Monsoon Magic in the Saranda Forests: Howrah Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express

Saranda: the name refers to '700 hills' and encompasses over 800 square kilometres of lush green forests, spread out over south-eastern Jharkhand, and north-western Odisha, dominated by sal trees and overlooked by thickly forested hills, which merge with the forest ranges of central Odisha, creating a continuous chain of dense jungles and hill ranges which extend right till the southern tip of Andhra Pradesh. The Saranda forests are inhabited by elephants, sambars, cheetals, leopards, and at times, even tigers. The soil is rocky in texture and dark red in colour, belying the rich deposits of iron and manganese beneath it, accounting for over a quarter of India's iron ore reserves and some of the country's largest mining sites such as Barbil, Noamundi, Gua and Kiriburu-Meghahatuburu.

The following video presents a full compilation of the Saranda region, as seen from the 12021/12022 Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express, covering approximately the Chaibasa-Barbil stretch (86 km each way). Shot during the monsoons, witness the Saranda in all its splendour, iridescent in multiple hues of green. The red Santragachhi WAP4, curving through the lush green sal forests with the blue coaches of the Jan Shatabdi Express creates the perfect backdrop. Towards the end of the video, witness the Jan Shatabdi's passage through some heavy rainfall in the Saranda area.
Kolkata-based railfan and ace photo/videographer Anindya Roy accompanied me on this trip and can be seen (also heard) in action at multiple stages during the video. For being the more than ideal company on this trip, this video is dedicated to him! :)