Medininagar
(formerly Daltonganj) is a city municipal corporation in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the headquarters of Palamu division and Palamu district, as well as the subdivision and block of the same name. The city is situated on the banks of the North Koel River.
Origin of name
The city was named Daltonganj during the British Raj after Irishman Colonel Edward Tuite Dalton (1815–1880), an anthropologist and the commissioner of Chota Nagpur in 1861. The name was changed to Medininagar in 2004 by the State Government of Jharkhand. The former name is still retained in the name of the city’s railway station. It is administered by the Medininagar Municipal Corporation, which was formed on 30 May 2015. The city is named after Raja Medini Ray of Chero dynasty.
Geography
Medininagar is located at 24.03°N 84.07°E. It has an average elevation of 215 m (705 ft).
The Betla National Park is located about 20 km from the city. This park is known for tigers, and comes under the Palamau Tiger Project. Another picnic spot nearby is Kechki, located about 18 km from Daltonganj, at the confluence of the Koel River and the Auranga River. Netarhat, a plateau covered with thick forests, is also situated near Daltonganj.
Transport
Daltonganj Railway Station
Medininagar is located 1,036 kilometres (644 mi) south east of New Delhi and is accessible by train to Daltonganj Railway station (DTO) from Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Kota, Bhopal Junction, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Varanasi and Gaya. The nearest airport is 165 kilometres (103 mi) away in Ranchi. It has an airport in Chianki, used occasionally by visiting dignitaries.
Medininagar is well connected with Patna, Ranchi, Raipur, Ambikapur, Kolkata, Durgapur, Varanasi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Kota, Kanpur Gaya, etc. by road.
Chianki Airstrip is located on the south of the Medininagar. It is mostly used by private choppers and small aircraft. There is a plan to strengthen and extend the airstrip for operation of medium size planes.
Demographics
As of 2014 India census, Medininagar had a population of 389,307. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. It has an average literacy rate of 87.29%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 91.92% and, female literacy is 82.10%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Culture
Major Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian festivals are celebrated in Medininagar. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Daltonganj. The town has several societies, clubs, and NGOs including Palamau Club, Rotary Club and Rida Foundation.
Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film, