Jharkhand Knowledge

Jharkhand at a Glance

The 28th state of the Indian Union was brought into existence by the Bihar reorganization Act on November 15,2000- the birth anniversary of the legendary Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Jharkhand is famous for its rich mineral resources like Uranium, Mica, Bauxite, Granite, Gold, Silver, Graphite, Magnetite, Dolomite, Fireclay, Quartz, Fieldspar, Coal (32% of India), Iron, Copper (25%of India) etc. Forests and woodlands occupy more than 29% of the state which is amongst the highest in India.

FACT SHEET(Data As Per 2001 Census)
Population	3,29,66,238
Male Population	1,69,31,812
Female Population	1,60,34,426
Density of Population	414 persons / Sq. KM
No. of Districts	24
No. of Sub divisions	38
No. of Blocks	260
No. of Villages	32620
National Highways	1844 KMs
State Highways	6880 KMs
Total Geographical Area	79.70 Lakh Hect

Jharkhand census data 2011 in pdf format

		State Animal Elephant(Elephas maximus indicus)				State Bird Koel(Eudynamys scolopaceus)
		State Tree Saal (Shorea robusta)				State Flower Palash (Butea monosperma)

Birth of the State

The region enshrouded in the hills and forests inaccessible to a large segment of people. The tribes of this state are living here from thousands of years and not much changed in their life and culture over the ages baring last few decades. Many scholars now believe that the language used by tribes in the state of Jharkhand is identical to the one used by Harappan people. This has led to a great interest in the deciphering of Harappan inscriptions using rock paintings and language used by these tribes.

For a greater part of Vedic age, Jharkhand remained obscured. During the age of Mahajanpadas around 500 BC, India saw the emergence of 16 large states who controlled the entire Indian subcontinent. The supremacy of the janpads were often decided by the power of swords and bows and ax and other weapons. The region around Jharkhand was extremely rich in its mineral resources including iron and the janpad that controlled this region, Magadha, eventually controlled most of the country. The power of Magadha continued to occupy central state in Indian subcontinent for a long time and saw the emergence of mighty empires such as Mauryas and Guptas. After the end of last big Hindu empire of Guptas, India saw emergence of a number of numerous regional powers who tried to control this region. Same was the case with Muslim Sultans of Delhi and their feudatories in Bengal, who tried to control this mineral-rich area. British identified this region as a great source of raw material for their booming industries back home and to exploit the region to its full potential, established a vast network of railway line. Calcutta was developed as a major port to export raw materials from this region to England.

Birsa Munda (1875-1900)and Sidho and Kanho are the legendary heroes of the tribals of this state who fought against the oppressive rule of the British government. Birsa Munda, now regarded as god, fought for the tribals natural right over forests and land that was mercilessly being acquired by the British for exploitation. After a long fight, Birsa Munda was captured by the British authorities and died in prison. Sidho and Kanho were another set of revolutionaries among the tribals, now regarded as a tribal heroes.

For a long time, Jharkhand remained as a part of Bihar, but after Indian independence, the demand for a separate state of tribals started gaining momentum. In the last fifty years, the tribes of this region fought against the hegemony of Northern Bihar, a region that gained from the mineral deposits of this region like anything. Jharkhand became a state under the Republic of India on November 15, 2000 and now it is poised for a great leap forward.

Geography

Most of the state lies on the Chota Nagpur Plateau, which is the source of the Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai, and Subarnarekha rivers, whose upper watersheds lie within Jharkhand. Much of the state is still covered by forest. Forest preserves support populations of tigers and Asian Elephants.

Soil content of Jharkhand state mainly consist of soil formed from disintegration of rocks and stones, and soil composition is further divided into:

1. Red soil, found mostly in the Damodar valley, and Rajmahal area
2. Micacious soil (containing particles of mica), found in Koderma, Jhumri Telaiya, Barkagaon, and areas around the Mandar hil
3. Sandy soil, generally found in Hazaribagh and Dhanbad
4. Black soil, found in Rajmahal area
5. Laterite soil, found in western part of Ranchi, Palamu, and parts of Santhal Parganas and Singhbhum.

Climate

There are three well-defined seasons in Jharkhand. The cold-weather season, from November to February, is the most pleasant part of the year. High temperatures in Ranchi in December usually rise from about 50 °F (10 °C) into the low 70s F (low 20s C) daily. The hot-weather season lasts from March to mid-June. May, the hottest month, is characterized by daily high temperatures in the upper 90s F (about 37 °C) and low temperatures in the mid-70s F (mid-20s C).

