Land of hills, waterfalls and holy places

Jharkhand accounts for more than 40% of the mineral resources of India.

Bounded by Bihar to the north, West Bengal to the east, Odisha to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, this state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places. Baidyanath Dham, Parasnath and Rajrappa are the major religious places. Jharkhand accounts for more than 40% of the mineral resources of India.

Surrounded by hills, waterfalls and holy places is the beautiful state of Jharkhand. (Representational image)

The most prominent physical feature of Jharkhand is the Chota Nagpur plateau. Many rivers namely Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai and Subarnarekha pass through this area. Chota Nagpur covers nearly the entire state and consists primarily of crystalline rocks. The winter temperature ranges between 10°C and 20°C, while in the summer season, the mercury goes up to 37°C.

Languages

Hindi is the official language in Jharkhand and is spoken by the majority of the population (61.95%). Besides that, other languages spoken in this state are Urdu, Kurmali, Santhali, Ho, Kurukh, Mundari, Khariaal, Angika, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, Mundari, Nagpuri and Odia.

Culture

Tribal festivals that are celebrated with much fanfare are Sarhul, Bandna, Sohraj and Dasai. Some of other festivals celebrated here are Chhath, Diwali, Buddha Purnima, Eid and Durga Puja. Dhuska is a dish cooked with mashed rice and pulses and is served with either aaloo dum or mutton curry. Other famous dishes include Chirka roti, Malpua, Pittha, Arsa roti, Dudhauri, and Litti Chokha. Bamboo shoots are also used as vegetable.

Chhau Dance

Chhau is the state dance mainly associated with Chaitra Parva that is held in April in honour of the God Shiva. It is primarily practised in Saraikela and East Singhbhum districts. The stories enacted by Chhau dancers include those from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. There are several other folk dances in the state such as Jhumair, Domkach, Lahasua, Vinsariya, Jhumta, Fagua, Paika, Chhau, Mundari and Santhali.

Flora and Fauna

This state is rich in valuable hardwood sal. Other trees include the asan, the leaves of which provide food for the silk worm soft he sericulture industry. Mahua trees yield sweet edible flowers which are used to make liquor. The Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary is known for its Bengal tigers. Leopards, elephants and bears are also found in state’s remote forests.

Famous People

Cricketer MS Dhoni, actors Priyanka Chopra, Meenakshi Seshadri, Tanushree Dutta, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, archer Deepika Kumari, politicians JS Munda & Sibu Soren

Agro Produce

Kharif crops such as millet, rice and maize, and rabi crops such as wheat, pulses, gram, and mustard are grown here. Groundnuts and many vegetables are also grown.

Landmarks

Baba Baidyanath Temple and Basukinath Temple, Jagannath Temple, Russi Modi Centre of Excellence, Tata Steel Zoological Park, Bhuvaneshwari Temple, Dimna Lake, Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jubilee Park, Parasnath Hills, Hazaribagh National Park, Hot Water Stream, and Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Gardens etc

Baidyanath Temple

Also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, it is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of God Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the state’s Santhal Pargana division. Its complex consists of the main temple, where the Jyotirlinga is installed, and 21 other temples.

Railway stations and Airports

The main railway stations are Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Muri and Deogarh. Major airports are Birsa Munda International Airport in Ranchi and Sonari Airport in Jamshedpur.

Major Cities

Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Deogarh, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Ramgarh Cantonment, Medininagar, Chirkunda.