The dense forest of Joypur covers an area of 120 square kilometres in the Bankura district of the age old historic town of Bishnupur. The town of Bishnupur is at a distance of 10 km from the forest and boasts its 17th century terracotta temples, the Kansabati Dam and the lake of Mukutmanipur.

Flora and Fauna of Joypur Forest
The Joypur Forest is a solitary sanctuary with dense forests and is famous for both elephants and deer crossing. The soil in the area is rich in iron and aluminium, thus is lateritic in nature. The lush green dry deciduous forests are stippled with teak, palash, kusum, mahua and neem trees. The forest also contains the best quality of Shorea Robusta trees, commonly known as Sal. The tall trees do not let the sunlight touch the forest floor at some places. Since, it is also a wildlife sanctuary; most of the dense forest is still undiscovered.

The forest also hosts a variety of tropical birds like the Indian Grey Hornbill. The main inhabitants of this wildlife sanctuary are spotted deer, also known as Chital, wild fox, wolf and elephants. There is also an observatory inside the forest which gives the panoramic view of the entire area. The best time to visit the observatory is at dawn, when the entire forest gradually starts to wake up with its chirping birds and animal noises. One can experience the sunrise from this spot.

Visiting Information on Joypur Forest
Joypur forest can be visited anytime during the year except the summer season. The nearest airport is at Kolkata and Jamshedpur. The Bishnupur railway station is at a fair distance from the forest. By roadways one can take the Ahilyabai Holkar Road to SH 2 and move onto the Belgharia Expressway and continue to NH 34. From there, travellers can cross Arambagh and drive till Joypur.

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