Betla National Park

Betla National Park is the core tourist zone of the Palamau Tiger Reserve in the Latehar district of Jharkhand, covering sal and bamboo forest on the Chota Nagpur plateau. Palamau was among the first nine tiger reserves created under Project Tiger in the early 1970s, and in 1932 it was the site of one of the world's first tiger counts based on pugmarks.

Betla today is better for elephants, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, langurs, peafowl and sloth bear than for big cats; tigers are now very rarely recorded in the reserve. What makes Betla unusual is its history. Inside the park stand the Old and New Palamu forts, built by the Chero kings, who held this country until the 18th century; the new fort is linked to Raja Medini Rai in the 17th century. The North Koel river runs along the park, and the confluence at Kechki nearby is a popular picnic spot. Oraon, Munda and other Adivasi communities live in the villages around.

What to see

• Jeep safaris through sal forest and grassland
• Watchtowers and waterholes for elephant and gaur
• The Old Palamu Fort and the hilltop New Palamu Fort
• Kechki, where the North Koel and Auranga rivers meet
• Birdlife including hornbills, peafowl and raptors

What to wear

For safaris at Betla National Park wear khaki, olive or brown rather than bright colours, with long sleeves against insects and a hat for midday sun. December and January mornings in open jeeps are cold, so bring a fleece and scarf. Wear sturdy shoes for the fort ruins. In the villages of Jharkhand, Adivasi women traditionally wear a white saree with a red border, often called laal paar, and men a dhoti with a gamchha cloth.

Local food to try

Jharkhand's signature snack is dhuska, a deep-fried rice and lentil cake eaten with ghugni, a spiced pea curry. Try also pitha, rice dumplings, and in the monsoon rugra, a wild mushroom from the sal forests. Bamboo shoot curries and handia, a mild rice beer, are village staples. Around Betla, food comes mostly from the forest lodges and dhabas in Daltonganj; carry snacks for safaris.

Good to know

• Best time: November to March for comfort; April to June for animal sightings at waterholes
• Hours: morning and afternoon safari slots; the park closes during the monsoon
• Entry: park entry, vehicle and guide fees apply
• Allow a night or two to fit in several safaris
• Getting there: about 25 km from Daltonganj and 170 km from Ranchi
• Stay inside vehicles and keep quiet; drones are not permitted

Nearby places

Hundru Falls near Ranchi is about 200 km east and often visited on the same trip. Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar is further east, and the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is about 150 km north across the Bihar border.