Ranchi is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand, and now it is the most populous city of the state. 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.

The name Ranchi is derived from the previous name of the Oraon village at the same site, Archi.[4] "Archi" derives from the Oraon word for bamboo grove or stave. According to legend, after an altercation with a spirit, a farmer beat the spirit with his bamboo stave. The spirit shouted archi, archi, archi and vanished. Archi became Rachi, which became Ranchi.[5] One of the historically significant neighbourhoods of Rachi is Doranda (duran  means song and daah  means water in the Mundari language). Doranda lies between the Hinoo (Bhusur) & Harmoo Rivers, where the civil station, treasury and church established by the British Raj were destroyed by rebel forces during the Sepoy Mutiny.

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. Ranchi is well known for being the hometown of former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni.

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Geography

Ranchi lies at 23°22′N 85°20′E near to the Tropic of Cancer . Its municipal area is 175.12 km2 (67.61 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.

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Climate

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Although Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate, its location and the forests surrounding it combine to produce the unusually pleasant climate for which it's 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. The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm (56.34 inches). From June to September the rainfall is about 1,100 mm. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for

this climate is "Cwa"(Humid Subtropical Climate).

HOW YOU CAN REACH RANCHI?

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AIRWAYS

 

Night View of Terminal at Birsa Munda Airport , Ranchi .

Birsa Munda Airport (IXR) of Ranchi has direct flights from Patna, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore. Few major airlines like Air India, GoAir, Indigo and airasia serve this purpose. Plans are underway to connect Ranchi directly with cities like Chennai and Hyderabad directly.[13] A new domestic terminal is now ready which is spread over 19,676 square metres of land furnished with imported equipment, and has the capacity to handle 500 domestic passengers.

In addition, a state-of-the-art domestic cargo complex at Birsa Munda Airport was inaugurated by Chief Minister Raghubar Das with a daily capacity of 50 MT, catering to 14 flights that operate in and out of Ranchi now.

 

RAILWAYS

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Ranchi Railway Station is well connected with direct trains from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and other major cities. It consists of six platforms with all standard necessities. It is also well connected to Ranchi Airport and Bus Terminals. The Ranchi Railway station cater to 36 halting trains, 27 originating trains and 27 terminating trains.

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