The modern industrial city of Jamshedpur was built over the village ofSakchi byDorabji Tata, who chose the location for his fatherJamshedji Tata's planned steel city. The project began in 1908, with the steel plant operating by 1912, and the city was formally named Jamshedpur byLord Chelmsford in 1919 in honor of Jamshedji. DuringWorld War I,Tata Steel supplied for British military campaigns across theMiddle East andAfrica. InWorld War II, Jamshedpur was a high-value target. This led to the deployment of British and American troops in the region, establishment of air bases torepel potentialJapanese attacks, maintain links withmainland China via theBurma Road and participate in the U.S-ledbombing campaign in Japan. The city's history is embedded with frequent labor unrest and strikes, visits by well-known figures and independence movement.
Following theindependence of India in 1947, Jamshedpur became part of thestate ofBihar. The city experienced spells of growth and development alongside on occasions of unrest, violence and terrorism. Jamshedpur experienced deadly communal violence in1964 and1979, affecting the city directly andspillover of the1984 anti-Sikh riots. By the 1990s, organized crime increased, and mafia activities emerged in northern Jamshedpur, with notable gang wars and the assassination of well-known figures in political and business circles. The intensity of crime nearly brought about the collapse of industries in Jamshedpur. The state government intervened. Between 1994 and 1996, the city police underAjoy Kumar, launched a crackdown on gangs, which led to a decline in crime. Subsequently, Jamshedpur was an important stronghold for the statehood movement. Thus on 15 November 2000, the city became part of the state of Jharkhand.
A major commercial and industrial centre in India, Jamshedpur is demographically diverse city. It has been ranked consistently as one of the cleanest cities in India bySwach Survekshan, 2nd in India in terms of quality of life. Jamshedpur is one of the fastest-growing global cities in the world and first smart cities in India along withNaya Raipur. It is a local popular tourist destination known for its forests and ancient temples. Jamshedpur is the only million plus city in India without a municipal corporation.
Etymology
In 1919Lord Chelmsford named the city, which was previously a village calledSakchi, Jamshedpur in honour of its founder,Jamshedji Nausserwanji Tata, whose birthday is celebrated on 3 March as Founder's Day. J.N. Tata had written to his son Dorabji Tata about his vision of a great city in the area.[16] On Founders Day, the 225-acre (0.91 km2)Jubilee Park is decorated with brilliant lightwork for about a week.[17]
The city has several nicknames including "Steel City" (which was referenced during TATA Steel's "Green City—Clean City—Steel City" campaign); "Tatanagar" after the name of its railway stationTatanagar Railway Station or simply "Tata" in deference to the presence ofTata companies.[18] At one time it was also known as "Kalimati" (meaning "Land of Goddess Kali") after the village near the Sakchi area.[18] Sakchi was merged into Jamshedpur as a neighbourhood in 1919.[18] The only trace of the name is the main road through Sakchi area of Jamshedpur which is named Kalimati Road.[18]
At the end of 19th century,Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata met steel makers inPittsburgh to get the most advanced technology for his plant.[19] It is said that he got the idea of building a steel plant after hearingThomas Carlyle declare in a lecture inManchester that "the nation which gains control of iron soon acquires the control of gold".[20] At the turn of the twentieth century, Tata asked geologist Charles Page Perin to help him find the site to build India's first steel plant.[21][22] The search for a site rich in iron, coal, limestone and water began in April 1904 in today'sMadhya Pradesh.[23]
The prospectors C. M. Weld,Dorabji Tata andShapurji Saklatvala, took nearly three years in a painstaking search across vast stretches of inhospitable terrain to find a location.[24] One day they came across a village calledSakchi, on the densely forested stretches of theChota Nagpur plateau, near the confluence of theSubarnarekha andKharkai rivers.[24] It seemed to be the ideal choice and the place was selected.[24] In 1908 the construction of the plant as well as the city officially began.[24] The first steel ingot was rolled on 16 February 1912.[24]
The city's construction continued.[25] Jamshedji's plan for the city was clear.[26] He envisioned far more than a mere row of workers hutments.[25] He insisted upon building all the comforts and conveniences a city could provide.[26] As a result, many areas in the city are well planned and there are public leisure places such as the Jubilee Park and Dimna Lake.[26][25] While building the city, Jamshedji Tata had said,
"Be sure to lay wide streets planted with shady trees, every other of a quick-growing variety. Be sure that there is plenty of space for lawns and gardens; reserve large areas for football, hockey and parks; earmark areas for Hindu temples, Muslim mosques and Christian churches."
