Location & Description
In mid-nineteen-seventies when we visited the place, Garu was a small village in Latehar district of Indian State of Jharkhand. The only staying place was the PWD Bungalow near the bridge over North Koel river.
The region around Garu was dotted with small hillocks gradually merging with a low hill range towards the horizon.
After crossing the North Koel bridge from Garu, we entered a relatively deep forest that was a part of the famous Betla Forest Reserve.
Though the Garu side of the region had no forest stretches except the green backed low hills far away, the animals from Betla forest, especially elephants could easily cross over the North Koel bridge to wreak havoc on the few low yield crop fields of the Garu village, even killing villagers occasionally.
The road coming from Betla to Garu went on to Beti and then curved round to Netarhat, a famous tourist destination of olden times.
The place had an eerie, primitive ambiance that attracted our raw nature loving spirits.
Presently a little away from Garu village is located the Garu sub-district headquarters with its share of modern development in the form of Banks, Shops and Mobile recharge points.