Physical Setting

        The newly created Jharkhand State, with an area of 74,677 sq km, is bordered by Bihar in North, Madhya Pradesh in West, Orissa in South and West Bengal to its East. 35% of the population of former Bihar is in the Jharkhand region.

        Jharkhand is one the most industrialised regions of the country today. The region accounts for 35.5% of the country's known coal reserves, 90% of its cooking coal deposits, 40% of its copper, 22% of its iron ore, 90% of its mica and huge deposits of bauxite, quartz and ceramics. It is home to the largest steel plant in Bokaro, apart from Jamshedpur being practically the city of TISCO and TELCO.

         The newly created Jharkhand State has the potential to develop as the most financially viable state in the whole country because of its mineral based resources and the industrial infrastructure available in the state.

Cultural and Historical Background

          The government of Jharkhand was sworn in on November 15, 2000, acceding to demands that began in the early 1900s when Jaipal Singh, the hockey captain of the Indian team to the 1928 Olympics voiced his opinion that southern Bihar should be a separate state.

      After a spate of agitations, bandhs and blockades spanning many decades, the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council was formed in 1995 within Bihar with Shibu Soren as Chairman, but the people were convinced they wanted their own identity as a state. In 1997, Laloo Prasad Yadav’s government in Bihar faced a no-confidence vote and Shibu Soren agreed to bail him out on the condition that a bill demanding the formation of the state of Jharkhand is allowed in the Assembly.

       Jharkhand consists of 18 districts: Bokaro, Chatra, Deogarh, Dhanbad, Dumka, East Singbhum, Garhwa, Giridih, Godda, Gumha, Hazaribagh, Kodarma, Lohardanga, Pakure, Palamau, Ranchi, Sahebgunj and West Singbhum. A recently created state, Jharkhand has its capital at Ranchi. The Bihar Reorganisation Bill passed in August 2000 made it possible for the dream of many tribes nestled in the southern parts of Bihar to be a separate entity.

Climate

      The climate of this district is on the whole dry and bracing. The year can be divided in to three main seasons, the winter season form November to March, the summer season is from March to May and Monsoon season from June to September; October is a transitional month between Monsoon and winter seasons. The average annual rainfall for the district as a whole is 1.335 mm/ 52.55 inches. From the onset of the Monsoon by the middle of June, rainfall rapidly increases reaching the peak level in August. The annual variation of rainfall is not much. December and January are the coolest months. By March temperature begin to rise steadily. In May and early part of June the maximum temperature can be as high as 47⁰C on individual days. Humidity is generally normal in this district, except in Monsoon months

Resource and Biodiversity Base

Natural Resources

 The State of Jharkhand is blessed with huge natural resources such as minerals, forests, water resources, energy sources, fertile land, etc. which can place the State amongst one of the top most prosperous and developed states of the country.

A beautiful land with picturesque valleys, dense lush green forests has large deposits of mineral in the world. About 40 percent of the total minerals of the country are available in this state. The states rich forest cover with natural resources, adequate power generation, adequate availability of surface and ground water, availability of land with immense biodiversity, availability of skilled and unskilled labour at economical cost

Forests

Forest Area in Forest Divisions (in Hectares)

Water Resources

    Jharkhand is endowed with vast impounded freshwater, resources in the form of tanks/ponds and reservoirs. These water bodies are yet to be exploited for commercial aquaculture. Thus, there is abundant scope for horizontal and vertical expansion of fish culture in this State. The different types of water resources available for development in the State are indicated in the Table below : -

Mineral Resources

Jharkhand is endowed with vast natural resources specially the vast variety of minerals ranging from Iron ore, Coal, Copper ore, Mica, Bauxite, Fire clay, Graphite, Kyanite, Sillimanite, Lime stone, Uranium & other minerals. Jharkhand is the leading producer of mineral wealth in the country. The total value of mineral production is amounted to over Rs. 3000crores.

