Children enjoy climbing on the model of the Earth at Rock Garden in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Dec. 28: With the New Year around the corner, Ranchiites are all set to welcome the season with picnics in places such as a scenic garden at Gonda Hill ? a place adults enjoy for its scenic beauty, and children for its other attractions, which includes a haunted house.

Initially designed by Ranchi-based artist Haren Thakur, the garden, situated at Gonda Hill on Kanke Road is under the Ranchi Regional Development Authority.

The place, at present, is crowded with visitors from not only the city, but with those from outside the state as well.

The garden is beautifully decorated with rock sculptures, flowers and even has a fountain at one side. It is a place of relaxation for the young and the old, with hanging bridges, slides and merry-go-rounds for the children. The garden, with hillocks all around, is also a good place for rock climbing and trekking, which different children?s clubs organise from time to time.

The Rock Garden remains a hotspot for picnics because it is situated in the city but still remains a calm place away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

?The altitude of the hill separates it from the noise pollution in the city. Besides, there are many facilities available around the garden, which include restaurants like Chasm-e-Shahi and Hot Lips. Conveyance is easily available from the foot of the hill, which facilitates visitors to reach it without much problem,? said a visitor.

The rock garden has Tagore Hill on one side and the Pahari Mandir on the other is clearly visible. The beauty of the place also attracts filmmakers from Bengal, Orissa and Mumbai to shoot films and music albums. The garden has snack bars, which provide chips, pastries, patties, ice creams and cold drinks.

Adding to the picturesque view, is Kanke Dam, which lies adjacent to it. The department of tourism for sightseeing is promoting the dam, a site for migratory birds, some of which come from the Polar regions.

Another attraction mainly for the children is the haunted house, which provides a six-minute show featuring the lifestyle of Dracula. The house, constructed at a cost of around Rs 30 lakh, is a clear favourite with the children. Inside, a quirky, yet macabre show takes place. The tour takes 25 people through the house at a time, starting off in a ?welcome room? where a person with his head dripping in blood is visible. Visitors are treated to spectacles of fighting ghosts, headless corpses and blood splattered rooms. The tour ends with in a room designed to look like a cemetery, where Dracula emerges out of a coffin.

The entry fee is Rs 3 with an additional parking fee of Rs 2. There are security guards who keep a watch on the spot, which remains open from 9 am to 8 pm and is well lit.