Information Source: Government of Jharkhand, India

Fast Facts

 

• Area: 79,714 Sq. Km
• Population: 27 million
• Capital: Ranchi
• Districts: 24
• Airports: Ranchi (connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Bangalore, Raipur & Chandigarh)
• Climate: Pleasant and equable throughout the year.
• Clothing: Summer - Light Cottons Winter - Heavy woolens.
• Languages spoken: Santhali, Mundari, Kurukh, Khortha, Nagpuria, Sadri, Khariya, Panchparagnia, Ho, Karmali, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali
• Best Time to visit: February to April

Hundru Fall Hundru fall is about 45 kms away from Ranchi Town. The Swarnarekha river falls from a height of 320 feet making a wonderful scene known as Hundru falls. At the base of the fall a beautiful pool is formed which allows visitors to take a good bath, but with precautions. During rainy season it takes a formidable form but in summer it turns in to an exciting picnic spot. The diverse shape of the rock adds splendour to the place, which has been shaped from the attrition by the frequent fall of water. The picturesque grandeur of Hundru falls mesmerize the tourists, and fill their hearts with delight.		Jonha Fall From Ranchi take the NH-32 to Angarha. From there a left turn takes you 22 km to Hundru, whereas the straight road takes you to Jonha and Sita, 16 km from Angarha is Amrutbagan Chowk, from where a 5 km drive will take you to Jonha. 1 km short of Jonha is a diversion, from where a 5 km drive will take you to Sita.
Dassam Fall From Ranchi take the NH-32 to Angarha. From there a left turn takes you 22 km to Hundru, whereas the straight road takes you to Jonha and Sita, 16 km from Angarha is Amrutbagan Chowk, from where a 5 km drive will take you to Jonha. 1 km short of Jonha is a diversion, from where a 5 km drive will take you to Sita.		Betla National Park Betla National Park is a national park located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Palamu district of the Indian state of Jharkhand, in India. The park boasts a wide variety of wild life. Initially comprising the 1,026 km² of the Palamau Tiger Reserve, an additional 226 km² was added to the park in 1989 and 63 km² of the Mahuadar wolf sanctuary. Betla was one of the first national parks in India to become a tiger reserve under Project Tiger. The park is under administration of the forest department.
Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is located 10 km from the city of Jamshedpur in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It was inaugurated by Sanjay Gandhi in 1975. Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is situated around the Dalma Hills. Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is a much larger area starting from Chandil to 40 km east. The Sacntuary on paper is spread around in 195 km².		Rock Garden Rock Garden is located in Ranchi town. Best place to spend holiday. It is situated about 4 km away from Albert Ekka chowk. There is a big lake beside the hill that is known as Kanke dam.
Netarhat Netarhat is located in Latehar district, also known as 'Queen of Chhotanagpur' It is 145 km from Ranchi town by road. Minerals In Jharkhand 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. Jharkhand is no. 1 producer in Iron ore, Copper ores, Micca, Kainite, Uranium, Asbestus, etc. No. 3 in coal production after Odisha and Chattisgarh.

The tribes of Jharkhand consist of 32 tribes inhabiting the Jharkhand state in India. The tribes in Jharkhand were originally classified on the basis of their cultural types by the Indian anthropologist, Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi. His classification was as follows:

• Hunter-gatherer type — Birhor, Korwa, Hill Kharia
• Shifting Agriculture — Sauria Paharia
• Simple artisans — Mahli, Lohra, Karmali, Chik Baraik
• Settled agriculturists — Santhal, Munda, Oraon, Ho, Bhumij, etc.
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The Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of Jharkhand State is as per 2001 census 7,087,068 constituting 26.3 per cent of the total population (26,945,829) of the State. The Scheduled Tribes are primarily rural as 91.7per cent of them reside in villages. District wise distribution of ST population shows that Gumla district has the highest proportion of STs (68.4per cent). The STs constitute more than half of the total population in Lohardaga and Pashchimi Singhbhum districts whereas Ranchi and Pakaur districts have 41.8 – 44.6 per cent tribal population. Kodarma district (0.8 percent) preceded by Chatra (3.8 per cent) has the lowest proportion of the STs Population. Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups:

• Munda
• Santhal
• Oraon
• Kharia
• Gond
• Kol
• Kanwar
• Savar
• Asur
• Baiga
• Banjara
• Bathudi
• Bedia
• Binjhia
• Birhor
• Birjia
• Chero
• Chick-Baraik
• Gorait
• Ho
• Karmali
• Kharwar
• Khond
• Kisan
• Kora
• Korwa
• Lohra
• Mahli
• Mal-Paharia
• Parhaiya
• Sauria-Paharia
• Bhumij

