Chano village, 6 km east of Hazaribagh town, is a very tiny megalithic site. Though it looks very insignificant due to its size but this is a major megalithic site in quality.
Megalithic researcher Subhashis Das who discovered this site some twenty years ago says that Chano is a prehistoric megalithic burial of an unknown tribe. Since then the megalith has been his study site. Das told that the site comprises of many recumbent slabs which are the burial stones. The site also comprises of a standing phallus; not found in any megalithic site of the state.
Chano is certainly different from any known site in the country due to its unique stones. There are three triangular stones of three different sizes which are positioned in such a manner that they point towards hills in the distance and significant sunrises and sets, he states.
As per his studies the smaller triangle points towards the Winter Solstice sunrise on 22/23 Dec, the larger one towards the Summer Solstice sunset on the same evening. The largest one however points towards the Kanhari Hill in the horizon. Two pointers are positioned and inclined in such a manner that they are aligned towards the Summer Solstice sunrise on 20/21 June.
The positioning of the stones also reveals the ancient megalithic denizens’ understanding of basic mathematics as ratios and proportions. The discovery of this site indeed changes a lot in regards to the birth of astronomy in the country and the prehistoric megalithic folks’ understanding of the ancient skies.
Das has collected Black and Red and Appliqué pottery from around the site. Chano has been visited by various scholars and tourists from England, Germany and Russia. These foreign scholars were all stunned by the uniqueness of the site and the accurate astronomy the site provides.
The site was also visited by Superintending Archaeologists of Ranchi as OP Chauhan, TJ Vaidya, VS Dubey, the then Advisor to the Governor. All promised immediate protection of the site. Dubey being amazed at the stunning mathematics and astronomy of the site promised immediate protection and excavation of the site by Allahabad University. Nothing has happened thereafter.
The site now stands threatened as buildings have cropped up around the prehistoric site. The fascinating alignments have long disappeared with building obstructing the view of the sunrises and sets leaving the astronomical megaliths barren without these orientations.