Bhilai
Encyclopedia
Bhilai or Bhilai Nagar (Hindi
:भिलाई) is a city in the Durg district
of Chhattisgarh
, in eastern central India
. As of 2001, it had a population of 753,837. The city is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the capital Raipur, on the main Howrah–Mumbai
rail line, and National Highway 6. Bhilai is famous for the Bhilai Steel Plant
, which is the largest steel plant in India and known for being the only manufacturer of rails in the country used by Indian Railways.
, Bhilai Nagar has a population of 753,837, mostly composed of residents who came from various other regions of India and have now settled there. The population is 52% male and 48% female. Bhilai Nagar has an average literacy rate of 90%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; the male literacy rate is 90% and female literacy is 89%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
, one of the largest integrated steel plants in the world.
season. The summers are very hot and dry, with maximum temperature , and maximum humidity.
The railway station at Durg
is also widely used, as it has major train stoppages.
Shared diesel-run three-wheelers, called "tempos" in local parlance, ply along select routes in the city and serve as a reliable and convenient local public transport.
. The central avenue, starting from the Ispat Bhawan-Bhilai Steel plant to Jawahar Lal Nehru Main Hospital, divides the city into two halves.
. Recognizing that most of the employees were going to be engineers or work in some other technical field, the plant management attempted to attract the best teachers in the country.
With the increasing population over the last 50 years, the populace as well as the education system has become somewhat diversified. Many business and English-coaching classes have flourished in the city.
Bhilai is also famous for its schools. It is considered among best places in India for studying higher and senior secondary levels. The best schools of Bhilai are: Mar Gregorious Memorial (MGM) senior secondary school, sector 6, Delhi Public School, Risali, Delhi Public School Durg, D.A.V. Public School, Senior Secondary School (S.S.S) Sector 10, Bhilai Nair Samajam school sector-8, S.S.S Sector 4, S.S.S Sector 6, S.S.S Sector 7, Bhilai Vidyalaya, dps risali sector, Krishna Public School, Shri Shankara Vidyalaya, St. Xavier's High School, Angle Valley School Hudco etc. all boast of illustrious alumni. A high percentage of students qualify for the IITs from these schools. In some years, the city has given up to 40 IIT selections, who were the pupils of Bhilai (unlike other hub places such as Kota, Delhi, etc. which has students coming from outside).
in the year 2000. There was a need to have a separate technical university to cater to the wish of the people to get technical education for its wards and opening of a large number of higher technical education colleges. Hence the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University was formed in the year 2004 by act (number 25 of 2004) by the Chhattisgarh State Assembly. Some leading and esteemed engineering institutes in Bhilai, which have been assigned and run under the supervision of CSVTU are: BIT-DURG, MPCCET, SSCET, CIMT-BHILAI-3,CSIT ,DIMAT and SSIPMT.
.
All major festivals are celebrated in a scale similar to their region of origin. Like the Durga Puja celebrations of Bhilai are in tune with that in Bengal
. The same can be said about Maharashtra's Ganesh Chaturthi
, Andhra's Ugadi, Tamil Nadu's Pongal
, Muslim's Id
, Jagganath Puri
's Rath Yatra
. The population of Sikh's in the region is high, and the Sikh festivals like the Guru Nanak Dev ji's Guruparab, Guru Gobind Singh's Guruparab, Baisakhi (The Birth of Khalsa), Shaheedi Gurparab of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Teg Bahadur is celebrated with a great passion by all the people irrespective of their religion. If Sikhs visit there, they must go to the satsang
(a place where all of them get together for praying and singing God's name) house. That place is known for praying for many people in Bhilai and some areas of Punjab.
Bhilai also boasts of high levels of linguistic and religious unity, which has been the hallmark of its culture since its inception.
The main reason obviously lies in the fact that before the establishment of Bhilai Steel Plant
(BSP), with collaboration from Russian counterparts, it was almost nothing but an agricultural area with small villages like AmdiGaon (now AmdiNagar-HUDCO) and many others. But the setting up of BSP made a cale all over India to make a rush and henceforth bring the multi-ethnicity with them.
This steel city is often called "Mini India" because of the multi-province, multi-religion population.
Civic Center - Started as a shopping center consisting of two rows of shops and stores arranged in an L-shape, initially it had tata (textiles) on one end and bata (shoes) on the other end. This was the only hub for lots of social activities, entertainment and shopping for a long time before Bhilai expanded beyond its boundaries when shopping complex like Gangotri & Akash Ganga started in Supela in the late 1980s. Lots of changes happened after that in the Civic Center and nearby area. The L-shape Civic Center had a children's garden with a toy-train which used to be open on every 14 November on Children's Day. The toy-train is no longer there, and garden is decorated to teach traffic-sign and signals to children. There was also a dome supermarket which is now used for art-exhibitions. To the east of the Civic Center, there is an open place with stage, which is known as 'Open-Air-Theatre' and used for various cultural activities including musical nights. Right next to the Civic Center is Kala Mandir theater, used for various purposes. Initially it was a movie theater known as Chitra Mandir. For a long time, this was the only air-conditioned movie theater in the area for entertainment of Bhilaians. But in nineties with television and cable TV popularity, demand and use of this theater reduced, and management decided to close the movie theater. The theater was then converted to a multi-purpose community center and named as Kala Mandir. South of Kala Mandir is a huge field used for Ramleela and Dashehara festivals. In this field, there used to be a high rock stage which was constructed to welcome Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
in 1962. The new Civic Center started its operation in the 1980s, an became a major IT hub in Bhilai. This is a new commercial complex and also has a movie theater - Geet Talkies.