Sports In Jharkhand

Cricket, Hockey and football are popular games with the people of Jharkhand. Jharkhand has given some brilliant players like Jaipal Singh, a former Indian hockey captain and Olympian and Manohar Topno, Vimal Lakra, currently playing for the Indian Hockey team. Jaipal Singh was the captain of the hockey team that won the first gold medal for India in Olympic games 1928 at Amsterdam. Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is the captain of Indian cricket team and the best wicket keeper batsman for India till date and led the Indian Cricket Team to ICC Cricket World Cup Glory on 2 April 2011 ending a 28-year wait to repeat the feat achieved by former Indian captain Kapil Dev in 1983 at Lords, England. Another rising cricketer from Jharkhand is Varun Aaron, India's fastest bowler and Saurabh Tiwary, left hand hard hitting batsman of India who represented Mumbai Indians from the 2008 Indian Premier League and currently playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was one of the key batsmen in the Indian team that won the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia. Ashunta Lakra, sister of Vimal Lakra was the Indian Hockey Captain. And one of the emerging sport personality is Deepika Kumari, a young athlete who competes in the event of Archery. She won gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women's individual recurve event.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Captain, Indian Cricket team. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won the 2011 World Cup. Dhoni is the only captain in the ODI history to score a century while batting at No.7. He did this against Pakistan on 30th December 2012.

Asunta Lakra

Indian Women's Hockey Team

Deepika Kumari - Archer

She won gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women's individual recurve event. She also won gold medal in the same competition in the women's team recurve event along with Dola Banerjee and Bombayala Devi. Currently ranked World No. 2. She was conferred with Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award in the year 2012 by President of India Pranab Mukherjee.

Mishal Banjamin Lakra - International Boxer

• 56th Senior National Boxing Championship at Hyderabad, 2009 - Silver
• 34th National Games (Men Boxing) 2011 at Jamshedpur - Gold
• 65th All India Inter Railway Men Boxing Championship at Karnail Stadium - Silver

Laxmi Padiya - International Boxer

• 9th Senior Women National Boxing Championships at St. John's College, 2008 - Bronze
• 58th All India Police Women Boxing Championship, Pune, 2010 - Gold
• 11th Senior Women National Boxing Championships at Thrissur, 2010 - Silver
• 34th National Games (Women Boxing) 2011 at Jamshedpur, 2011 - Gold
• 60th All India Police Women Boxing Championship, 2012 - Gold

Diwakar Prasad - International Boxer

• 56th Senior National Boxing Championship at Hyderabad, 2009 - Bronze
• Sahara 57th Senior National Boxing C'ship at Talkatora Indoor Stadium 2010 - Bronze
• 65th All India Inter Railway Men Boxing C'ship at Karnail Stadium 2011 - Gold
• Sahara 58th Senior Men National Boxing C'ship at Alagappa Engineering, 2012 - Gold.          

• Festivals In Jharkhand

  
  

  Sarhul

  
  

  Sarhul is celebrated during spring season and the Saal trees get new flowers on their branches. It is a worship of the village deity who is considered to be the protector of the tribes. People sing and dance a lot when the new flowers appear. The deities are worshiped with saal flowers. The village priest or Pahan fasts for a couple of days. In the early morning he takes a bath and puts on new a dhoti made of virgin cotton (kachha dhaga). The previous evening, the Pahan takes three new earthen pots and fills them with fresh water; the next morning he observes these earthen pots and water level inside. If the water level decreases he predicts that there would be famine or less rain, and if the water level is normal, that is the signal of a good rain. Before pooja starts, the wife of the Pahan washes his feet and gets blessings from him. At the pooja, Pahan offers three young roosters of different colors to one for the almighty god the Singbonga or Dharmesh, as the Mundas, Ho and Oraons respectively address Him; another for the village deities; and the third for the ancestors. During this pooja villagers surround the Sarna place.

  
  

  

  
  

  Traditional drum " Dhol, Nagara and Turhi" players keep drumming and playing along with Pahan chanting prayers to deities. When pooja is finished, boys carry Pahan on their shoulders and girls dancing ahead take him to his house where his wife welcomes him by washing his feet. Then Pahan offers Saal flowers to her wife and villagers. These flowers represent the brotherhood and friendship among villagers and Pahan the priest, distributes saal flowers to every villager. He also puts saals flowers on every house's roof which is called "phool khonsi". At the same time Prasad, a rice made beer called Handia, is distributed among the villagers. And the whole village celebrates with singing and dancing this festival of Sarhul. It goes on for weeks in this region of Chhotanagpur. In Kolhan region it is called "Baa Porob" meaning Flower Festival. it is the festival of the grest happiness.

  
  

  Karam

  
  

  The Karam festival is a worship of Karam devta, the god of power, youth and youthfulness. Karam is held on the 11 of moon in Bhadra month. Groups of young villagers go to the jungle and collect wood, fruits and flowers. These are required during the Puja of Karam God. During this period people sing and dance in groups. The entire valley seems to be dancing with the drumbeatth day of the phases. This is one of the rare examples of such a vital and vibrant youth festival in Jharkhand's tribal area.

