Susunia is a hill of southern
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is known for its holy spring, flora and the rock faces on which many mountaineers of the region started their journey. It is also a reserve for medicinal plants. Susunia is a part of the
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and cut ...
and is situated at the north-western part of
Bankura District
Bankura district (Pron: bãkuɽa) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman distri ...
.
Geography
Location
Susunia is located at .
Area overview
The map alongside shows the Bankura Sadar subdivision of Bankura district. Physiographically, this area is part of the Bankura Uplands in the west gradually merging with the Bankura-Bishnupur Rarh Plains in the north-east. The western portions are characterised by undulating terrain with many hills and ridges. The area is having a gradual descent from the
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the bas ...
. The soil is
laterite
Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...
red and hard beds are covered with scrub jungle and
sal wood. Gradually it gives way to just uneven rolling lands but the soil continues to be lateritic. There are coal mines in the northern part, along the
Damodar River
Damodar River (Pron: /ˈdʌmoˌdaː/) is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Rich in mineral resources, the valley is home to large-scale mining and industrial activity. Earlier known as the Sorrow of Bengal bec ...
. It is a predominantly rural area with 89% of the population living in rural areas and only 11% living in the urban areas.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
History
Susunia Hill is a known archeological and fossil site. Fossil remains of
Asiatic lion
The Asiatic lion is a population of ''Panthera leo leo'' that today survives in the wild only in India. Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujarat ...
,
giraffe
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...
,
hyena
Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...
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
Bankura district (Pron: bãkuɽa) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman distri ...
, yielding stone age tools. It is believed that there earlier was a fort built by King
Chandravarman
Chandravarman (4th century CE) was a king of the Pushkarana kingdom in the Bankura district of West Bengal.Ancient Indian History and Civilization, Sailendra Nath Sen, New Age International, 1999p.274/ref>A History of Ancient and Early Medieval In ...
. Some 4th-century inscriptions are there, referring to a place called Pushkarana, once the capital of Chandravarman. Modern-day
Pakhanna
Pakhanna (or Pokharna) is a village in the Barjora police station area of Bankura Sadar subdivision of Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located north-east of Susunia, on the south bank of Damodar River.Ghosh, Binoy, ...
is considered to be ancient Pushkarana. The rock-edict reads that- ''The devotee 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.
Susunia is a rock climbing centre. It is 10 km North-East of
Chhatna
Chhatna is a village and a gram panchayat in the Chhatna CD block in the Bankura Sadar subdivision of the Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India.
History
According to the historian Binoy Ghosh, three places claimed to be the hom ...
. Chhatna is 13 km from Bankura town on the
Bankura
Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district.
Etymology
In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...
-
Purulia
Purulia is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River.
Geography
Location
Purulia is located at . It has an average elev ...
road.
Culture
Two villages in the vicinity of Susunia have
Dhokra craftsmen - Netkamla in the
Saltora
Saltora is a village in Saltora CD block in Bankura Sadar subdivision of Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Geography
Location
Saltora is located at .
Area overview
The map alongside shows the Bankura Sadar subdivision o ...
police station area and Bindhyajam in the Chhatna police station area.
[Ghosh, Binoy, ''Paschim Banger Sanskriti'', (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 408-409, Prakash Bhaban]
References
External links
*
Climbing in SusuniaWeekend Tour to Susunia
{{coord, 23, 24, N, 86, 59, E, display=title, region:IN_type:mountain_source:GNS-enwiki
Hills of West Bengal
Tourist attractions in Bankura district
Springs of India
Villages in Bankura district
Landforms of West Bengal