Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand in eastern India, set on the forested Chota Nagpur plateau and famous for the waterfalls that pour off the edge of the plateau, led by Hundru, Dassam and Jonha Falls. It was the centre of the movement that created the state of Jharkhand in 2000, and tribal culture remains strong across the region.
In the city, Pahari Mandir crowns a hill where freedom fighters were once hanged, the Kalinga-style Jagannath Temple holds a Rath Yatra each summer, and Tagore Hill recalls the poet's family. The Rock Garden on Gonda Hill overlooks Kanke Dam, and Ranchi Zoo lies out on the road to Hazaribagh.
Day trips lead to the chariot-shaped Sun Temple near Bundu, the Chhinnamasta Temple at Rajrappa and the hairpin bends of Patratu Valley, along with Panchghagh Falls to the south. The waterfalls are at their best from July to October, while October to March is the most comfortable season for sightseeing.
Hundru Falls is the best-known waterfall near Ranchi, where the Subarnarekha River drops 98 metres off the edge of the Ranchi plateau. Steps lead down to the rocky pool at its base, and the falls are fullest during and just after the monsoon, from July to October, when the spray is spectacular.
Dassam Falls, near Taimara village in Ranchi district, is a 44-metre waterfall where the Kanchi River pours over a rocky ledge into a forested gorge. Its name comes from the Mundari word for pouring water, and the viewpoints above are a far safer way to enjoy it than swimming in the pool.
Jonha Falls, also called Gautamdhara Falls, is a hanging valley waterfall in Ranchi district where the Gunga River drops over the edge of the Ranchi plateau into the Radu River. Visitors descend around 722 steps to the base, and the forest around it makes a pleasant outing after the rains.
Panchghagh Falls in Khunti district, south of Ranchi, is named for its five streams of water that tumble side by side over rocky ledges in a forest setting. It is a popular picnic spot for families from the city, and the flow is strongest and most scenic in the months right after the monsoon.
Pahari Mandir is a Shiva temple on a hilltop in Ranchi, about 2,140 feet above sea level, reached by a long flight of steps. Before independence the British used the hill to hang freedom fighters, and today the national flag flies here on Independence Day and Republic Day beside the temple flags.
Jagannath Temple in Ranchi is a 17th-century hilltop shrine to Lord Jagannath, built in the Kalinga style and modelled on the great temple at Puri on a smaller scale. It is reached by steps or by road, and its Rath Yatra chariot festival and fair in June or July draw thousands of devotees.
Sun Temple Ranchi, near Bundu about 40 kilometres from the city on the Ranchi to Tata road, is a hilltop shrine to the sun god Surya built as a huge chariot with 18 carved wheels and seven horses. It also has shrines to Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha and pairs well with a visit to Dassam Falls.
Chhinnamasta Temple at Rajrappa, in Ramgarh district and a day trip from Ranchi, is a major Hindu pilgrimage centre dedicated to the goddess Chhinnamasta and known for its Tantric style. It stands where the Bhera and Damodar rivers meet, with ten smaller temples to Surya, Hanuman and Shiva.
Tagore Hill, also called Morabadi Hill, rises in the Morabadi area of Ranchi and is linked to Rabindranath Tagore's elder brother Jyotirindranath, who settled here in 1912 and built the Brahma Sthal pavilion. The short climb to the top gives wide views over the city, best at sunrise or sunset.
Rock Garden in Ranchi is a hillside park on Gonda Hill beside Kanke Dam, with paths and sculptures set among natural rock formations. A suspension bridge and viewpoints over the reservoir make it a popular evening spot for families, and it lies only a short drive from the centre of Ranchi.
Patratu Valley, about 40 kilometres from Ranchi, is famous for its winding road of hairpin bends that climbs through forested hills towards Patratu Dam. The drive gives sweeping views over the green valley, and the reservoir offers boating and lakeside walks, especially after the monsoon.
Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, also known as Ranchi Zoo, lies at Ormanjhi on the Ranchi to Hazaribagh highway beside Getalsud Dam. Opened in 1994, it has an 83-hectare zoological section and a 21-hectare botanical section, making it a good half-day outing for families with children.
No reviews yet. Been to Ranchi? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Ranchi? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Vaibhavraj241, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Divya Prakash Bhardwaj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Shubjt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: SUDEEP PRAMANIK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Flashthomsom, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Akuap2001, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: RISHABH GAURAV, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Samratbit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Smeet Chowdhury, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ajay kumar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ajay kumar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Subhojit.sil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Sreyabanerjee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dr.deepshikha dungdung, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ishi139, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: SUDEEP PRAMANIK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ritikag, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kumaar003, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Kuarun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Kingshuk Mondal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Shivam thakur2840, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Shivam thakur2840, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ramanand44, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
