Ranchi

Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the center of the Jharkhand movement for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar. Jharkhand was formed in 1999 by carving out the tribal districts of South Bihar. As a part of Bihar, it used to be the summer capital of the British due to its cool weather.

It is not very far from Rajrappa, another seminal place in the state of Jharkhand.

Ranchi has one of the largest facility for mentally-challenged patients at Kanke.

Geography & climate

Chhottanagpur consits of three smaller plateaus of Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Koderma, and city of Ranchi is located at an altitude of 654 meters above sea level in the plateau of Ranchi. Ranchi was once the summer capital of Bihar. Subarnarekha river flows by the side of the city. The city as well as its immediate hinterland is endowed with several scenic spots.

Ranchi has a salubrious climate. Temperature (in centigrade) ranges from maximum 37 to 20 degrees during summer, and maximum 22 to 10 degrees during winter. The annual rainfall is about 1530 mm.

Education

Ranchi has a good a network of government and privately run schools, althogh standard of teaching considerably vary from school to school. Most of the government-run schools in Ranchi are affiliated to Jharkhand School Examination Board, whereas most of the private schools are affiliated to ICSE and CBSE boards. A number of schools are run by convents or by the Jesuits missionaries of the Roman Catholic, Gossenor, Evengelical and Lutheran Churches and the Church of North India.

Most of the colleges and institutions of education of Ranchi are under the jurisdiction of Ranchi University.

As the institutions of higher studies fall short of city’s requirement, many students, after completing schooling in the state, move away to places like New Delhi, Karnataka and several other locations for higher technical and non-technical studies.

Ranchi has many schools and institutions of higher learning:

Schools

• Zila School
• St. John's High School : Established in 1885, its one of oldest schools in the state
• Bishop Westcott Boys' School, Namkom, Ranchi
• Bishop Westcott Girls' School, Namkom, Ranchi
• Bishop Westcott Girls' School, Doranda, Ranchi
• Bishop's School, Bahubazar, Ranchi
• Yogoda Satsanga Vidhyalaya, Jagganathpur
• Lala Lajpat Rai Bal Mandir
• Cambridge Institute of Technology, Tati silve
• St. Thomas School, Sector 3
• DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali
• St. Aloysis High School
• Sacred Heart School, Hulhundu
• St. Aloysis High School
• Kairali School, Sector 2

Colleges

• St. Xavier's College: Established in 1940s, its one of the premier centers of higher education in the state.
• Xavier Institute of Social Service
• Post Graduate Departments of Ranchi University
• Rajendra Medical College & Hospital
• Birla Institute of Technology, Deemed University, Mesra
• Birla Institute of Technology, Extension center , Lalpur

Trade, Commerce & Industry

On account of its historical position 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 Calcutta.

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 center. Along with other two industrial townships of Jamshedpur and Bokaro, it completes the industrial structure of Jharkhand. Major techno-industrial facilities of Ranchi include Heavy Engineering Corporation , Mecon , SAIL's R&D Facility, High Tension Insulator factory , CCL, CMPDI , IICM , USHA MARTIN , and USHA BELTRON .

Tourist attractions

• Rajrappa Mandir About 65 km from Ranchi. A tourist place, has great picnic spots and famous for its temple. Click on the link to know more.
• Tagore Hill - Heart of the city.
• Rock Garden - Heart of the city.
• Ranchi Lake - Heart of the city.
• Pahari Temple- Heart of the city.
• Birsa Zoological park - 14kms from Ranchi.
• Rukka Dam- 16kms from Ranchi.
• Aqua Home - heart of the city.
• Nakshtra Van - heart of the city.
• Dassam Falls - About 40 km from Ranchi on Tata Road
  
• Jonha Falls - About 18 km from Ranchi
  
• Hundru Falls - 28 km from Ranchi
  
• Ranchi Hill - Health and Holiday Resort
  
• Jagannathpur Temple - Built in the architectural style of Puri temples
  
• Rock Garden
• Pahari Temple

Ranchi - InfoLines

Major roads

• HB Road
• Circular Road
• Main Road
• Purulia Road
• Kanke Road
• Bariatu Road
• Ratu Road

Major Intersections

• Kutchery
• Firayalal(Albert Ekka)
• Medical(RMCH)
• Kokar
• Lalpur
• Kantatoli
• Booty
• B.I.T
• Birsa Chowk

Bus Terminus

• Birsa Bus Terminus (Khadgada)
• Ratu Road Bus Stand

Theaters

• Sujata
• Minaxi
• Plaza
• Sanik
• Visnu
• Sandhaya
• Uphar

External links

• Ranchi News and Clipping
• Ranchi NewsPaper