Susunia Hill (Bankura)
Bengal's rock-climbing hill, with a 4th century royal inscription
Best time to visit Susunia Hill (Bankura)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and September to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Susunia Hill (Bankura) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is climbing season: Kolkata clubs rope up on the north face at dawn, the stone spring runs cold and the summit walk takes about an hour
Summer March to May Shoulder
Palash and simul redden the slope through March, then April and May sit past 43 C on open rock with no shade until you reach the tree line
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jul and Aug make the granite slick and bring leeches into the sal, but the whole hill greens over and September walks are fine again
Autumn October to November Prime time
October and November give clear air across the Bankura plain, cool nights at the eco centre and the quietest weekdays of the year
What Susunia Hill (Bankura) is actually like
A youth hostel and an eco centre at the base, stone carvers chipping bowls by the road, climbers in tents on winter weekends
Getting to Susunia Hill (Bankura)
Bankura town is 20 km off by bus or toto, and Bankura is 4 h from Howrah on the Adra line
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 152 m
- State
- West Bengal
- Coordinates
- 23.3930, 86.9752
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Susunia Hill (Bankura)?
November to February is peak season in Susunia Hill (Bankura). March and September to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October and November give clear air across the Bankura plain, cool nights at the eco centre and the quietest weekdays of the year.
How many days do you need in Susunia Hill (Bankura)?
2 days is the usual stay. A youth hostel and an eco centre at the base, stone carvers chipping bowls by the road, climbers in tents on winter weekends.
How do you get to Susunia Hill (Bankura)?
Bankura town is 20 km off by bus or toto, and Bankura is 4 h from Howrah on the Adra line. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Susunia Hill (Bankura) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Susunia Hill (Bankura)?
mid-Jan: Makar Sankranti fair at the Narasimha stone spring. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Garh Panchkot
West Bengal
Ruined Panchkot fort under a hill, an hour from Asansol
40 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly under an hour by road
-
Bishnupur (Terracotta Temples)
West Bengal
Laterite and terracotta temples of the Malla kings
70 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Mukutmanipur
West Bengal
Kangsabati reservoir ringed by low Bankura hills
70 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Shantiniketan (Bolpur)
West Bengal
Tagore's university town of open-air classes and Baul song
100 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Belpahari (Kankrajhore)
West Bengal
Sal forest on the Jharkhand edge: Ghagra rapids, Gadrasini, Kankrajhore
110 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Ajodhya Hills (Purulia)
West Bengal
Purulia plateau of palash red, Chhau masks and stone falls
120 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary
Jharkhand
900 m elephant-country summit looking over the Subarnarekha valley
140 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Ghatshila
Jharkhand
Subarnarekha river town of Bengali holiday lodges, Burudih lake and Dharagiri falls
140 km from Susunia Hill (Bankura), roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in West Bengal
- Ajodhya Hills (Purulia) West Bengal
- Bakkhali & Henry Island West Bengal
- Belpahari (Kankrajhore) West Bengal
- Bishnupur (Terracotta Temples) West Bengal
- Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti) West Bengal
- Chandannagar West Bengal
- Darjeeling West Bengal
- Gangasagar (Sagar Island) West Bengal
- Garh Panchkot West Bengal
- Gaur (Malda) West Bengal
- Gorumara National Park (Lataguri) West Bengal
- Jaldapara National Park (Madarihat) West Bengal
- Jhalong & Bindu (Jaldhaka Valley) West Bengal
- Jhargram West Bengal
- Kalimpong West Bengal
- Kalna (Ambika Kalna) West Bengal
- Kolkata West Bengal
- Lava & Rishop (Neora Valley) West Bengal
- Mandarmani-Tajpur West Bengal
- Mayapur (Nabadwip) West Bengal
- Mirik West Bengal
- Mukutmanipur West Bengal
- Murshidabad (Hazarduari) West Bengal
- Sandakphu West Bengal
- Shantiniketan (Bolpur) West Bengal
- Sittong (Orange Village) West Bengal
- Sundarbans West Bengal