Tilaiya Dam, Visit This Majestic Dam In Jharkhand During The Monsoon Season

Written by Monalisa Bose Roy in Jharkhand
Tilaiya Dam Koderma Jharkhand - Tripinfi

Tilaiya Dam is one of the best tourist destinations in the Koderma district of Jharkhand. The word ‘Tilaiya’ in Hindi means a ‘small lake’. The dam is a well-known picnic destination for the people of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Thousands of people from the nearby state visit the dam each year mostly during the monsoon and winter months. Here we bring you a complete travel guide for Tilaiya Dam.

Contents

Location

Tilaiya Dam is located in the Koderma district of Jharkhand. Koderma district came into existence on 10 April 1994 after it was separated from the Hazaribagh district.

History And Facts

Tilaiya Dam is the first dam constructed out of the four multi-purpose dams planned during the first phase of Damodar Valley Corporation.

In the year 1955 on 26th January, Indian Postal services issued a set of four stamps for the five-year plan, out of which one stamp having a value of one anna, represented the Tilaiya Dam.

Inauguration

Tilaiya Dam was inaugurated on 21 February 1953.

Damodar Valley Corporation

Damodar Valley Corporation is a government organization and operates both hydel and thermal power stations, under the Ministry of Power of Government of India.

Tilaiya Dam - Tripinfi

List of the multi-purpose dams constructed in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation

Here is the list of multipurpose dams constructed in the first phase of Damodar Valley Corporation:

Management

Tilaiya Dam is operated and managed by Damodar Valley Corporation.

Purpose

Tilaiya Dam, in fact, all the four multi-purpose dams constructed in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation, were build to control flood which occurred frequently due to the uncertain river Damodar. The valley, which stretches over an area of 25,235 sq km, covering the state of Jharkhand ( then Bihar) and West Bengal witnessed vital floods over the year 1730, 1823, 1848, 1856, 1882, 1898, 1901, 1916, 1923, 1935 & 1943, which caused huge losses. Therefore, the government of West Bengal created the “Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee” to control the occurrence of the flood. The committee later drafted the plan of constructing all the four multipurpose dams.

Tilaiya Dam Koderma - Tripinfi

Height

The height of the Tilaiya Dam is 99.3 ft.

Length

The length of the Tilaiya Dam is 1,201 ft.

Built On

Tilaiya Dam is built across river Barakar, a tributary of river Damodar.

Tributary

River Barakar is a tributary of river Damodar.

Weather

Tilaiya Dam enjoys a tropical climate. Summers stretches from the month of March to June with the temperature ranging between 35 to 49-degree centigrade. The rainy season begins in the month of July and continues till the month of September. The winter season ranges between November to February with the temperature dropping as low as 10 to 15 degrees centigrades.

Tilaiya Dam Jhumri Telaiya - Tripinfi

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit Tilaiya Dam is during the monsoon i.e during the month of July to August as the water level of the dam is high during the rainy season or during the winter months of December to February.

Tourism

Tilaiya Dam is very popular among the people of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The dam is located in the middle of the hills and is surrounded by a lush green landscape. The dam has an island which is the home for Deers and Gharials. The breathtaking beauty surrounding the dam attracts thousands of picnickers every year during the months of December to February.

Boating

Tilaiya Dam offers boating facilities to tourists. The dam has double-decker launch boats as well as speed boats for the tourist to have a tour around the dam.

The launch has snacks and refreshment stalls on board. It offers a 45-minute ride around the dam. The ticket charges for launch is INR 100 for adults and INR 50 for children.

Tilaiya Dam Boating - Tripinfi

Ticket Price

Entry to Tilaiya Dam is free.

Timing

The dam remains open 24 hours, however, boating is not allowed after sunset. The dam is located far from the nearby city and therefore becomes isolated after sunset.

Nearest City

The nearest city from Tilaiya Dam is Jhumri Telaiya, located in the Koderma district of the state of Jharkhand. The distance from Jhumri Telaiya to Tilaiya Dam is

  • 13.8 km via Tilaiya Dam Rd – approx 30 min.
  • 9.2 km via Ranchi Patna Rd and Urman – Kanti Rd/Urwan – Kanti Rd – approx 40 min.
  • 21.7 km via Ranchi Patna Rd and Koderma Thermal Power Station Rd – approx 45 min.

Nearest Railway Station

The nearest railway station from Tilaiya Dam is Koderma Junction (Station Code: KQR), which falls under the East Central Railway and serves the city of Jhumri Telaiya.

Nearest Bus Stand

The nearest bus stand of Tilaiya Dam is Tilaiya Bus Stand.

Nearest Airport

The nearest airport from Tilaiya Dam is Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi located at a distance of 163.7 km via NH20.

How to reach Tilaiya Dam from Kolkata?

By rail

Board a train from Howrah Junction and get down at Koderma Junction. The minimum journey time from Howrah to Koderma is five to six hours by train. After getting down at Koderma Junction railway station, book a cab to Tilaiya Dam. The distance between Koderma Junction and Tilaiya dam is

  • 14.4 km via Tilaiya Dam Rd – approx 30 min.
  • 18.8 km via Ranchi Patna Rd and Urman – Kanti Rd/Urwan – Kanti Rd – approx 40 min.
  • 21.2 km via Ranchi Patna Rd and Koderma Thermal Power Station Rd – approx 50 min.

By road

The distance between Kolkata to Tilaiya Dam

  • 390.6 km via NH19 – approx 8 hours.
  • 484.2 km via NH 14 and NH19 – approx 12 hours.

By air

Take a flight from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata to Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi. It takes approx one to one and a half hours to reach Ranchi by air. After reaching take a cab from Ranchi to Tilaiya Dam.

The distance of Tilaiya Dam from Ranchi is

  • 161.2 km via NH20 – approx four and a half hours.
  • 187.3 km via NH320 – approx five hours.
  • 213.8 km via NH320 and NH19 – approx six hours.
Tilaiya Dam View - Tripinfi

Is Tilaiya Dam safe for tourists?

Yes, Tilaiya Dam is safe for tourists. However, the following tips will help you to have a safe and sound visit to Tilaiya Dam

Tips for visiting Tilaiya Dam

  • As the dam is located at a distance from the city, it becomes isolated after 4 pm, therefore, avoid visiting the dam after sunset.
  • Avoid visiting the dam alone, always be in a group.
  • The safest time to visit is between 6 am to 4 pm.
  • It is much safer to visit the dam during the peak season, i.e December to February.
  • Carry water bottles, medicines, snacks, and other refreshments along.

Where to stay

Damodar Valley Corporation has a guest house at the top of the hill, General Bhagat House. So if you are an employee of DVC you can book the guest house.

Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation Limited has a tourist complex at Urwan which is at a distance of 9 km from Tilaiya Dam. The city of Jhumri Telaiya has many budget hotels where one can check in while visiting Tilaiya Dam. There are no 5-star hotels in the district of Koderma.

Other Places To Visit Near Tilaiya Dam

  • Chanchala Devi Shakti Peeth
  • Ghodsimar Dhaam
  • Harihar Dham
  • Dhwajadhari Dham
  • Koderma Reserve Forest
  • Satagawan Petro Falls
  • Dhwajadhari Hill
  • Makamaro Hills
  • Sonbhandar Caves
  • Saint Paramhans Baba Tomb
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Monalisa Bose Roy

A travel blogger cum financial expert with a vision to encourage tourism in Eastern India. Bose was born and brought up in the steel city of Jamshedpur, located in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Being born in the Eastern region, Bose has visited a lot of lesser-known places in the region. By her writing, she tries to spread awareness about those undiscovered gems of Eastern India.

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