Ranchi

Ranchi (/ˈrɑːntʃi/ pronunciation (help·info)) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Orissa, western West Bengal and the eastern area of what is present-day Chhattisgarh. The Jharkhand state was formed on 15 November 2000 by carving out the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas. Ranchi has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.

## History

The early evidence of use of several iron slag, pot sheds, iron tools found in Chota Nagpur region around 1400 BCE. Magadha Empire exercised indirect control over the territory, which lasted until the reign of the Ashoka. Armies of Samudra Gupta passed through the region on their expedition to the Deccan. In 4th century CE, Nagvanshi king Raja Pratap Rai chose Chutia as his capital which is now a place in Ranchi. Few ruins of Chutia trace back to 2nd Century CE. With the expansion of the Mughal Empire, the sovereign status of the Nagvanshi dynasty was technically affected, but they continued to rule and administer independently. King of Barkagarh Jagannathpur Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo built Jagannath Temple in 1691.

Ruins of 17th-century Jagannath temple Ranchi in the 19th century
Jagannath temple Ranchi after restorations

After Battle of Buxar, Nagvanshi became vassal of East India Company. British reduced Nagvanshi rulers to Jamindar in 1817. In 1833, Captain Wilkinson established head quarter of the South-West Frontier agency in the village of Kishunpur, which he renamed into Ranchi after the hamlet of Purana Ranchi located at the foot of the Ranchi Hill. Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo, Pandey Ganpat Rai, Tikait Umrao Singh and Sheikh Bhikhari played a pivotal role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. British made Ranchi as municipality in 1869 and Ranchi was first termed as a town in the census of 1872. Freedom fighter Birsa Munda died in the Ranchi jail on 9 June 1900. In 1912, Jyotirindranath Tagore, the eldest brother of Rabindranath Tagore, settled in Ranchi. Tagore Hill, where his house was located, has been named after him in remembrance. The last ruler of the Nagvanshi dynasty was Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo (1931–2014).

After Independence, Ranchi saw large increase in its population. Its population rate of growth was 3.5% in 1901 to 1941, which increased to 14% in 1951–1971. This was because of increased industrial and educational institutions being set up, as well as the arrival of post-Partition refugees. Ranchi became an 'administrative-cum-industrial' town in 1958 when Heavy Engineering Corporation was set up. The succeeding years saw Ranchi becoming the headquarter for the following: Steel Authority of India Ltd., National Coal Development Corporation and Central Coalfields Ltd. The headquarters of Central Coalfields Ltd is still in Ranchi. The city remained the summer capital of Bihar till the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, when Ranchi became the capital of the new state.

## Geography

Ranchi lies at 23°22′N 85°20′E near to the Tropic of Cancer. The city covers an area of 175 km2 (68 sq mi) and its average elevation is 651 m above sea level. Ranchi is located in the southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau, which is the eastern section of the Deccan plateau.

Ranchi has a hilly topography and its dense tropical forests a combination that produces a relatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state. However, due to the uncontrolled deforestation and development of the city, the average temperature has increased.

Kanke Dam
Tagore Hill

### Climate

Although Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Climate Classification: *Cwa*), its location and the forests surrounding it combine to produce the unusually pleasant climate for which it is known. Summer temperatures range from 20 °C to 42 degrees, winter temperatures from 0 °C to 25 degrees. December and January are the coolest months, with temperatures dipping to the freezing point in some areas (Kanke). The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm (56.34 inches). From June to September the rainfall is about 1,100 mm.

## Demographics

### Population

As of 2011 India census, Ranchi Municipal Corporation has a population of 1,073,427, making it the 46th largest urban city in India. Males constitute 52.1% of the population and females 47.9%. Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 87.68%.

The city witnessed a sudden surge in population after the declaration of the new state of Jharkhand in 2000. Owing to the rising employment opportunities and opening of numerous regional and state level offices, banks and FMCG companies, the city witnessed a rapid influx of employment seeking migrants. As per a study done by ASSOCHAM in late 2010, Ranchi was one of the highest employment generating Tier-III cities in India with a share of 16.8%, followed by Mangalore and Mysore.

### Language

Hindi is the lingua franca in Ranchi. The populace of Ranchi converse mainly in Hindi. Nagpuri is regional language of the region. A number of other dialects and language spoken are Khortha and Kurmali. Tribal language Mundari is also spoken by the Munda tribe.

### Religion

Hinduism is the prominent religion of Ranchi followed by 64.31% of the population. Islam is the second most followed religion in the city by 16.42% of the people. Minorities are Christians 8.52%, Sikhism 0.39%, Jains 0.22%, Buddhists 0.06%, those that did not state a religion are 0.35%, and others are 9.72%.[*citation needed*

## Sports

### Sports teams

* Ranchi Rays
* Ranchi Rhinos

### Stadiums in Ranchi

* Jaipal Singh Stadium
* JSCA International Cricket Stadium
* Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium
* Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium
* Birsa Munda Football Stadium

## Points of Interest

* Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, zoo
* Dassam Falls, one of the deadliest falls in India.
* Getalsud Dam, also known as Rukka Dam built in 1971
* Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, the oldest missionary organisation in eastern and northern India
* Hundru Falls
* Jagannath Temple, built by Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo, Raja of Barkagarh Jagannathpur in 1691.
* Jonha Falls, also known as Gautamdhara (the place dedicated to Gautam Buddha)
* Kanke Dam, also known as Gonda Dam built in 1955
* Rock Garden, built along Kanke Dam
* Nakshatra Van
* Pahari Mandir, temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
* Patratu valley
* Ranchi Science Centre
* Ratu Palace, capital of Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur.
* Sita Falls
* Ranchi State Museum, state or art museum
* St.Mary's Cathedral, oldest church of Ranchi built in 1847
* Tagore Hill, the hangout place of Jyotindranath Tagore, brother of Rabindranath Tagore and have Ramkrishna Mission Ashram at its base.

## People from Ranchi

* Ani Nath Shahdeo, King of Barkagarh, built Jagannath temple
* Shreya Subhashree, Businessperson, Ranchi
* Mahendra Prasad Burman, Jeweller & Business Person, Ranchi
* Vishwanath Shahdeo, freedom fighter, born in Barkagarh, Ranchi
* Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo, last Nagvanshi king
* Gopal Sharan Nath Shahdeo, Nagvanshi prince and MLA
* Rajesh Chauhan, former Indian cricketer, born in Ranchi
* Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ex-Captain of Indian Cricket Team, famous for winning the Cricket World Cup in 2011
* Carl Haeberlin, German physician, born in Ranchi
* Deepika Kumari, International Level Archer
* Anjana Om Kashyap, Indian journalist and news presenter
* Rajesh Jais, Actor
* Alisha Singh, Dancer and choreographer
* Peter Mansfield, British journalist and historian, was born in Ranchi
* Vinay Pathak, actor schooled at Vikas Vidyalaya, Ranchi
* Mukund Nayak, folk singer and dancer
* Nandlal Nayak, folk artist and music composer
* Deeba, Pakistani actress
* Pat Reid MBE MC, escapee from Colditz Castle, born in Ranchi
* Tapen Sen, Former Judge Calcutta High Court, Punjab & Haryana High Court and Jharkhand High Court
* Telesphore Toppo, Cardinal-Archbishop of Ranchi in the Roman Catholic Church