JHARKHAND: PLACES TO VISIT
Jharkhand is a state in the Northeast India, sharing borders with West Bengal in the east, Odisha in the south and Chattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh on the west. The state has great potential due to its mineral wealth. Jamshedpur is a heavily industrialized city and is the state's largest city.
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 JHARKHAND LOCATOR MAP |
JHARKAND: STATS:
| Total Area: 79,714 Sq. Km (30,778 Sq. Mi) | Rank: 15th |
| POPULATION (2011): 32,988,134 | Rank: 13th |
| CAPITAL CITY: Ranchi | |
| LITERACY RATE: 67.6% | Rank: 25th |
| HDI: 0.513 | Rank: 24th |
| OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Hindi | |
| Official Website: www.jharkand.gov.in |
Jharkhand Cultural Map
JAGANNATHPUR TEMPLE
MAITHON DAM
PANTALOONS, RANCHI
XAVIER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, JAMSHEDPUR
JHUMKA LAKE, BAIKUNTHPUR
JONHA FALLS
FESTIVALS
Chhath Puja:
(November)
Chhath Puja is one of the major festivals of Jharkhand, celebrated in dedication to the Sun God (Lord Surya) and Chhathi Maiya (another name for Goddess Usha and a known sister to Lord Surya). The festival is called ‘Chhath’ because it means the number 6 in Hindi or Nepali. The festival is celebrated on the 6th day of the month of Karthika (November).
The celebrations last for 4 days thanking the Sun God, the source of all powers. Devotees of the Sun God observe a fast called Vrati. Chhath Puja occurs twice a year – once during summer and once during winter.
Karthik Chhath is performed on the 6th day of the Karthika month known as Kartika Shukla Shashti. This day falls during October or November every year as per the Hindu Calendar. In the summer, it is celebrated a few days after Holi, and is known as Chaiti Chhath.
The rituals surrounding Chhath Puja are supposedly harsher when compared to other Hindu festivals. They involve strict fasting (without water), taking a dip in rivers/water bodies, standing in water and offering prayers, facing the sun for a prolonged period, and offering ‘prasad’ to the Sun during sunrise and sunset. Any food prepared during the festival will have no salt, onion, or garlic. The celebration is for four days, the first day involving a dip in the holy water body with fasting even without water, followed through the next days, but broken after sunset. Prasad is prepared and taken to the river in the evening and offered to the setting sun. Women wear turmeric yellow sarees while performing the ritual. On the last day more offerings are made as they end the fasting and families and friends gather sharing the prasad.
STATE SYMBOLS: (COURTESY WIKIPEDIA)
| State animal | Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) |  |
| State bird | Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) |  |
| State flower | Palash (Butea monosperma) |  |
| State tree | Sal (Shorea robusta) |  |
TOURIST INFORMATION:
Website: www.jharkhandtourism.in
Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Jharkhand
F.F.P Bhawan, 2nd floor
Dhurwa, Ranch-4
Phone: +91 651 2400981
Fax: +91 651 2400982
Email: info@jharkhandtourism.in
JHARKHAND CUISINE
SIGNATURE DISHES OF JHARKHAND
MUSHROOM MASALA
BIHARI LITTI
CHILKA ROTI
DAAL PITTA
GHUGNI
PAKORAS
LADDU
BARRA
DAHI VADA
