Places to visit in Ranchi

• Tagore Hill: On the northern edge of Ranchi, 5 km from the city centre, is Tagore Hill. Rabindranath Tagore’s elder brother Jyotindranath bought a large patch of land on the Morabadi hill and made it his self-imposed exile for fourteen years. The small hillock was dubbed Tagore Hill in his memory, and Rabindranath often visited him from Kolkata, until his brother died in 1925. Climb to the top of Tagore Hill for a bird’s-eye view of the city and see testimonies of love scrawled on the chhatri at the summit.
• Shanti Dham: Enter the whitewashed, mural-lined gate and climb up the steps to Shanti Dham, a white building halfway up the hill that houses a museum dedicated to the life and works of the Tagore brothers. For those that are more adventurous, a pathway leads to an old chhatri at the summit built by the Tagores.
• Kanke Dam: Close to Tagore Hill is Kanke Dam, with a landscaped Rock Garden. Also on the edge of the water body is an amusement park and water park in Ranchi, complete with twisting slides. Hatia, another water body, at the other end of town that is less crowded.
• Museums in Ranchi: The Dr Ram Dayal Munda Tribal Research Institute, with its anthropological museum and library and the State Museum, are great places to learn about Jharkhand’s tribal and ecological wealth.
• Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church: Vestiges of a colonial past dot the city—Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church started by German missionaries in 1845, the century-old St Mary’s Cathedral on Mission Chowk and institutions like St Xavier’s College, Bishop’s School and Xavier Institute of Social Sciences.

High-end shopping/luxury shopping/shopping malls in Ranchi

• There are plenty of malls such as JD Hi Street Mall, Big Shop, The Galaxia Mall and Spring City Mall are great places to do some high street shopping.

Street shopping in Ranchi

• Ranchi is a great place to buy tribal paintings, chhau masks, bamboo crafts, bell metal artefacts and dhokra figurines. Drop by at the state-owned Jharcraft Megastore to browse handicrafts made of metal, bamboo, leather, jute, terracotta, cane and bamboo.

• Kusum Emporium and Nalanda Handicrafts are also suitable for local souvenirs with various pottery and paintings on bamboo, date leaf and jadopatia art.

• Pick up trendy fashion accessories and clothes at the bustling Firayalal Chowk and hop by Pustak Path for books.

• Daily market in Lower Bazaar is an excellent spot for electronics, while in Upper Bazaar, buy jewellery from Anand Jewellers or cotton textiles and bedsheets from Kanodia Textile Corporation. For khadi clothing, visit Khadi Gramudyog Bhandar on Kutchery Road.

Nightlife/party places in Ranchi

Despite being a state capital, Ranchi has a laid-back vibe, and late-night hangouts are scarce. There are no nightclubs but plenty of bars in upmarket hotels and a few lounges. The rooftop Prana Lounge at RS Square and Kasbaah Lounge at Star Heights have hookahs and decent music. Hooch, Float Bar, Mehfil and Fluid at Capitol Residency are also famous watering holes. Radisson Blu organises pool parties from time to time while Shanti van on NH-33, Rukka Dam Road, also hosts music events.

Birsa Munda Jaivik Udyan

There are many places to go sightseeing in Ranchi. The Birsa Munda Jaivik Udyan (Biological Garden) at Ormanjhi, 20 km away on Hazaribagh Road, is a repository of rare herbs, plants and animals.

Muta Crocodile Breeding Centre

Just 15 km ahead on the Ormanjhi–Sikidiri road is the Muta Crocodile Breeding Centre. The project started in 1987 with two crocodiles from the nearby Bhera river and three from the Madras Crocodile Bank; today, the population has increased to over 50!

Waterfalls

Ranchi is a great base to explore the numerous waterfalls that dot the landscape around the city. Jonha Falls, also known as Gautam Dhara is believed to be where Lord Buddha bathed and is marked by a temple and ashram atop Gautam Pahar. Sita Falls, regarded as the spot where Sita bathed while passing through the area during her exile. Jonha and Sita, along with Hundru Falls, form a circuit on the highway to Purulia. Panchghagh (55 km from Ranchi, off Chaibasa road) is the collective name for five waterfalls formed due to the breaking up of the Banai river. About 40 km from Ranchi, off the Tata highway, is Dassam Falls (dassam means 'falls' in the Mundari dialect), where the Kanchi river plummets over 140 feet.

Places to visit near Ranchi

Hazaribagh

Located 93 km away from Ranchi and surrounded by forests, Hazaribagh is a perfect short escape to stay amidst nature. Some of the attractive tourist spots you can explore are Hazaribagh Wildlife, Canary Hills, Konar Dam, Silwar hills etc.

Ramgarh

A vital tourist destination, Ramgarh boasts a rich history dating back to the stone age. The place features ample tourist spots like Mayatungri Temple, Am-Jharia Falls, Nalkari Dam, and Dhur-duria Falls, making it an ideal weekend getaway from Ramgarh.

Sarhul Festival

One of the famous and essential festivals in Ranchi is the Sarhul Festival. It is rejoiced during the period of (February-March) marking the beginning of the New Year. It is also the season when the Sal trees bloom new leaves and flowers. Deities of the village are adorned with Sal flowers and are worshipped by people.