About Jharia

The city of Jharia is a part of the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand in eastern region of India. This city is rightly called as the ‘Land of Coal Fields and Coal Mines’, owing to its rich coal fields, with abundant reserves of coal, used in blast furnaces, for the preparation of coke. It is thus an important commercial, industrial and economic centre of Jharkhand. The people here are known for their unity, strict observance of ancient traditions and customs and simplicity. In addition to colliery units and industrial establishments, there are numerous places of interest and shopping avenues in and around Jharia, to keep the visitors engaged and entertained.

Brief History of Jharia

There is not much information available regarding the history of Jharia, due to lack of records. It was a part of Manbhum in Chota Nagpur plateau and its history is linked to the history of Manbhum. According to Hiuen Tsang, a mighty king called Sasanka had ruled over Chota Nagpur and its surrounding regions, of which Jharia was a part. The mining activities in the Jharia coalfields started in the year 1894 and gained significant momentum, after 1925. After 1971, the coal mines were nationalised and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) became the operator of the coal deposits. The nationalisation of the coal mines led to the establishment of a number of steel plants around Jharia, making it one of the major contributors to the economy of Jharia. However, the first underground fire was detected in the year 1916, and since then the underground coal field fires have been burning for over a century.

Geography and Climate of Jharia

The city of Jharia is located at between the coordinates, 23.751568°North latitude and 86.420345°East longitude, at an elevation of about 77 metres. Situated on the border of Dhanbad and Purulia districts, Jharia is surrounded by Dhanbad, Govindpur, Baliapur and Raghunathpur blocks. While the winters in Jharia are said to be quite pleasant, the summer season is very hot, with temperatures soaring as high as about 31° C to 45° C. The winter temperature falls to about 12° C to 22° C, with December and January being the coolest months. Jharia receives heavy rainfall during the period between mid-June to October, due to the coal dust attracting the clouds. An appropriate time to visit Jharia would be during the period from September to May, when the climate is mild and pleasant for sight-seeing. Read More..................

Tourist Places In and Around Jharia

Apart from the colliery units, the city of Jharia is home to a number of temples and religious places of worship. Maa Durga Temple, Sri Shyam Mandir, Kali Mandir in Amamlapara are some of the popular religious places of interest in Jharia. People visiting Jharia often visit Dhanbad near Jharia that is home to numerous tourist attractions and research centres. Thus Jharia proximity to Dhanbad acts as an added advantage for the tourists visiting this city. Birsa Munda Park, Topanchi Lake, Kalyaneshwari Temple, Lillori Sthan Mandir, Maithon Lake and Dam, Jagannath Temple are some of the popular picnic spots and tourist attractions in Dhanbad. Read More..............................

Art and Culture of Jharia

As Jharia is an industrial city, it is home to a diverse population, consisting of people from all religions from different parts of the country. Hindi and Santhali languages are widely spoken among the people, while English is used for official purposes. The people in Jharia follow strictly the ancient Indian customs and traditions. The traditional attire of men include dhoti, kurta and pyjama, while women prefer wearing sarees. However, the influence of Western culture can be seen among the younger generations, who have started switching over to modern outfits. The simplicity of the people here is reflected from their food habits, traditions and practices. Their grand celebrations and festivities are often accompanied by traditional folk songs and dances and plenty of fun and frolic. Read More...........................

Festivals of Jharia

Like other Indians, the people of Jharia too love their festivals and attach great importance to various celebrations and festivities. People actively participate in different celebrations, irrespective of their religions and communities. Chhath Puja, Durga Puja, Id, Charak Puja, Guru Purnima, Christmas, New Year are some of the festivals celebrated here with infectious enthusiasm. Festivals like Karma are also popular among the tribal people living in Jharia city.

Economy and Industrialism in Jharia

The city of Jharia is renowned for its abundant reserves of bituminous coal, used in the manufacture of coke. It thus has a number of colliery units and industrial establishments, in its proximity, due to easy availability of coal on a large scale. Jharia consists of twenty three huge underground mines and nine open cast mines. Many steel companies have also taken on lease the coal fields in Jharia city. These companies and industries contribute in making Jharia one of the chief revenue generating regions of Jharkhand and also provide employment to majority of the population. Though the soil here is not fertile and unsuitable for cultivation, a few people are engaged in agriculture as their occupation and maize, wheat and paddy are the main crops grown here. Read More.......................

Transportation in Jharia

Birsa Munda Airport at Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand is the airport nearest to Jharia city, since it does not have its own airport. Operated by the Airports Authority of India, it has regular flights connecting Jharia to major cities. Dhanbad Railway Station, at distance of about 9 kilometres from Jharia is the nearest railway station and can be reached easily by taxis, autos and private vehicles from Jharia. Jharkhand State Road Transport Corporation (JSRTC) run buses ply throughout the city, connecting Jharia to other cities. Prepaid taxis, auto rickshaws, rickshaws are used for communication within the city, as well as to nearby locations. Read More..............................

Shopping in Jharia

The city of Jharia being a commercial centre has many jewellery shops, branded retail outlets, book shops, footwear shops, electronic goods showrooms, mobile service centres to cater to the needs of the locals and the visitors. There are local markets that sell a variety of colourful items, catching the fancy of the tourists. The handicrafts and souvenirs that are sold here reflect the creativity of the local artisans and reflect the cultural exquisiteness and vibrancy of Jharkhand state. Shopaholics visiting Jharia can look forward to shopping in Dhanbad near Jharia that is home to numerous posh malls, international showrooms, branded stores and is considered to be a shopping hub.

Jharia at a glance

Country: India
State: Jharkhand
District: Dhanbad
Languages spoken: Hindi, Santhali
Altitude: about 77 metres
Winter temperature: about 12°C (min) to 22°C (max)
Summer temperature: about 31°C (min) to 45°C (max)
Best time to visit: September to May
PIN: 828111
STD Code: 0326
Major tourist attractions: Maa Durga Temple , Birsa Munda Park, Sri Shyam Mandir, Jharia Vihar Children’s Park etc.
Major festivals: Chhath Puja, Durga Puja, Id, Charak Puja, Guru Purnima, Christmas, New Year etc.