Messrs Julin Kennedy Sahlin fromPittsburgh prepared the first layout of the town of Jamshedpur.[27] What the city looks like today is a testament to his visionary plans. In 1919, theindustrial neighborhood was merged to form Jamshedpur according toJamsetji Tata, the founder of the industrial establishment.[28][27] As a tribute to the company's contribution in the war, on the day of city's official opening, Lord Chelmsford visited and named Jamshedpur, in honour of Jamshedji Tata.
British colonial era
The first world war began in August 1914.[29] It rapidly escalated to West Asia centering around theSuez Canal ofEgypt and from there to the region ofMesopotamia, now calledIraq and then extended toEast Africa,Palestine and rest of theMiddle East.[29] Nearly 1,500 miles of rail and 3,00,000 tonnes of steel produced in Jamshedpur were used in military campaigns across Mesopotamia, Egypt,Salonica and East Africa.[29][25] After the end of the war in 1919, the company received warm acclaim from Britain.[25]
World War II started in 1939 in the European countries and extended to the Middle East and rest of Asia.[30] The city was a high-value target for Japan during the war.[30] The British government sought to protect the city from attacks.[30] Several bomb shelters were set up across the city, while anti-aircraft guns were placed on the outskirts.[30] British and American troops were brought into Jamshedpur.[30] Additional airfields were built at Chakulia and Kalaikunda, surrounded by several underground bunkers.[30] A series of wheeled armoured carriers, known as 'Tatanagars', contributing to the war effort, were manufactured in Jamshedpur.[30][29] Between 1940 and 1944, a total of 4,655 Tatanagar units were produced at the Railway workshop in Jamshedpur.[30] In 1945,Tata Motors was established as "Tata Engineering & Locomotive", by purchasing the railway workshop.[29]
Contemporary
An event reminiscent of the1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place near Jamshedpur on 1 January 1948.[31][unreliable source?] Over 50,000 people assembled in Kharsawan and protested against the merger of Kharsawan.[32][unreliable source?] TheOrissa Military Police opened fire on the crowd, resulting in a massacre.[33] Aftermath of the incident, the bodies were disposed of in wells and in the jungle, many injured were left untreated.[34] Official records state 35 deaths, but other sources, likeP.K. Deo's "Memoir of a Bygone Era," suggest numbers as high as 2,000.[31][unreliable source?]
A violent strike occurred in May 1958 by the communist-led union of the Tata Steel.[35] The state government declared it illegal. Within a week, the violence escalated into firing, looting, arson, curfew and movement of federal troops.[36] According to the company, 4 people were killed and 114 people were injured.[37] About 400 people were discharged and 335,000 man-days off work and 45,000 tons of steel production lost before mid-July when the steel plant returned to normal production.[35]
In the mid-1960s, thousands of Hindus escapedanti-Hindu violence in East Pakistan (nowBangladesh) and sought refuge in India, which caused communal tensions in East India.[38][39] The theft of a religious relic, believed to be a hair ofProphet Mohammed inSrinagar caused brutal riots in Jamshedpur.[38][39][40] This led to a chain of protests, resulting deadly riots where 134 people were killed in Calcutta,Rourkela, and Jamshedpur.[38][39] However, it is believed that the actual death toll was in the thousands.[38] After the riots,Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated groups were finally able to take root in Jamshedpur.[39] Many Muslims living in company quarters were killed, which gave birth to new Muslim neighborhoods innorth Jamshedpur.[39]
In April 1979, Jamshedpur experienced a deadly Hindu-Muslim violence influenced by the presence of Hindu and Muslim communal forces.[41] It was thefirst major riot on the occasion ofRam Navami.[41] 108 people were killed in the riot, among whom 79 Muslims and 25 Hindus were identified.[41] A notable figure among the victims was Zaki Anwar, a popular secularist.[41]
Legend has it that in the late 1980s when the state government proposed a law to end the Tatas' administration of Jamshedpur and bring the city under a municipality, the local populace rose in protest and defeated the government's proposal.[42] In 2005, a similar proposal was once again put up by lobbying politicians.[43] The target audience was the working class.[44] A large majority sided with the government and set up protest meetings outside the East-Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner's office.[44] However, the objective was never achieved and Jamshedpur remains without a municipality.[44]