Sura pati "Satsang" is one of the most famous places of Bhilai. It also considered Wapian mandir.
in Indira Place.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
:भिलाई) is a city in the Durg district
Durg District
Durg District is situated in Chattisgarh state of India. Until 2000 it formed part of Madhya Pradesh. District headquarters is Durg. The district covers an area of 8,537 km². The population in 1991 was 2, 397,134 of which 12.4% were members of scheduled tribes...
of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
, in eastern central India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. As of 2001, it had a population of 753,837. The city is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the capital Raipur, on the main Howrah–Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
rail line, and National Highway 6. Bhilai is famous for the Bhilai Steel Plant
Bhilai Steel Plant
Bhilai Steel Plant, located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, is India's only producer of steel rails, and is a major producer of steel plates and structural components.This steel plant was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955...
, which is the largest steel plant in India and known for being the only manufacturer of rails in the country used by Indian Railways.
Demographics
As of the 2001 India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Bhilai Nagar has a population of 753,837, mostly composed of residents who came from various other regions of India and have now settled there. The population is 52% male and 48% female. Bhilai Nagar has an average literacy rate of 90%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; the male literacy rate is 90% and female literacy is 89%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Economy
The economy of the town is centered around the massive Bhilai Steel PlantBhilai Steel Plant
Bhilai Steel Plant, located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, is India's only producer of steel rails, and is a major producer of steel plates and structural components.This steel plant was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955...
, one of the largest integrated steel plants in the world.
Climate
The climate is pleasant and mild in the winter (minimum temperature 10 °C). There are medium rains in the monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. The summers are very hot and dry, with maximum temperature , and maximum humidity.
Transport
There are three railway stations within the Bhilai region:- Bhilai (Bhilai 3)
- Bhilai Power House
- Bhilai Nagar.
The railway station at Durg
Durg
Durg is a city located in Chhattisgarh state, Central India. It is located just east of the Seonath River and is part of the Durg-Bhilai urban agglomeration. The city is an agricultural market and is heavily engaged in milling rice and pigeon peas. Durg gained importance as an industrial centre...
is also widely used, as it has major train stoppages.
Shared diesel-run three-wheelers, called "tempos" in local parlance, ply along select routes in the city and serve as a reliable and convenient local public transport.
Administration
The city of Bhilai Nagar is a planned township, divided into 10 sectors and various other areas. Bhilai has been listed as one of the top three best planned cities in India. Bhilai Nagar has a municipal corporationMunicipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
. The central avenue, starting from the Ispat Bhawan-Bhilai Steel plant to Jawahar Lal Nehru Main Hospital, divides the city into two halves.
Education
Bhilai is known for its pre-graduate education aimed at preparation for entrance examinations for engineering. The local educational system was built by the Bhilai Steel Plant for the children of their employees, which attracted students from all over India. Starting in late 1950s, the first Higher Secondary School was opened in Sector 1 (which still stands today), followed by Bhilai Vidyalaya in Sector 2 and the Higher Secondary School in Sector 7. The Sector 7 School has supported instruction in both English (through Cambridge Board) and in HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. Recognizing that most of the employees were going to be engineers or work in some other technical field, the plant management attempted to attract the best teachers in the country.
With the increasing population over the last 50 years, the populace as well as the education system has become somewhat diversified. Many business and English-coaching classes have flourished in the city.
Bhilai is also famous for its schools. It is considered among best places in India for studying higher and senior secondary levels. The best schools of Bhilai are: Mar Gregorious Memorial (MGM) senior secondary school, sector 6, Delhi Public School, Risali, Delhi Public School Durg, D.A.V. Public School, Senior Secondary School (S.S.S) Sector 10, Bhilai Nair Samajam school sector-8, S.S.S Sector 4, S.S.S Sector 6, S.S.S Sector 7, Bhilai Vidyalaya, dps risali sector, Krishna Public School, Shri Shankara Vidyalaya, St. Xavier's High School, Angle Valley School Hudco etc. all boast of illustrious alumni. A high percentage of students qualify for the IITs from these schools. In some years, the city has given up to 40 IIT selections, who were the pupils of Bhilai (unlike other hub places such as Kota, Delhi, etc. which has students coming from outside).
Higher Education
Higher education has been provided since the creation of the State of ChhattisgarhChhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
in the year 2000. There was a need to have a separate technical university to cater to the wish of the people to get technical education for its wards and opening of a large number of higher technical education colleges. Hence the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University was formed in the year 2004 by act (number 25 of 2004) by the Chhattisgarh State Assembly. Some leading and esteemed engineering institutes in Bhilai, which have been assigned and run under the supervision of CSVTU are: BIT-DURG, MPCCET, SSCET, CIMT-BHILAI-3,CSIT ,DIMAT and SSIPMT.
