Hill stations of Jharkhand projects the hill stations of eastern India like Dalma Hills, Parasnath Hills, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Netarhat, Ghatshila and many other places. These hill stations also hold some of the wild life sanctuaries.
Hill stations of Jharkhand are termed as the Queen of "Chotanagpur Plateau". These hill stations are situated at the height of 3700 feet from sea level. These hill stations are surrounded with the dense forests, meandering roads, cool stimulating breeze and moonlit nights. With all these, the hill stations of Jharkhand offer mesmerising view to the tourists.
Tagore Hill
Tagore Hill is located at Morabadi. It is about five kilometres from the heart of the city, Ranchi. Tagore Hill is about 300 feet located above its base. The elder brother of Rabindranath Tagore, Jyotirindranath Tagore purchased the hillok Morabadi and built up an ashram after the suicide of her wife Kadambari Devi. A centre of Divyayan and Agararian Vocational Institute and famous Ramakrishna Mission Ashram is located at the foot of the Tagore hill. This is a good place for hill climbing and it is good place to spend some time at the top of Tagore Hill in seclusion.
Dalma Hills
Dalma Hills in Jharkhand are located near the industrial town of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. These small hills are part of the Dalma Forest Reserve. Dalma Hill is famous for its Asiatic elephants, and it is a popular trekking destination. Tata Steel and the Jharkhand Forest Department preserve two guest houses atop the hills.
Parasnath Hills
Parasnath Hills are the range of hills located in Giridih district of Jharkhand. The highest peak of Parasnath Hill is 1350 metres. It is one of the most important pilgrimage centres for Jain community. They call it Sammet Sikhar. Parasnath Hill is named after Parasnath after the 23rd Tirthankara. Twenty of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras attained deliverance on this hill. According to the Jain mythology, the nine Tirthakaras attained salvation on this hill. For each of them there is a shrine on the hill. Some of the temples on the hill are believed to be more than 2,000 years old. However, although Parasnath Hill is habited from the ancient times, the temples may be of more recent origin. The Santhals call it Marang Buru, the hill of the deity. They celebrate a hunting festival on the full moon day in "Baisakh" mid April.
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipality in Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. Hazaribagh is famous as a health resort and for Hazaribagh National Park, which is 17 kilometres from city. Hazaribagh is "city of a thousand gardens". According to Sir John Houlton, the town of Hazaribagh takes its name from the small villages of Okni and Hazari.
The Grand Trunk Road subsequently replaced this military road in the mid-eight hundreds, but the lay out differed at places, particularly around Hazaribagh. A dilapidated watch tower meant to guard the military road is still visible on Tower Hill, near Silwar.
Ranchi
Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand. It is the second-most populous city. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area of what is present-day Chhattisgarh. The Jharkhand state was formed on 15th November 2000 by carving out the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas.
The name Ranchi is derived from the previous name of the Oraon village at the same site, Archi. "Archi" derives from the "Oraon" word for bamboo grove or stave. According to the mythological legend, after an altercation with a spirit, a farmer beat the spirit with his bamboo stave. The spirit shouted archi, archi, archi and vanished. Archi became Rachi, which later became Ranchi.
Netarhat
Netarhat is a town in Latehar district in the erstwhile Palamu district in Jharkhand. Netarhat is referred to as the "Queen of Chotanagpur". It is a popular hill station. Netarhat is located at 23.4833 degree East to 84.2667 degree East at a height of 1,071 metres (3,514 ft). It is a plateau covered with thick forest. Netarhat is located in the Pat region of Chota Nagpur Plateau. Netarhat plateau is about 6.4 kilometres long and 4 km broad.
It consists of crystalline rocks and has a summit capped with sandstone trap or laterite. The highest point is 3,696 feet.
Ghatshila
Ghatshila is a census town in East Singhbhum district in the state of Jharkhand. The city is located on the bank of the Subarnarekha River situated in a forested area. It contains a railway station on the main line of the South Eastern Railway. Ghathsila was formerly the headquarters of the kingdom of Dhalbhum. The royal family of the Kingdom of Dhalbhum had originated from the north-west (Dhara and Mandu). Ghatshila is now a weekend destination to the people of India.