On 15 November 2000, Jamshedpur became part of new state called Jharkhand. There are wide roads, shady trees on the roadside,Dimna Dam for drinking water supply near the city, 24-hour uninterrupted electricity supply.[45] Apart from this, many national level institutes like Shavak Nanavati Technical Institute, National Institute of Technology, National Metallurgy Laboratory, MGM Medical College,Al Kabir Polytechnic College are operating here.[45] At present, Tata Steel is the country's largest private steel production company producing 11 million tons of steel.[45] Jamshedpur is the only city in the country whose basic facilities are taken care of by a private company.[45]
Geography
2km 1.2miles
F
Sadar Hospital Khasmahal
N
Haludbani
N
Parsudih
W
Tata Tinplate works
N
Golmuri
N
Birsanagar
M
Adityapur
M
Mango
T
Kharkhai River
S
Subarnarekha River
F
Tata Main Hospital
F
Civil Courts
F
JRD Tata Sports Complex
F
Tata Steel Zoological Park
F
Sonari Airport
F
Jubilee Park
F
Tatanagar Junction railway station
C
XLRI
C
National Institute of Technology
C
National Metallurgical Laboratory
W
Adityapur Industrial Area
W
Tata Motors works
W
Tata Steel works
N
Jojobera
N
Kadma
N
Jugsalai
N
Bistupur
N
Sakchi
Jamshedpur M: municipal town, F: facility, N: neighbourhood, W: works, factory, C: educational/ research centre Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly Places marked on this map, which have a separate page, are linked in the larger full-scale map. For map of Jamshedpur Urban Agglomeration seeMango orAdityapur page.
Jamshedpur is situated at the southern end of the state of Jharkhand and is bordered by the states of Odisha and West Bengal. The average elevation of the city is 135 metres[46] while the range is from 129 m to 151 m.[47] Total geographical area of Jamshedpur is 224 km square.[48] Jamshedpur is primarily located in a hilly region and is surrounded by theDalma Hills running from west to east and covered with dense forests. The other smaller hill ranges near the city are Ukam Hill and the Jadugoda-musabani hill range.[49] The city is also a part of the largerChota Nagpur Plateau region. The region is formed of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks belonging to the Dharwarian period.
Jamshedpur is located at the confluence of the Kharkai and Subarnarekha Rivers. Subarnarekha is the principal river of Jamshedpur, which flows from the west to the south-eastern part of the territory. Many small rivers, especially the tributaries, join theSubarnarekha river in this area. The Kharkai flows from the south and joins the Subarnarekha River at a place calledDomuhani. The two rivers are the city's major sources of drinking water and groundwater. Several lakes of varying sizes are also located near the city's fringes. The major of them being theDimna Lake located in between the Dalma range and the Sitarampur reservoir situated beside the Kharkai River. It is also a major tourist spot in the region.[50] Both of them also act as reservoirs for drinking water in the city. The city falls under a deciduous type of forest region and the green cover is estimated to be around 33% of the total land area.[51] The city falls under theSeismic Zone II region.[52] Jamshedpur has many parks around it.Jubilee Park at Sakchi is the largest park in Jamshedpur. It was built by Jamshedji Tata, who was inspired by Vrindavanan Gardens of Mysore.
Jamshedpur has been ranked 13th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.[57]
Cityscape and urban structure
India's first planned industrial city, Jamshedpur was envisioned by an Indian, planned by an American, named by aBritish Viceroy and landscaped by a German botanist.[58] The central region of Jamshedpur includes Sakchi, Bistupur, Baridih and Golmuri.[58] It is the location of important marketplaces and financial districts. Jubilee Park and the Tata Steel complex dominates much of central Jamshedpur.[58] Some prominent landmarks are Keenan Stadium, Central Jama Masjid and the JRD Tata Sports Complex.[58]
The Western portion of the city has the areas ofAdityapur, Gamharia, andSonari.[59] Sonari is a residential and commercial neighborhood, while Adityapur and Gamharia are the major industrial neighborhoods. Adityapur is also a city and a part of Jamshedpur. Gamharia has an industrial area namely Industrial Area, Gamharia. Adityapur has theAdityapur Industrial Area.[60] There are five national highways crossing the city. Mango Bridge connects the city centre toMango.[61] Marine Drive is a popular road and picturesque promenade in Jamshedpur. It starts from Sonari and connects Adityapur.
Adityapur has theNIT Jamshedpur.The Burma mines colony has theNational Metallurgical Laboratory, a government-owned alloy and metals R&D lab.NML is establishing a magnesium plant using a new indigenous process at Nildih area.[62][63] The southern part of Jamshedpur containsJugsalai,Birsanagar,Kadma, Burmamines,TELCO Colony,Bagbera Colony andJojobera.Jugsalai is the commercial area which is known for the wholesale market. while Birsanagar, Kadma and Bagbera consists of residential and commercial hubs. Burmamines,TELCO Colony,Bagbera Colony andJojobera are the other main and major industrial areas of the city.[64] Apart from north, whole areas of Jamshedpur has at least one industrial area. Other tall towers are TCE Building and Voltas House. In Jamshedpur, many hi-rise buildings are under construction now. Now the tallest building will be Ashiana Garden Sunflower Block, which will be built at Adityapur. These tall buildings are mostly on the Central and Western side of the city. Jamshedpur has 10 – 14 floors of buildings.[65]
According to the 2011census of India, the city of Jamshedpur had a population of 629,659,[3] but the Jamshedpur Urban Agglomeration had a population of 1,337,131.[2] The city is designated as a Million Plus Urban Agglomeration as per Government terminology.[68] Males constitute 52.1% of the population and females 47.9%. Jamshedpur has an average literacy rate of 89.41% – higher than the national average of 74%. In Jamshedpur, 11.5% of the population is under six years of age.[69]
Jamshedpur's transformation from a rural area to a bustling urban centre owes much to the establishment ofTata Iron and Steel Company Limited in 1907. Initially, its population remained modest until the 1921 census recorded a remarkable growth rate of 911.3%, attributed largely to immigration. People from various parts of India migrated to Jamshedpur in search of opportunities due to industries and eventually settled in nearby areas.[71][72] This influx diversified the city's demographics, with significant communities from regions like Bengal, Bihar and Odisha contributing to its multicultural character.[73] Moreover, migrants from neighboring cities within Jharkhand also flocked to Jamshedpur for job prospects.[74] Alongside local residents, the city also became home torefugees who arrived during thepartition of India, residing in designated colonies.[75]
In Jamshedpur NAC town andoutgrowth, six prominent spoken languages, namely Hindi, Bengali, Santali, Bhojpuri, Odia, Urdu, and Punjabi, collectively cover approximately 85 percent of the total population. Other regional languages such asMagahi,Maithili andChhattisgarhi are also spoken in the town by migrants from Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Though there is a small number of people speaking tribal languages such asHo andSantali, a large number of them are found in the city's outskirts.[77]
Hindus form the majority religion in Jamshedpur[80][81] whileMuslims,Sikhs, andChristians form a significant minority.[81][80][82] Muslims forms 6.95% of the population in Jamshedpur proper, but the western suburbs ofMango,Jugsalai andKopali have significant Muslim populations.[82] Majority of the Muslims in Jamshedpur are Sunnis, while a significant minority of Shia Muslims are found. There are around 134 mosques in the city.[83] Central Jama Masjid in Sakchi is the largest mosque.Sikhs forms 4.1% of the city's population. Many Sikhs migrated to Jamshedpur afterpartition of India and then the1984 anti-Sikh riots.[84] A refugee colony with dozens of Sikh households is in Golmuri.[85] There are 33 gurudwaras in Jamshedpur.[86] Tribals constitute around 7% of the population, and live inBirsanagar, a very large area covering a major part of Jamshedpur, most of whom are followers of indigenous religions such as Sarna or Christians.
The largest industry in Jamshedpur is that ofTata Steel. It is situated in the centre of the city and occupies approximately 1/5 of the entire city area.[87] It acts as a pivotal centre for the industries of the city of Jamshedpur with a large number of them having direct or indirect linkages with it.[88]Tata Motors is the second major industry.[88] It is spread over an area of 822 acres (333 ha) in the eastern side of the city. It manufactures Medium and Heavy commercial vehicles and the main components.[89] The company also has its own township commonly known as Telco.[90][91]
Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd is a cement plant located inJojobera, Jamshedpur.[92] It is Asia's largest Cement Grinding Unit.[93]
There is a varied and powerful industrial base in theAdityapur Industrial Area. Jamshedpur is regarded as the industrial capital of Jharkhand.[94]
Education in Jamshedpur is governed by the state ministry of education.[108] Schools in Jamshedpur are affiliated primarily to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), theIndian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE), and the state board.[108] While institutions of higher education falls under the jurisdiction of various governmental bodies and are affiliated to the state university.[108] Medium of instruction is followed mainly in English, Hindi, Urdu, Santali and Bengali.[108] Jamshedpur hosts numerous higher education institutes and schools.[108]
Jamshedpur's private clubs provide opportunities for activities, such as golf, tennis, squash, billiards, horseriding and water scootering.Jamshedpur FC is a professional football club based in Jamshedpur which competes in theIndian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian Football. The club is owned byTata Steel.[129]
Facilities and academies
Sporting facilities and academies include:
JRD Tata Sports Complex has an international standard multi-use stadium and an eight-lane mono-synthetic track. It is primarily used for football and athletics but facilities for various other sports including archery, basketball, field hockey, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, skating, yoga as well as a modern gymnasium, are available at the complex. The stadium is used byJamshedpur FC as their home ground. it hosted the women football competition & archery event of the 34th National Games in 2011.[130]
Keenan Stadium hosted its 1st International One Day Cricket match on 7 December 1983 in which India lost to the touring West Indies Team. Many other International matches have been played here in which India has won only one match against South Africa in 1999–2000.
Tata Football Academy was started in 1987 to nurture budding Indian footballers and raise the standard of Indian football. TFA is a football club in Jamshedpur, sponsored by Tata Steel. Today, Tata Football Academy is one of the premierfootball breeding grounds in India.
Tata Archery Academy: archery is a sport indigenous to the tribal people ofChhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana. Tata Steel has pursued and nurtured the local tribals and provided them with facilities and training to bring them up to international competition standards in archery. Its students have attributed a lot of fame to the institute by bringing in many medals in National and International competitions.[131]
Tata Steel Adventure Foundation –Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest, is the director of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation.[132]
Golmuri Golf Course
Jamshedpur has two golf courses—the Beldih Golf Course and the Golmuri Golf Course. Both of these courses are at the heart of the city. The biggest is the Beldih Golf Course which is around 6,000 yards. The Golmuri Golf Course although smaller is also challenging. They together hold the annual Tata Open Golf Tournament which is an event held under the support of theProfessional Golf Tour of India. The tournament was started in 2002. Jamshedpur also has the Jamshedpur Gliding Club and the Jamshedpur Co-operative Flying club.[133][134]
Health facilities
Some of the notable hospitals and health facilities in Jamshedpur include:
Jamshedpur is connected to other parts of India through national and state highways. The major highways are:
National Highway 18 (NH-18) touches the city and connects it toMumbai and further joins the NH-49, which connects withKolkata,Delhi AH-1, NH-18 and NH-49 connects it toKharagpur,Kolkata.
Jamshedpur has a bus station inMango. This bus station have buses which go to other cities like Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ranchi etc. However, now there is a plan to update and rebuild and renovate this bus stand/station.
Sonari Airport is serving the city at present. It is spread over a 25-acre area in theSonari area of the city. The airport is primarily used for bringing in chartered planes of the TATA group. In 2022, it was announced that theSonari Airport will start commercial public flights for Jamshedpur toBhubaneswar, Ranchi andKolkata.[139] After efforts from theMinistry of Civil Aviation,Government of Jharkhand andTata Steel, the airport has been reopened on 31 January 2023, with flight services provided by the new low-cost regional airline, IndiaOne Air, toKolkata andBhubaneswar.[140]
Dhalbhumgarh Airport is a proposed public airport located atDhalbhumgarh, in the state ofJharkhand, India as agreenfield airport for Jamshedpur. It will be built on the site of an abandoned World War II airfield situated 60 km (37 mi) from Jamshedpur on NH-33. The old airfield was built around 1948, as an ancillary runway for other airfields in the vicinity that were being built around India's eastern frontier as part of the war effort.
It was one of the airfields used by Allied forces to repel the advancing Japanese troops and to maintain transport links with China. As the Japanese forces came to control shipping in the China Sea, seaborne supply routes to China were cut and the difficult 500 km (310 mi) route over the Himalayas was increasingly used. The airfield was abandoned after the war. The technical team of theAirports Authority of India (AAI) conducted a survey in 2017 and approved the Dhalbhumgarh site for a greenfield airport. The government plans to invest Rs 300 crore through AAI for the new airport which will have a three-kilometre (1.9 mi) runway. In January 2018, Union Minister of State for Civil AviationJayant Sinha announced that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the Jharkhand Government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of Dhalbhumgarh Airport.
Tourism
Jamshedpur has a number of popular tourist destinations, including:[141]
Jamshedpur Coin Museum, museum has got 1200 rare and antique coins of varied mint & metals and also has the world's smallest coin dating back to 300–400 AD[143]
^Sarkar, Soma Basu (31 January 2007)."Bookworms' paradise".The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. Archived fromthe original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved21 May 2010.
^RVSCET is ranked No. 1 Private Engineering College of Jharkhand & Bihar