Flora and Fauna

    Jharkhand possesses rich floral and faunal heritage, a result of its being part of Chotanagpur plateau. Main vegetation in this region comprises moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests. The vegetation includes sal and bamboo as the major component. Important faunal species of the state are wolves, hares, chital, nilgai, monkey, common langur, elephants, gaur, leopard, and sambar.

National Parks

Betla National Park

               Situated in the district of Daltonganj, Palamau Sanctuary is spread over an area of 979sq.km. The core area of 232 sq. kms of the sanctuary was declared as Betla National park in September1989. The park occupies the western parts of the Chotanagpur plateau and was constituted in the year 1960 as an extension of the Hazaribagh National park. Palamau has the distinction of being the forest where the world's first tiger census was enumerated in 1932. The park became one of the earliest 9 tiger reserves in India under 'Project Tiger' in 1974.

              The forests of the park have a vast range of vegetation consisting of tropical wet evergreen forests in the lower reaches, mixed (moist & dry) deciduous forests in the middle and temperate alpine forests in the upper reaches including Sal and bamboo as the major components along with a number of medicinal plants. The river Koel and its tributaries run through the northern portion of the park. There are grasslands in the river flowing area. It has waterfalls and hot springs too. Once the seat of Chero kings, there are two historical forts, one of them belonging to the 16th century deep inside the forest. The main sentinel of the old fort is visible high up on the hill with defences in three directions and three main gates.

               The diversity of eco-system promotes a wide variety of fauna consisting of elephant, panther, leopard, wild boar, tiger, gaur, sloth bear, sambar, chital, nuntjac, nilgai, langur, mouse deer, monkeys, small Indian civet, mongoose, jackals, porcupine, ant eating pangolin etc. Elephants in large numbers are seen mostly during the monsoons up to the time when water sources begin to dry up in March. Jackal and hyena are common scavengers. Bird-life is rich featuring the hornbill, peafowl, red jungle fowl, black partridge, white necked stork, black ibis, swamp grey, quail, the pied born bill, wagtails, the harial, doves, drongo, the crested serpent-eagle, forest owls, the papiha and other birds usually found in dry deciduous forests. The famous Kamaldah lake attracts several varieties of water birds including the common whistling and cotton teal, the comb duck, snipe and geese. The rhesus monkey and the common languor provide attraction to children visiting the park.

              Described as one of the finest parks in the north-east for observing a variety of wild life from close range, there are elephant rides and jeeps available with guides and spotlight for venturing inside the park. Watch towers and ground hides have been constructed to view the wild life. Only group travel is recommended. Timings are from 0500 to 1900 hours

Places of Interest

 Ranchi:

  DASSAM FALLS

About 40 km. away from Ranchi on Tata Road falls a village named Taimara near which flows the Kanchi river, Falling from a height of about 144 feet Kanchi river makes a pretty fall called Dassam falls known as Dassam Ghagh also encircled with charming scences. The tourists are warned not to take bath in the falls or at least be careful while bathing in the stream.

  HUNDRU FALLS

Ranchi is nature’s bounty to mother India which has specially been adorned with falls and streams. Hundru falls is about 28 km. aways from Ranchi town. The Swarnarekha river falls from a height of 320 feet making a wonderful scene known as Hundru falls. During rainy season it takes a formidable form but in summer it turns into an exciting picnic spot.

JONHA FALLS

Jonha is about 40 km. away from Ranchi. The road leading to Jonha is a bit narrow but not so rough and rugged as well as arduous as that of Hundru. There is also a hospice Tourists rest house which accommodates Lord Gautam Budha’s temple. This falls is named after Gautam as Gautamdhara too, it is approachable by road. The tourists can go upto Gautamdhara station by train also.

HIRNI FALLS

About 70 km. From Ranchi on way to Chakradharpur is located Hirni Falls. Having situated amidst dense forest Hirni has been favoured by nature for scenic beauties. The tourists are carried away by emotions and flight of imagination while observing Hirni.

