Dhanbad: Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Jharkhand

Dhanbad is the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand after Jamshedpur. It ranks as the 42nd largest city in India and is the 33rd largest million-plus urban agglomeration in India.
Dhanbad shares its land borders with Paschim Bardhaman district and Purulia district of West Bengal and Bokaro, Giridih and Jamtara districts of Jharkhand. It shares its boundaries with West Bengal in the eastern and southern part, Giridih and Dumka in the North and Bokaro District in the west. Dhanbad comes under the Chota Nagpur Plateau.

The city is called the 'Coal Capital of India' for housing one of the largest coal mines in the country. The prestigious institute, Indian School of Mines (now IIT Dhanbad) is situated in Dhanbad. Apart from coal, it has also grown in information technology.
It is the 56th cleanest city of India, according to the 2019 Swachh Survekshan cleanliness survey. Dhanbad Municipal Corporation works for increasing green cover in the city.
Among the rail divisions of Indian Railway, Dhanbad Rail Division is the largest revenue generator.

The Damodar is a major river of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The Damodar enters Dhanbad district at its confluence with the Jamuria, a stream which marks the western boundary of Dhanbad with Hazaribagh District. Further east, the Damodar is joined by the Katri River which rises in the foothills below Parasnath and traverses through the coal-field area.

Tourist Attractions

Culture and Heritage

Dhanbad a highly industrialized region of Jharkhand and famous for coal mines is known across the world. Besides having abundance of coal, this city is rich in culture as well. Dhanbad is melting pot of various cultures as this city is home to people of different religions, social backgrounds and cultural values across the country.
Thus, culture of this city is perfect blend of various cultures of India and influence of this amazing diversity makes this city rich in traditional and cultural values. In fact, one can say that Dhanbad is perfect example of 'Unity in Diversity'. In fact, despite of modernization, Hindi is the main language of this district and other popular languages are also local and tribal languages. People believe in traditional customs and rituals. A lovely combination of various languages, communities, religions and customs can be easily seen in culture of this industrial city.Folk music and dance both are an integral part of culture of this region. Jhumar, Phaguwa, Udasi, Daidhara, Adhratiya, Pratkali, Vinsariya are some of the popular folk music of this region. Folk songs are usually sung with traditional musical instruments like Bansuri, Sahnai, Singa and Arbansi. Famous forms of folk dance in this region are Chhau, Karma, Ghatwari, Santhal, Natua, Nachni, Agni and Choukara etc.Paitkar paintings are folk paintings of this region which are unique for being one of the earliest tribal paintings in India. Folk artists are expert in making Paitkar paintings which are also known as Scroll Paintings due to their scrolling look which depicts life after death.

Economy

The economy of Dhanbad is primarily known for mining, utilities, retail, IT, cement industries, etc. Dhanbad is called "The Coal Capital Of India". It is rich in coal. This led to the foundation and opening of many coal companies in Dhanbad. Bharat Coking Coal 's headquarters is in Dhanbad. This is a subsidiary of Coal India. This city has many coal mining companies, such as Central Coalfields and BCCL, etc. In Dhanbad, there are 112 mines.
Hindusthan Malleables & Forgings Limited is a company in Dhanbad. It has been manufacturing graded, malleable, S.G. (ductile iron), manganese steel, and alloy steel castings. It is supported by a well-equipped pattern shop, fettling and grinding shop, heat treatment shop with bell and pit cycle annealing furnaces, machine shop, physical, chemical, and metallographic testing facilities, and a spectrometer for chemical analysis. The company has been awarded ISO 9001-2008 and ISO/TS 16949-2009. It has a branch in Bhuli, Dhanbad.
Projects and Development India Limited, HURL Sindri and ACC. Ltd at Sindri have many projects in and across Dhanbad. Indian Railway is also a big employer in Dhanbad.
Software Technology Parks of India, set up its IT park branch at Dhanbad. This will house several information technology and BPO companies. It is nearer to BIT Sindri.

Transportation

Dhanbad has a very good rail connectivity with the other major parts of the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Munger, Gaya, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kochi, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Vishakhapatnam, Jodhpur, Nagpur, Pune, Varanasi, Guwahati and Bangalore etc. Dhanbad Railway Division is the second largest revenue generator in India after Mumbai Rail Division. Dhanbad Rail Division comes under East Central Railway zone. National Highway 19 and National Highway 18 are the major highways passing through Dhanbad. NH 19 is part of Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) highway network. Dhanbad lies in Kolkata - Delhi link of the Golden Quadrilateral network. NH19 is being converted into six lane expressway. NH 18 connects Dhanbad to Bokaro - Jamshedpur. National Highway 2 also emerges as a connector and transport system for various purpose connecting Delhi with Kolkata. The nearest public airports to Dhanbad are: Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, Asansol - Durgapur [85 kilometres (53 mi)] Deoghar Airport, Jharkhand [128 kilometres (79.5 mi)] Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi [140 kilometres (87 mi)] Gaya Airport [207 kilometres (129 mi)] Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. [269 kilometres (167 mi)] Lok Nayak Jayprakash Airport, Patna [271 kilometres (168 mi)]

Local Cuisine

Food of Dhanbad is also influenced with blend of different cultural backgrounds. Thus, one can taste food of different regions here. Traditional food of Dhanbad is rich in taste and aroma too. Litti and Chokha is most popular food item of Dhanbad which is traditional food of entire Jharkhand state. It not only tastes yummy but is easily digestible too and the credit should go to native folks of this region for maintaining such food habits. Rice is main crop of this district and mostly used in preparing different cuisines.

Rice, Lentils, Chapattis and sweets are cooked as main food in this district. Rugda is famous delicacy of Dhanbad famous for its mouthwatering taste. Aloo Chokha, Dhuska, Pittha, Mitha Khaja, Thekua, Pua and Til Barfi are also popular traditional cuisines of Dhanbad.

Earlier, this region was under reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar and thus, slight influence of Robust Mughals is still visible on food culture of Dhanbad. Non-Vegetarian dishes are usually cooked in Mughlai style that is also popular in Dhanbad.

Accomodation

Discover comfortable accommodations in Dhanbad, a city known for its industrial importance and growing urban landscape. Whether you're seeking luxury hotels with modern conveniences or cozy guesthouses with local charm, Dhanbad offers a range of choices to suit your preferences. As you explore this dynamic city and its unique attractions, rest assured that CityTaxis is at your service for convenient and safe transportation. Enjoy seamless rides to and from your accommodation, ensuring a hassle-free and enjoyable visit to Dhanbad