  
  

  Jawa

  
  

  At the same time, the unmarried tribal girls celebrate the Jawa festival, which has its own kind of songs and dance. This is held mainly for the expectation of good fertility and better household. The unmarried girls decorate a small basket with germinating seeds. It is believed that the worship for good germination of the grains would increase the fertility. The girls offer green melons to the Karam deity as a symbol of 'son' which reveals the primitive expectation of human being (i.e., grains and children). The entire tribal area of Jharkhand becomes tipsy during this time.

  
  

  Tusu Parab or Makar

  
  

  This festival is mostly seen in the area between Bundu, Tamar and Raidih area of Jaharkhand. This belt has a great history during India's independence movement. TUSU is a harvest festival held during the winter in the last day of Poush month. It is also for the unmarried girls. Girls decorate a wooden/ bamboo frame with coloured paper and then gift it to the nearby hilly river. Although there is no documented history available on this festival but it has huge collection of scintillating songs full of life and taste. These songs reflect the simplicity and innocence of tribal people.

  
  

  

  
  

  Hal Punhya

  
  

  Hal punhya is a festival which begins with the fall of winter. The first day of Magh month, known as "Akhain Jatra" or "Hal Punhya", considered as the beginning of ploughing. The farmers, to symbolize this auspicious morning plough two and half circles of their agricultural land this day is also considered as the symbol of good fortune.

  
  

  Bhagta Parab

  
  

  This festival comes between the period of spring and summer. Among the tribal people of Jharkhand, Bhagta Parab is best known as the worship of Budha Baba. People fast during the day and carry the bathing Pahan the priest, to the tribal mandir called Sarana Mandir. The Pahan sometimes called Laya, gets out of the pond, the devotees make a chain, locking their thighs with each other and come forward to offer their bare chest to Laya for walk over. After worship in the evening, devotees take part in dynamic and vigorous Chhau dance with lots of gymnastic actions and masks. The next day is full of primitive sports of bravery. The devotees pierce hooks on skin and get tied at one end of a long horizontal wooden pole, which is hanging on the top of a vertical Shal wood pole. The height goes up to 40 feet. The other end of the pole which is connected with a rope, pulled around the pole by the people and the tied devotee display the breath-taking dance in the sky. This festivals is more popular in the Tamar region of Jharkhand.

  
  

  Rohini

  
  

  Rohini is perhaps the first festival of Jharkhand. It is a festival of sowing seeds in the field. Farmers starts sowing seeds from this day but there is no dance or song like other tribal festivals but just a few rituals. There are some other festivals like Rajsawala Ambavati and Chitgomha are also celebrated with Rohini.

  
  

  Bandna

  
  

  Bandana is one of the most famous festivals celebrated during the black moon of month of Kartik (Kartik Aamavashya). This festival is mainly for the animals. Tribals are very close with animals and pets. In this festival, people wash, clean, paint, decorate feed well and put ornaments to their cows and bulls. The song dedicated for this festival is called Ohira which is an acknowledgement for animal's contribution in their day-to-day life. The belief behind this festival is animals are integral part of life and have souls as human being do. The most exciting day of the bandanna week is the last day. Closured bulls and buffaloes are chained to a strong pole and they are attacked with a dry animal hyde. The angry animals hit the dry skin with their horns and the crowd enjoys. Generally the colour used for decorating animals are natural colours and the is artwork is of folk type.

  
  

  Jani-Shikaar

  
  

  This is held once every 12 years. The womenfolk wear menswear and go for hunting in forest. Jani-Shikaar is performed in remember of driving away the mohameddens by the kurukh womenfolk in Roh-tas-garh, who wanted to capture the fort on the Sharhul festival new year day for tribal community, when men used to be in drunken condition. They had tried to capture 12 times in 12 years and every time they were driven by the kurukh women, who wore the men's clothes while in the field of war.

  
  

  Chhath Pooja

  
  

  Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival and only Vedic Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti.[1] The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes.[2] The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. In Hinduism, Sun worship is believed to help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders.

  
  

  

• Know Your District

  • Bokaro
  • Chatra
  • Deoghar
  • Dhanbad
  • Dumka
  • East Singhbhum
  • Garhwa
  • Giridih
  • Godda
  • Gumla
  • Hazaribagh
  • Jamtara
  • Khunti
  • Koderma
  • Latehar
  • Lohardaga
  • Pakur
  • Palamu
  • Ramgarh
  • Ranchi
  • Sahibganj
  • Simdega
  • West Singhbhum
  • Seraikella Kharsawan