RANCHI HILL

Ranchi, being situated at an altitude of 21,40 feet from sea level, is a popular health and holiday resort and a place of sacred pilgrimate.Some comely sights in the town include Ranchi Hill,Tagore Hill,Ranchi Lake etc.A panoramic view of the town can be behond from the hill top.The Shiva Temple situated on the top of the hill,is an added attraction for the devotees for whom it assumes the places of reverence during Shravanmas same as that of Baijnath Dham (Deoghar).

GONDA HILL & ROCK GARDEN

About 4 km. from G.P.O., Ranchi on Kanke Road,just in fornt of the CMPDIL Hq. Is situated the Gonda Hill with a water reservoir at its top. At the foot of the hill is a big lake known as Kanke Dam and a lucrative place for tourists.

TAGORE HILL

About 3 km. from the Ranchi G.P.O. the Tagore Hill is about 300 ft. high. As the hill is associated with a history pertaining to Tagore family, it is known as Tagore Hill. A number of books are supposed to have been written by Rabindra Nath Tagore on the top of the hill. At the foot of the hill are situated the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram and its office and center of Divyayan and agrarian vocational institute.

JAGANNATHPUR TEMPLE & HILL

About 10 km. From Ranchi G.P.O. is another sight seeing place where the tourists can rejoice and worship. The old temple of lord Jagannath ,built in 1691 in the architectural style of Puri Temple stands like a fort on the top of the in the hill. Its car/chariot festival held light part on Ashadhmas draws a big crowd comprising of tribals and non-tribals. HEC township nearby is an added attraction.

ANGRABADI

Angrabadi is actually, a temple complex which accommodates the temples of Lords Ganpati, Ram-Sita and Hanuman and Shiva. The Shankracharya Swami Swarupanand Saraswati, having been captivated by serene, placid and celestial beauty of Angrabadi rechristened it as Amreshwar Dham.

SUN TEMPLE

About 39 km. From Ranchi on Tata Road near Bundu stands on the desolate bush green the elegant Sun temple fashioned in the form of huge chariot with richly decorated 18 wheels and seven life like horses ready to take of. Built by Sanskrit Vihar headed by Shri Ram Maroo, the managing director of Ranchi Express, the sun temple deserves the title "a poem in stone". The surroundings of the temple, studded with a pond serving as a sacred place for Chhathavratis are actually a natures bounty to the peple of Chotanagpur. A beautiful dharmashala , meant for the pilgrims. The all weather motorable road upto the temple premises is likely to attract tourists who will be captivated to behold the newly built sun temple in the placid and serene surrounding leading to its celestial bueaties.

 Netarhat

Popularly called the `Queen of Chhotanagpur' Netarhat is 154 km west of Ranchi Town. It is a plateau covered with thick forests situated at a height of 3,700 feet or 1128 metres. Generally people visit this place to enjoy the breath taking Sunrise and Sunset.

 Hazaribagh

Nestling in low hilly terrain, at an average altitude of 1800 ft. (615 metres) this 183.89 sq. kms National Park has an abundance of wild animals, i.e. wild Boar, Sambar, Nilgai, Chital, Sloth Bear, tiger and Panthar. The 1970 census has established the presence of 14 tigers, 25 Panthers and 400 Sambars.

 Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar)

Baidyanath Dham situated in the Santhal Parganas of Jharkhand, is a very important piligram Centre. It's famous for the Hindus for the temple of Shiva-Baidyanath and the place is a popular holiday Centre.

 Dhanbad

Dhanbad is one of the most important industrial centres in India. In and around Dhanbad is the richest mineral wealth of India.

Important Historical and Tourist Place of the District:

               There are so many famous and interesting places of historical and religious values in Garhwa district. Ketar in Bhawanathpur block is famous for temple of “Goddess Bhagawati”. Radha Krishna Mandir of Nagar-Untari is famous for Idol of Gold. It is said that this Idol is of 32 mand of Gold. Kanjia ia famous for Katholic Ashram set-up in 1937. Peoples have great faith in Garhdevi Mandir of the Garhwa town.