Culture
The local dialect is Chhattisgarhi, which is very similar to HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
All major festivals are celebrated in a scale similar to their region of origin. Like the Durga Puja celebrations of Bhilai are in tune with that in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. The same can be said about Maharashtra's Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival...
, Andhra's Ugadi, Tamil Nadu's Pongal
Pongal
Thai Ponggal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Pondicherry and in Sri Lanka. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling...
, Muslim's Id
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
, Jagganath Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
's Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra
Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July. Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
. The population of Sikh's in the region is high, and the Sikh festivals like the Guru Nanak Dev ji's Guruparab, Guru Gobind Singh's Guruparab, Baisakhi (The Birth of Khalsa), Shaheedi Gurparab of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Teg Bahadur is celebrated with a great passion by all the people irrespective of their religion. If Sikhs visit there, they must go to the satsang
Satsang
Satsang in Indian philosophy means the company of the "highest truth," the company of a guru, or company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth...
(a place where all of them get together for praying and singing God's name) house. That place is known for praying for many people in Bhilai and some areas of Punjab.
Bhilai also boasts of high levels of linguistic and religious unity, which has been the hallmark of its culture since its inception.
The main reason obviously lies in the fact that before the establishment of Bhilai Steel Plant
Bhilai Steel Plant
Bhilai Steel Plant, located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, is India's only producer of steel rails, and is a major producer of steel plates and structural components.This steel plant was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955...
(BSP), with collaboration from Russian counterparts, it was almost nothing but an agricultural area with small villages like AmdiGaon (now AmdiNagar-HUDCO) and many others. But the setting up of BSP made a cale all over India to make a rush and henceforth bring the multi-ethnicity with them.
This steel city is often called "Mini India" because of the multi-province, multi-religion population.
Notable people from Bhilai
- Dhriti Pati Sarkar, a theater actor from Nehru culture house to a Hindi movie actor of film Pradarshan , Sbyasachee & Aakhri ladai.
- Tijan Bai, a world famous pandwani singer, especially sings in Chhattisgarhi dialect
- Anurag Basu, movie director of Murder, born and brought up in Bhilai
- Krishna Sahu, famous India champion weightlifter and bodybuilder
- Amit sana Indian Idol runnerup singer
- Pramod Kumar, a 3D animator in Rhythm and Hues Studios Mumbai
- Jay Prakash, an eminent educationist, who recently received the Best Educationist award in Delhi.
- Omkar Das Manikpuri, actor of Pepple life.
Places of Interest
The Maitri Bagh- A zoo and a park established by the Bhilai Steel Plant. Right next to Maitri Bagh are two huge man-made water lakes. One is used to supply water to the township. The other is used for the Steel Plant's applications. Right across Maitri Bagh is Bhilai Water Works, a facility used to provide clean water to the Bhilai Township. Maitri Bagh literally means the "friendship garden" and was established as a symbol of India-USSR friendship.Civic Center - Started as a shopping center consisting of two rows of shops and stores arranged in an L-shape, initially it had tata (textiles) on one end and bata (shoes) on the other end. This was the only hub for lots of social activities, entertainment and shopping for a long time before Bhilai expanded beyond its boundaries when shopping complex like Gangotri & Akash Ganga started in Supela in the late 1980s. Lots of changes happened after that in the Civic Center and nearby area. The L-shape Civic Center had a children's garden with a toy-train which used to be open on every 14 November on Children's Day. The toy-train is no longer there, and garden is decorated to teach traffic-sign and signals to children. There was also a dome supermarket which is now used for art-exhibitions. To the east of the Civic Center, there is an open place with stage, which is known as 'Open-Air-Theatre' and used for various cultural activities including musical nights. Right next to the Civic Center is Kala Mandir theater, used for various purposes. Initially it was a movie theater known as Chitra Mandir. For a long time, this was the only air-conditioned movie theater in the area for entertainment of Bhilaians. But in nineties with television and cable TV popularity, demand and use of this theater reduced, and management decided to close the movie theater. The theater was then converted to a multi-purpose community center and named as Kala Mandir. South of Kala Mandir is a huge field used for Ramleela and Dashehara festivals. In this field, there used to be a high rock stage which was constructed to welcome Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
in 1962. The new Civic Center started its operation in the 1980s, an became a major IT hub in Bhilai. This is a new commercial complex and also has a movie theater - Geet Talkies.
Sura pati "Satsang" is one of the most famous places of Bhilai. It also considered Wapian mandir.
Sports
Each sector has a community hall, schools, health centers and market. For sports, there are two major stadiums Pant stadium in Sector 1 and Jayanti StadiumJayanti Stadium
The Jayanti Stadium in Bhilai is a multi-purpose stadium at Indra Place in Bhilai, India. The stadium has all facilities of a domestic cricket stadium, but the venue can be used for other sports like hockey and football as well....
in Indira Place.