At first look, Netarhat, often dubbed as the Queen of Chhotanagpur, won't look any different from an average hill station. Like any other hill station, winding roads through forests where tall trees touch the sky and barrel of monkeys and langurs on the roadside are all you can see on your way to Netarhat. Even when you reach your destination, you might not be as enchanted as you'd have been while watching snow-capped peaks or the cloud-covered mountain ranges. Apart from the pine forests or Koel View Point, there's almost no other major tourist attraction within the town of Netarhat.
Look deeper. You'll find something more mesmerizing than many other destinations. Believe me, when you're traveling Jharkhand, expect the most beautiful sunset you've experienced in your life. And for that, you need to visit Netarhat.
A Bit of Rush
When we reached Netarhat, it was almost afternoon. After getting refreshed at Hotel Prabhat Vihar, where we had our stay booked, we rushed for Netarhat sightseeing. The Koel View Point was exciting and so were the pine forests of Netarhat. The Netarhat Awasiya Vidyalaya or the Netarhat Residential School was good too. However, we noticed that Sonu, our driver, was asking us almost to rush while at these places. And so, after spending some time at the other places, we rushed to the famous Magnolia Sunset Point, Netarhat.
The Sunset Point at Netarhat has a properly constructed stand to watch the setting sun. Besides, the trees there have witty writings on them. Each of these writings is an intelligent message that discourages deforestation and encourages people to plant more and more trees.
History of Magnolia Sunset Point
Magnolia Sunset Point, Netarhat has a strange history attached to it, which seems to come right out of a movie. It tells the lore of a British lady, Magnolia, who jumped to her death with her horse from this point after failing to unite with her lover, a local shepherd. Every time the sun sets on the rows of hills beyond the Magnolia Sunset Point, nature seems to sing its tune of eternal love for Magnolia and her shepherd lover.
Waiting for the Sunset
We had heard that Netarhat offers one of the best sunset views in India. So, we were waiting eagerly.
The sun was still pretty high in the sky when we reached the properly constructed stands at Magnolia Sunset Point. However, by the time we were there, a number of tourists had already gathered at the stand and almost no seat was left. So, we decided to stand and experience the ethereal view. We found a proper place for ourselves from where we could watch the sun go down beyond the horizon. We waited for some time before the lower portion of the bright sky started turning purple and then, gradually became reddish grey in color.
And He Starts Going Down
As the sun started going down, the reddish-grey area gradually started turning black. It created a blanked of darkness just below the dimming brightness. As if it was too tired for the day, the sun gradually covered itself with that blanket and vanished.
We stayed back for some time and experienced the magic of colors on the evening sky even after the sunset. Then the sky gradually turned black and the Magnolia Sunset Point was engulfed in complete darkness. Only the battery-lit lamp of the tea seller and the pakora seller reminded us of the presence of humans nearby.
As we started our way back to the hotel after witnessing one of the best sunset views of our lives, we remained silent - trying to think about the magnificence of the scene we just witnessed. We were sure, it had become a part of our lives and would appear in our 'inward eyes' during our solitude.
