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            JHARKHAND TRAVEL GUIDE
      
                        RANCHI

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar
state on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to
the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West
Bengal to the east.
Jharkhand is known so because it's the land of "jhari" or shrubs. It's also related to
name 'Jarakand' which signify the movement for freedom of Jharkhand, literally it
means 'to chop off'. Jharkhand is famed for its mineral wealth and forestry products.

Jharkhand is now improving much faster than its northern counterpart (Bihar). Its
poverty rate declined 2% per year from 1994-2002. Unlike some other Indian states,
Jharkhand's poverty reduction was faster in the rural areas than in the urban areas.

The demand for a separate Jharkhand state can be traced back to the early 1900s,
when Jaipal Singh, an Indian Hockey captain and Olympian, suggested the idea of a
separate state consisting of the southern districts of Bihar. The idea did not become
a reality, however, until August 2, 2000, when the Parliament of India passed the
Bihar Reorganisation Bill to create the state of Jharkhand, carving 18 districts out of
Bihar to form Jharkhand state on 15 November 2000. It became the 28th state of
India.

According to a legend, Raja Jai Singh Deo of Orissa was accepted as the ruler of
Jharkhand by its people in the 13th century. The Singh Deo's of Orissa have been
very instrumental in the early history of Jharkhand. The local tribal heads had
developed into barbaric dictators who could govern the province neither fairly nor
justly. Consequently, the people of this state approached the more powerful rulers of
Jharkhand's neighbouring states who were perceived to have a more fair and just
governance. This became the turning point in the history of the region wherein rulers
from Orissa moved in with their armies and created states that were governed for the
benefit of the people and involved their participation, thus ending the barbarism that
had marked the region for centuries. The good tribal rulers continued to thrive and
were known as the Munda Rajas, and exist to this day.


GENERAL INFORMATION


Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   79,700 kmē (30,772 sq mi)
Capital               Ranchi
Largest city       Ranchi
District(s)          22
Population        26,909,428 (13th)
Density              338/kmē (875/sq mi)
Language(s)    Hindi