Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary

Bhimbandh takes its name from the Pandava Bhima, who is said to have dammed the stream here; the real reason to come is the springs. The main Bhimbandh kund steams at about 52°C on the edge of the forest-rest-house compound, and a string of others — Rishi Kund, Janam Kund, Sita Kund (the one near Munger town) — mark a geological line across the Kharagpur hills. People bathe in the cooler tanks downstream; the hottest are for watching.

The sanctuary, notified in 1976, holds sal and dry deciduous forest over low hills, with nilgai, wild boar, sambar, langur, the odd leopard and a good bird list in winter. It is best explored on foot with a forest guard along the stream valleys from the rest house. The old British-era forest bungalow and the newer eco-huts are the only beds; bring food.