Khunti
Encyclopedia
Khunti is the headquarters of Khunti district
in the India
n state
of Jharkhand
.
fame. It is widely believed that she along with her five famous sons Pandavas was here during their year of anonymity.
It is historically known for the center of activity of the Birsa movement. Birsa Munda
was born in Khunti.
, Khunti had a population of 29,271. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Khunti has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 61%. In Khunti, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
. On September 12, 2007, it was carved out as the 23rd district of Jharkhand. The new district has one sub-division and six blocks:
A spectacular place with five beautiful cascaded in a row, Panchghagh Falls
, is placed in the scenic village Khunti. These five falls originates from high altitudes and the foot of the falls is good picnic spot, to have the exprience of bath under the gushing water.Recently these five falls have been attracting many tourists visiting Khunti for its eternal beauty, pristine surroundings and calm atmosphere.
Deer Park : The park is placed a picturesque surroundings, with beautiful gardens, well laid pathways and playing parks for children. The main attraction here is the Park safari and the facilities arranged for the visitors are very good.
Angrabadi Temple :
Angrabadi temple complex, placed in the surroundings of tranquil beauty and in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, is a majestic temple complex in Khunti.The temple was renamed as Amreshwar Dham by the Sage Shankaracharya Swami Swarupananda Saraswathi. The temples are distinctive and enclose the Hindu Gods such as Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Ram-Sita and Hanuman. Ram-Sita is a unique one worth visiting.This is a superb place to visit for spiritual enrichment and also for eye pleasing natural beauty and sceneries.
, Sarhul, Eid, Christmas, Muharram, Ramnawmi, Holi etc are celebrated with participation of all communities. The population mainly consists of tribal communities but in the town area people belonging to other communities(caste Hindus)are well established. The place also boasts of a thriving business community. Known for its tranquility, in the recent past the place has been witnessing Naxal insurgency.
The area however is endowed with good rainfall - in most blocks the annual rainfall exceeds 1100 millimetres. There are numerous small rivers, rivulets and streams, which carry water up to the month of February or March. In spite of that, most cultivated lands do not have assurance of water for crops even during the monsoon. Inadequacy of water harvesting infrastructures and water use systems have allowed the rain water to run off through the streams to downstream areas beyond the State, leaving the lands here dry.
It has been long argued that ensuring water assurance to crops and improving land husbandry practices could go a long way in improving the livelihoods of poor families and impacting the local economy in rural areas. However, it has also been the experience that timely credit in adequate amount and know-how for improved agriculture are also essential along with water assurance to crops. For water assurance, the large irrigation schemes have not been successful in the district and other parts of Jharkhand.
The area is famous for the Lac cultivation. A large part of the India's total lac production comes from this area.Lac, a natural polymer (resin) is produced by a tiny insect, Kerria lacca (Kerr), which is purposely cultured on shoots of several species of trees, mainly palas, kusum and ber. This agricultural profession of lac cultivation is a subsidiary source of income for a large number of families in the area.
A number of development agencies are active in the area, prominent among which is a national level development organization called PRADAN, with an office in Torpa road. Others are missionary organizations such as, NBJK,and SGVS.
Khunti district
Khunti district is one of the twenty-four districts in South Chotanagpur division of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The district of Khunti was carved out of Ranchi district on the 12 September 2007. It is historically known as the centre of activity of the Birsa movement...
in the 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...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
.
Geography
Khunti is located at 23.0718800°N 85.2802120°E southern Jharkhand. Khunti is Entertainment Zone of State Capital Ranchi.History
The place draws its name from Maharani Kunti of the MahābhārataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
fame. It is widely believed that she along with her five famous sons Pandavas was here during their year of anonymity.
It is historically known for the center of activity of the Birsa movement. Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda was a tribal leader and a folk hero, belonging to the Munda tribe who was behind the Millenarian movement that rose in the tribal belt of modern day Bihar, and Jharkhand during the British Raj, in the late 19th century making him an important figure in the history of the Indian...
was born in Khunti.
