tribes of Jharkhand.
• Sun Temple, Bundu – A modern temple designed as a chariot with seven horses and eighteen carved wheels, modelled on the Konark Sun Temple, near Dassam Falls.
• Chhinnamasta Temple, Rajrappa – A sacred site of the Tantric tradition at the confluence of the Damodar and Bhairavi rivers, dedicated to the goddess Chhinnamasta, who sev…
• Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park – A large zoo in Ormanjhi on the eastern edge of Ranchi, set in forest with Bengal tigers, lions, bears and deer, suitable for families.
• McCluskieganj – A forest village founded in the 1930s as a community for Anglo-Indians, dotted with colonial-style bungalows and known as "Mini England".

Where to eat

• Ajam Emba Tribal Kitchen – A tribal restaurant run by Indigenous women, recreating traditional Jharkhand flavors with red rice, millet, and wild g…
• Kaveri Restaurant – Ranchi's best-known pure vegetarian restaurant, famous for its large thali and the most Google reviews in the city.
• Samrat Restaurant (Chanakya BNR Hotel) – Multi-cuisine restaurant in a historic railway hotel beside the station, known for its grilled meats and biryani and hi…
• Viraasat Restaurant (Courtyard by Marriott) – All-day restaurant on the 8th floor of the Courtyard by Marriott, with a rich buffet, live stations and views over Rock…