                  There are also so many places of tourist attraction. Sukhaldari on the bank         of  river  Kanahar in Dhuraki   block  is  a  beautiful  waterfall .  Parasdiha  fall   in Bhawanathpur block and Gursandhu fall in Ranka block is also a sight seeing place. Raja Pahari famous for its natural beauty and here is a big temple of Lord Shiva. Saruat Pahar is said to be the second highest peak after Paras Nath in joint Bihar. It is noted for its natural beauty due to its plain lands where tiny village of Korba tribe is situated. Here is also a water called Hisatu fall.

  Palamu

     Palamau on the Auranga river , 20 miles south-east of Daltonganj as the crow flies, from which the district takes its name is for historian and archaeologist the most interesting place in the district, for it was for many years the seat of the Chero chiefs and it contains the ruins of the two great forts built by them, the capture of   which by Mughals and later by the British resulted in the collapse of the Chero resistance, the forts lie within the reserved forests and in order to preserve them the jungle has to be cut back at intervals .they are a favourite haunt of tigers, whose pug marks may nearly always be seen in and around the fort.The walls which are in preservation are about 5 feet in thickness and those of the old fort bear marks of cannon balls and bullets in many places. 

      In the new fort the Nagpuri gate is of great beauty. It is said to have been imported of great expense by Medni Roy, the greatest of the Rajas of “Palamau”, after he had sacked the place of the Maharaja of Chhotanagpur ; but the side of the fort on which it was erected was declared to be unlucky, and the entrance was bricked up, the carving being left where it was.  The gate has now been opened and some of the adjoining masonry has been demolished in order to preserve it.  The following account is taken from the Report of the Archeological Survey, Bengal Circle in 1903-1904 : “ There are two forts at Palamau, inside the jungle, close to each other. They are distinguished by the name of Purana Kila and Naya Kila, although the both appear to be of about the same age.

     The style of the walls and buildings so closely resembles that at Rohtashgarh and Shergarh that both forts may safely be put down at the same time, viz., the beginning of Mughal period. The old fort is of regular shape, about one mile in circumference. The ground upon which it stands rises in terraces, the higher part is divided from the lower one by a cross wall.  The walls are in places of considerable thickness, about 8’ the path way on top between the battlements measuring 5’- 6”. In other places they are thinner.  The four gates are strongly fortified with inner and outer courts and provided with watch towers. The outer battlements of the walls are loop-holed. Inside are the remains of for two-storied houses and mosque with three domes. The inner cross wall has one gate, in front of which is a deep well cut out of the rocks with a vaulted tunnel leading down to it.  The walls are built of stones and concrete, like those at Rohtashgarh and Shergarh.

     The houses are plastered over and remains of paintings and stucco ornamentation are seen here and there,. In all these respects, the buildings closely agree with those in the other hill forts, already referred to. I observed one statue of Buddha close to the eastern gate and another broken Hindu or Buddhist idol, but no temple was found by me.The new fort is built around the slopes of a conical hill. There are two lines of walls. Each making up a square. The inner line clusters around the peak of the hill ; the outer line is somewhat lower down. The walls are of the same kind as in the old fort.

       The outer walls are of considerable breadth, the passage along the roof between the battlements measuring 14’ and the total breadth amounting to 18’.there are no separate building inside the enclosure, but the walls have galleries, open to the interior, sometimes of several stories. The most interesting object is fine stone-carved window about 15’high. There is nothing to match this either at Rohtasgarh or Shergarh. The carving is distinctly of the Mughal type. Another similar window close to it is broken and some wall near it also have fallen down and now block up the passage so that it is difficult to get a view of this excellent piece of carving”. The above note still holds good.

Palamau is now often mistaken as Palamau District. It may be mentioned here that the East India Gazetteer by Walter Hamilton (1815) has the following description lf this district:--“A hilly and jungly district in the province of Jharkhand, situated between the 23^rd and 25^th degrees of north latitude. This is one of the least cultivated and most thinly inhabited territories in the Company’s dominions, a great proportion of the land consisting of hills covered with jungle. The soil in many parts is strongly impregnated with iron.