?Ranchi Jharkhand â€¢ India
Ranchi
Coordinates: 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35, 85.33
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 620 m (2,034 ft)
Population	846,454 (census 2,001)
Codes • Pincode • Telephone	• 8340 XX • +0651 XXXXXXX

Coordinates: 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35, 85.33 Ranchi pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: राà¤�ची) is the capital city of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar. Jharkhand State was formed on 15 November 2000 by carving out the districts of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas divisions of Bihar. When part of the British Raj and subsequently in Bihar, it used to be the summer capital because of its cool climate.

Ranchi is a prominent political, commercial, industrial and educational hub of eastern India.

Geography

Ranchi is located at 23.35° N 85.33° E.Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Ranchi. The total area covered by Ranchi - Municipal Area is about 110 square kilometers and the average elevation of the city is 2,140 feet above sea level.

Geographically, Ranchi is located on southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau system. The area surrounding Ranchi has been endowed with natural attractions and it is referred to as the “City of Waterfalls�. The most popular waterfalls are Dasham, Hundru, Jonha Falls, Hirni and Panchghat, which are all active perennially.

The Subernarekha river and its tributaries constitute the local river system. Dams inKanke, Rukka and Hatia have been built over these channels to cater to the water requirements of the local population.

Ranchi has a hilly topography and its combination with dense tropical forests ensures that it enjoys a comparatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state.

Climate

Ranchi has a sub-tropical climate. Temperature ranges from maximum 37 to 20°C during summer, and minimum 22 to 3°C during winter. The annual rainfall is about 1530 mm. From June to September the rainfall level is about 1,100 mm.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. Ranchi had a population of 846,454. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Ranchi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

According to the current estimates, the population of the city is now about 1,300,000. 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 marketing companies, the city witnessed the influx of migrants. Ranchi has always enjoyed a cosmopolitan environment and still entails a good mix of people from different regions of the country. Ranchi is the largest city in Jharkhand.

Education

Ranchi has a number of government and privately run schools and colleges.

Most of the government-run schools in Ranchi are affiliated to Jharkhand Academic Council, while most of the private schools are affiliated to ICSE and/or CBSE boards. A number of Christian Schools are Convents or are run by the Jesuit missionaries of the Roman Catholic, Gossner, Evangelical and Lutheran Churches and the Church of North India.

Most of the colleges and institutions of higher education of Ranchi are under the jurisdiction of Ranchi University. There are also Agicultural and Veterinary Colleges which are part of the Birsa Agricultural University located at Kanke.

Schools

• Schools of Ranchi

Bridgeford School.Tupadana`[2]

Colleges

• Colleges of Ranchi

Transportation and Commuting

Road

Ranchi has road connectivity with 2 National Highways (NH-23 & 33)crossing it and NH-75 originating here. Recently the state government with the support of NHDC has constituted a plan to expand the road connectivity of different district headquarters to this capital city with 4-lane highways of international standards.

One peculiarity of this capital city is that there are no local bus services. For commuting one can hire or share an Auto Rickshaw. Taxis too are available. Cycle rickshaws are a more modest way to travel for short distances.

The city has one State Bus Terminus where buses are available for travelling to Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Alipurduar, Siliguri, Kolkata. The State Bus Terminus is located near the Ranchi Railway station.

Khad Garha is a Private Bus Terminus where buses are available for multiple destinations within Jharkhand and Bihar. There are also buses available for Kolkata, Benaras, Rourkela and cities of other eastern states. AC Services are available for Patna, Kolkata and Jamshedpur. Most of the buses are equipped with music systems and video.

Ratu Road is another Private Bus Terminus where buses are available for destinations in Jharkhand, Orissa and Chattisgarh.

