Susunia Hill at Chhatna, Bankura district

Susunia Hill at Chhatna, Bankura district

Soaring at an altitude of a whopping 1442 feet, the Susunia Hill is a famous spot in the Bankura District for indigenous sports like rock climbing and trekking. The entire hill is covered luxuriously with a rich flora of beautiful shrubbery, majestic trees and rare medicinal plants. Part of the eastern ghats, this hillock is popular among novice and expert mountaineers alike.

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Susunia Hill

In fact, many renowned and successful mountaineers of the country have started their journey on this very hill. During winters, trekking and camping activities are arranged on the Susunia Hill. Enveloped in the ranges of the eastern ghats and resting amidst the lush greenery, spending a day on this hill is the perfect way to escape the loud and polluted airs of the city.

There also stands an ancient but impeccably carved monolith structure on the Susunia Hill named as the Narasimha Stone. The carvings on the monolith call it the oldest stone. What is interesting about this stone is that a fresh spring water stream shoots right out of it! Lord Narasimha is the reincarnation of the great Lord Vishnu, and hence, these spring waters are considered to be very holy. The Susunia Hill is cradled in the gentle caress of nature which makes it an ideal destination to beat the summer heat, blow off some steam after a long week and completely relax your mind and body.

Susunia Hill is a known archeological and fossil site. Fossil remains of Asiatic liongiraffehyena and other animal species have been discovered from areas around. The so claimed ‘oldest’ rock inscription of West Bengal is located here. There is an ancient carved monolith (Narasingha stone) standing at the point where the spring water is coming out of another stone gargoyle or curved projected spout. It is also used as a location for camping and rock-climbing.

Susunia village itself is home to stone-carving craftsmen. Susunia is an important archaeological site in Bankura district, yielding stone age tools. It is believed that there earlier was a fort built by King Chandravarman. Some 4th-century inscriptions are there, referring to a place called Pushkarana, once the capital of Chandravarman. Modern-day Pakhannais considered to be ancient Pushkarana.The rock-edict reads that- The dovotee of ‘Chakkaswami’ (Lord Vishnu), the King of Pushkarana, son of the King Simhavarmana, King Chandravarmana offers the revenue of the village named ‘Dhoso’ for the purpose of worship to his Lord Vishnu. There is a symbol of ‘Wheel’ or ‘Chakra’ near the rock-edict and towards the lower left side of the wheel, there is another line written in a script,not deciphered yet, probably the obscure ‘Samkhalipi'(Conch shaped Script!), as opined by some experts. (Source: Wikipedia & http://www.holidify.com)

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