Demographics
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...
, Khunti had a population of 29,271. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Khunti has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 61%. In Khunti, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Administration
Till recently, Khunti was a sub-division of Ranchi districtRanchi District
Ranchi district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state in eastern India. Ranchi city, the capital of Jharkhand state is the district headquarters.As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Jharkhand .-Origin of name:...
. On September 12, 2007, it was carved out as the 23rd district of Jharkhand. The new district has one sub-division and six blocks:
Tourist attractions
Panchghagh Falls :A spectacular place with five beautiful cascaded in a row, Panchghagh Falls
Panchghagh Falls
Panchghagh Falls is a waterfall located in Khunti district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Falls:In its bid to find its way through the hard and jagged terrain, the Banai River branches itself out in five different streams, generating ubiquitous singing rivulets through the cluster of rocks...
, is placed in the scenic village Khunti. These five falls originates from high altitudes and the foot of the falls is good picnic spot, to have the exprience of bath under the gushing water.Recently these five falls have been attracting many tourists visiting Khunti for its eternal beauty, pristine surroundings and calm atmosphere.
Deer Park : The park is placed a picturesque surroundings, with beautiful gardens, well laid pathways and playing parks for children. The main attraction here is the Park safari and the facilities arranged for the visitors are very good.
Angrabadi Temple :
Angrabadi temple complex, placed in the surroundings of tranquil beauty and in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, is a majestic temple complex in Khunti.The temple was renamed as Amreshwar Dham by the Sage Shankaracharya Swami Swarupananda Saraswathi. The temples are distinctive and enclose the Hindu Gods such as Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Ram-Sita and Hanuman. Ram-Sita is a unique one worth visiting.This is a superb place to visit for spiritual enrichment and also for eye pleasing natural beauty and sceneries.
Society
Khunti is also known for its communal harmony. Festivals like Dushera, DiwaliDiwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
, Sarhul, Eid, Christmas, Muharram, Ramnawmi, Holi etc are celebrated with participation of all communities. The population mainly consists of tribal communities but in the town area people belonging to other communities(caste Hindus)are well established. The place also boasts of a thriving business community. Known for its tranquility, in the recent past the place has been witnessing Naxal insurgency.
Economy
Majority of the population is tribal in the Khunti sub-division and they are dependent on agriculture and forests for their livelihood. Lack of food security from the land has compelled many tribal families to migrate out of their own villages. This is despite the fact that the existing landholdings can provide stable livelihoods to the tribal families. Lack of land development, irrigation, credit, know-how for improved agriculture, access to market etc. act as serious constraints leading to a large number of impoverished tribal families.The area however is endowed with good rainfall - in most blocks the annual rainfall exceeds 1100 millimetres. There are numerous small rivers, rivulets and streams, which carry water up to the month of February or March. In spite of that, most cultivated lands do not have assurance of water for crops even during the monsoon. Inadequacy of water harvesting infrastructures and water use systems have allowed the rain water to run off through the streams to downstream areas beyond the State, leaving the lands here dry.
It has been long argued that ensuring water assurance to crops and improving land husbandry practices could go a long way in improving the livelihoods of poor families and impacting the local economy in rural areas. However, it has also been the experience that timely credit in adequate amount and know-how for improved agriculture are also essential along with water assurance to crops. For water assurance, the large irrigation schemes have not been successful in the district and other parts of Jharkhand.
The area is famous for the Lac cultivation. A large part of the India's total lac production comes from this area.Lac, a natural polymer (resin) is produced by a tiny insect, Kerria lacca (Kerr), which is purposely cultured on shoots of several species of trees, mainly palas, kusum and ber. This agricultural profession of lac cultivation is a subsidiary source of income for a large number of families in the area.
A number of development agencies are active in the area, prominent among which is a national level development organization called PRADAN, with an office in Torpa road. Others are missionary organizations such as, NBJK,and SGVS.