Rail

Ranchi has witnessed growth in railway connectivity during the past 3 to 4 years. Growing demand and grants in the annual Railway budgets made sure that Ranchi got its deserved share of allocation. Currently Ranchi has frequent connectivity with all major centres in India.
Major Rail Connections From Ranchi : New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata (Howrah), Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Allepey, Jaipur, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Alipurduar etc.
The Railway Stations in the city are: Tatisilwai, Namkum, Ranchi Junction, Argora & Hatia

Air

Ranchi has a domestic airport - "Bhagwan Birsa Munda Airpot" (Code: IXR) managed by the Airports Authority of India. It is situated at an elevation of 2120 ft. The airport terminal is situated approximately 7 km South of the city center, in Hinoo. The single runway airport is approximatelty 8000 feet in length and supports navigation/traffic control systems such as HIRL, PAPI, ASPL and Apron Flood lights.

Ranchi is connected by air with most of the major metros of the country. It has 5 daily connections to Delhi and 3 to Kolkatta. It is also connected with cities like Mumbai, Patna, Bhubaneshwar and Chandigarh by daily scheduled services. Airlines include Indian, JetLite, Deccan and MDLR.

New budget airlines have announced plans to connect Ranchi with other destinations.

Trade, commerce, and industry

As an important administrative and military base of the eastern India during the British Raj, Ranchi developed as an important centre of trade and commerce, including a traditional base for sericulture and manufacture of shellac. Villages around Ranchi has been described as the \'vegetable bowl\' of Jharkhand and truckloads of green vegetables are transported from the city to different parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, as also to Kolkata.

After India gained independence, Ranchi continued to grow and a number of industrial facilities were located in and around the city, and it emerged as an important industrial centre. Along with other two industrial townships of Jamshedpur and Bokaro, it completes the industrial structure of Jharkhand. Techno-industrial facilities of Ranchi include Heavy Engineering Corporation, Mecon, SAIL\'s R&D Facility, High Tension Insulator factory, CCL, CMPDI, IICM, Usha Martin, Usha Beltron Shipping Corporation of India, Jain Construction

<

pan class="editsection"> Important Public Sector Undertakings & Govt. Institutions

• Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd., Dhurwa
• Garden Reach Ship Builder\'s Ltd, Dhurwa
• MECON Ltd. Doranda
• Research & Development Centre for SAIL

Also known as RDCIS, the centre was established in 1974 as the corporate R&D of Steel Authority of India Ltd. Today it is the largest and most reputed Steel Research Centre of the country. The centre boasts of over 350 scientists and a huge array of sophisticated research /test equipment. Besides addressing to the R&D needs of SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd), the centre also provides diverse scientific services to other organisations on contract basis.

• CET, SAIL
• MTI, SAIL
• CMPDI
• National Institute of Foundry Forge Technology, Hatia
• Central Coalfield Limited (CCL)

Central Government Offices

• The Accountant General\'s Office, Doranda
• Income Tax Office, Main Road
• Divisional Railway Manager\'s Office, Hatia
• BSNL, Albert Ekka Chowk
• General Post Office, Albert Ekka Chowk
• Forest Office, Doranda

Health care facilities and Important Hospitals

The city is traditionally the medical centre for the entire region of about 400 km in radius. Many hospitals, both private and public, dot the city.

• The Rajendra Medical College now known as Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences RIMS is the largest of three medical colleges in the state. Excellent Neurodiagnostic facilites exist in the Advanced Diagnostic Centre.

• The most famous Indian corporate hospital chain (Apollo Hospitals Group) runs a private hospital on the outskirts of the city. Though situated in a semi-rural setting, a world-class heart surgery set-up is doing excellent work there.

• In the field of Tuberculosis, the Ramakrishna Mission is running a TB Sanatorium on the Ranchi-Khunti Road near Tupudana for nearing 6 decades.

• HEC Hospital
• MECON Hospital
• Raj Hospital
• Guru Nanak Hospital
• Saint Barnabas Hospital
• Seven Day Adventist Hospital
• K.C.Roy Memorial Hospital
• Ranchi is famous across India for its psychiatric care centers. Ranchi has some of the largest facilities for mentally-challenged patients at Kanke. There are three major hospitals taking care of patients with psychiatric illnesses.

1. Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke
2. RINPAS, Kanke
3. Davis Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Kanke

Tourist attractions

Temples

Jonha Falls - This is a popular tourist destination situated 40 km from the City.

