Pakhi Pahar

Pakhi Pahar, meaning Bird Hill, is a sculpted hillock in Matha Forest Range of Ayodhya Hills, Purulia District, West Bengal. It is notable for around 65 large bird sculptures carved on boulders and rock faces by artist Chitta Dey. Developed as an open-air art site amid scrub forest and granite rocks, it offers panoramic views of the Ayodhya Hills and has become a distinctive eco-tourism attraction near Matha village.

Visitors can expect an open hillside dotted with large granite boulders carved with life-size and oversized birds in flight, perched and with wings spread. The site is set in dry deciduous forest with rocky terrain and requires a short uphill walk over uneven paths. There are no enclosed structures; the area is open to sky with viewpoints over Matha forest and Ayodhya Hills. Visitors can walk among the sculptures, photograph the rock art, and enjoy natural surroundings.

The sculptures were created by Kolkata-based artist Chitta Dey who began carving birds on the rocks in the late 1990s with support from the West Bengal government to promote tourism and conservation awareness. Over more than two decades, he and a team of artisans carved around 65 bird forms on the boulders, turning an otherwise barren hillock into an open-air art installation.

The site promotes awareness of bird conservation and coexistence with nature through art. It reflects the integration of contemporary rock art with the natural landscape of Purulia and complements the tribal and natural heritage of the Ayodhya Hills region.