Rockart Sites
Buddhist Sites
Megalithic Sites
___________
Sacred Sites
Threatened Sites
Heritage Sites

The prehistoric heritage of Hazaribagh is one of the richest in the world. It has displayed a consistency of cultural character and tribal continuance of great tenacity in the face of continuous destructive development, dams, industry and coal mining. Coal mining was first started a century and a half back by the British in the rich coal deposits of the Damodar and its lower valley. The tribal regions of Manbhum were erased. Finally, assault on the upper valley of Damodar was arrested by a unique environmental and cultural campaign led by Bulu Imam , and later carried on by other groups collected to carry on the fight to protect the ecosystem and its tribal populations from destructive state sponsored development.

One of the outcomes of this historic battle was the Sanskriti Centre. The Sanskriti Centre is located near the Canary Hill, on the northern part of the town. The town itself was celebrated as "Thousand Gardens" by Sir Edwin Arnold in The Light of Asia (Book the Sixth), the very spot from where Gautama, who was soon to become the Buddha, walked along the saal-fringed banks of the Mohania river from Katkumsandi, 22 kilometres northwest of the town, from where a new railway is being brought from Koderma to Hazaribagh. The scene the sage-prince must have seen was much as it is now, before the railway destroys this western end of the National Park.

Edwin Arnold wrote,

"Thou, who wouldst see where dawned the light at last,
North-westwards from the "Thousand Gardens" go
By Gunga's valley till thy steps be set
On the green hills where those twin streamlets spring,
Nirlajan and Mohana; follow them,
Winding beneath broad-leaved mahua trees,
'Mid thickets of the sansar
and the bir,
Till on the plain the shining
sisters meet In Phalgu's bed,
flowing by rocky banks
To Gaya and the red Barabar hills."

Hazaribagh and the North Karanpura Valley

ICOMOS Heritage at Risk World Report 2001/2002
Contents:

• Heritage at risk from coal mining

• Rockart sites of North Karanpura Valley

• Threatened Megalithic sites

• Natural Sacred Sites, Landscapes, Burial and Dancing Grounds

• Nomadic Sites

Click for details

ICOMOS Heritage at Risk World Report 2002/2003
Contents:

• Traditional vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes

• Indigenous heritage

• Living prehistoric mural traditions of Khovar and Sohrai art of the North Karanpura Valley

• Cultural lifestyle and the basis for the preservation of cultural heritage traditions

• Archaeological heritage of the Upper Damodar Valley

• Forest Heritage at risk in the Damodar Valley

• Cutting down of Heritage trees

• Birhor leaf house- the “Kumba”

• Sitagarha Hill, Buddhist Site - BSF bombing

• Banadag Megaliths

• Bawanbai Hilll- stone mining