• Rajrappa Mandir About 65 km from Ranchi for the worship of Goddess Kali, known as Chhinnamasta. Also a tourist place; has great picnic spots.
• Pahari Temple - Heart of the city
• Durga Badi - Near Firayalal Chowk at the heart of the city.
• Jagannathpur Temple - Built in the architectural style of Puri temples about 300 years old
• Surya Temple - 38 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata NH Road
• Bhawani Shankar Mandir Temple, Ginjo Thakur Gaon - 25 km from Ranchi on Ratu Road NH Road (12 km from Ratu in the way of Ratu - Burmu Road)
• Parasnath or Shikharjee - A major pilgrimage of the Jain\'s about 200 km from Ranchi in Girdih District.
• Ramakrishna Mission and Ashram, Morhabadi, Ranchi
• Ramakrishna Mission Ashram and T B Sanatorium, Tupudana, Ranchi
• Dewri Temple - 58 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata NH 33 road
• Doranda Jain Mandir - 4 km from Ranchi
• Head Quarters of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, situated about 200 metres from Ranchi railway station.
• [3]

Important Churches

• St. Mary\'s Cathedral, Purulia Road, Ranchi
• Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, Main Road, Ranchi
• Church of Northern India, Church Road, Ranchi
• All Saints Church, Doranda, Ranchi

Important Mosques

Important Gurudwaras

Festivals

Ranchi is home to people of many castes, creeds and sects. All festivals are celebrated with pomp, glory and in harmony. People from nearby as well as far off places visit Ranchi during the holidays.

• Jagannathpur Mela-Held at the Jagannath Temple, Ranchi during summer ever year.
• Saraswati Puja
• Holi
• Durga Puja
• Diwali
• Vishwakarma Puja
• Id - Ul -Fitre
• Id - Ul - Zoha
• Muharram
• Sarhul
• Karma
• Sohrai
• Christmas
• Easter
• Jharkhand Formation Day
• Mahavir Jayanti

Parks and resorts

• Nakshatra Van - Heart of the city, near Raj Bhawan (Governor\'s House)
• Birsa Zoological Park - 14 km from Ranchi
• Night Safari - 14 km from Ranchi
• Deer Park - 16 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Khunti Road
• Sidhu Kaanhu Park - Heart of the city
• Dr. Zakhir Hussain Park - Heart of the city
• Ranchi Hill - Pahari Baba Temple - Heart of the city.
• Tagore hill - Morabadi, 5 km from the center of the city
• Rock Garden - Kanke Road, 4 km from the center of the city
• Fun Castle - Ratu, 7 km from Ranchi
• Crocodile Farm - Ormanjhi, 19 km from Ranchi

Other than these recognized parks (most of which have entry fee), there are many open playgrounds which are vanishing fast as the government/administration has decided that massive constructions on available government lands (which will create more traffic and pollution in the choking narrow roads) is the way to progress, and the fact that a city requires open playgrounds where youngsters can go to play and have healthy recreational activity is easily overlooked.

Water resorts

• Ranchi Lake - Heart of the city
• Dhurwa Dam
• Rukka Dam - 16 km from Ranchi
• Aqua World - Heart of the city
• Dassam Falls - About 40 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata NH Road
• Jonha Falls - About 35 km from Ranchi
• Sita Falls - near to Jonha falls
• Hundru Falls - 30 km from Ranchi
• Hirni Falls - 90 km towards Chakradharpur
• Panchghaag - 50 km from ranchi
• Rani fall (Soeko) - 55 km from ranchi
• Perwaghagh (Torpa) - 75 km from ranchi
• Ghaghri fall (Bero) - 45 km from ranchi
• Kanke Dam - 7 km from main road ranchi

Theaters

Eylex Multiplex, Hinoo. Retail boom has reached Ranchi too. Various such projects are in progress.

Many of the theaters in Ranchi are closing down giving way to the constant pressure of diminishing cinema goers and rising maintenance costs. Recently (Feb 2006) two of the listed theaters (Uphaar & Plaza) have decided to give way to a swanky Multiplex mall that may come up on their ground zero if things go all as planned. The State Government has also announced special tax relief for Multiplexes running on the lines of developed states like Maharashtra and Delhi.

• Eylex Multiplex (2 Screens) : Hinoo Bridge, Near Indira Place.
• Sujata : Main Road, Ranchi
• Sujata Miniplex (Recently Upgraded): Main Road, Ranchi
• Minakshi, Ratu Road, Ranchi
• Plaza: Tharpakna , Old HB Road, Ranchi
• Sainik: Morabadi, Ranchi
• Vishnu: Main Road, Ranchi (closed)
• Sandhaya  :Purulia Road(Near Dangratoli Chowk)
• Uphar: Ratu Road, Ranchi(Closed for construction of INOX Multiplex)

Ranchi\'s first Multiplex theater cum shopping mall was inaugurated September 07th, 2007 in Hinoo locality near the river bridge crossing. The two-screen plex has a seating capacity of 350 and has ticket rates from Rs. 50-150 depending on the film and showtime.

Restaurants

A newly constructed Hotel Complex. Depicts the changing face of Ranchi.

Ranchi has numerous eateries offering delicacies from across India and the world. Recently restaurants such as Capitol Hill
Masala Planet and Rice N Spice have been offering delicacies from Latin America/Mediterranean regions as well.
There are already a number of traditional Indian eateries like Capitol hill, Kaveri, Krshna, Punjab Sweets, Kathi Kabab, 7th Heaven, Bholu Bhai, Palash and Birsa Munda Food Plaza(at Ranchi Railway Station) that are popular for family outings.
One can enjoy good vegeterian food with view of the Airport Runway at Green Acres and at Green Horizon and Capitol Residency.
For pastries you can try Cakes n Bakes. Try their Chicken Sandwich, It rocks.

Important Hotels

• Hotel Ranchi Ashok, Doranda, Ranchi
• Hotel Yuvraj, Doranda, Ranchi
• Hotel Yuvraj Palace, Doranda, Ranchi
• South Eastern Railway Hotel, Ranchi
• Capitol Hill, Main Road
• Hotel Arya, HB Road

Shopping

Ranchi has a host of shopping complexes which fit for different budgets. Main Road is lined with shops and restaurants. The Main Complexes in the Main Road are:

• Ranchi Club Shopping Complex
• Rospa Towers: Clothes, Stationery, Music, Electronics, Toys, Food & Snacks, Furnishing, Auto Accessories
• GEL Church Shopping Complex: Clothes, Stationery, Music, Electronics, Toys, Food & Snacks, Furnishing, Auto Accessories, Jewellery
• Bihar Emporium: Clothes, Stationery, Toys, Furnishing, Jewellery
• Sainik Bazaar: Medicines, Clothes, Stationery, Toys, Furnishing
• Shastri Market: Clothes
• Church Road: Clothes, Utensils
• Upper Bazaar: Building Materials, Clothes, Utensils and appliances

Besides these there are other complexs coming up in the other parts of the city. Reliance Fresh and Subhiksha outlets have opened for business. There is an electronics component market in the heart of the city just beside the Daily Market. Fresh vegetables are available at Daily Market, Bahu Bazaar, Doranda Bazaar, Birsa Chowk, Sector III Market, Morabadi, Lalpur etc.

Radio and TV

The city has a Doordarshnn TV Centre where local programs are produced and broadcasted. There are also some local news channels delivered through the cable TV network.

Besides the state run Vividh Bharti radio station, there are private FM Channels as BigFM, Radio Mantra and Radio Dhamaal.

Cricket

Cricket is a popular sport in Ranchi. [M.S. Dhoni], the captain of [One Day Cricket Team], was born and lives here in Ranchi.

Important Land Marks

• Albert Ekka Chowk
• Shaheed Chowk
• Argora Chowk
• Booty More
• Kanta Toli Chowk
• Over Bridge
• Birsa Chowk
• HEC Golchakker
• Morabadi Maidan
• Hinoo Chowk
• AG More
• Kutchery Chowk
• Its Chowk

External links

• Ranchi travel guide from Wikitravel
• Official Website for Ranchi
• Portal for Ranchi and Jharkhand
• Ranchi\'s Artists Group - \'CARDS\', web page

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia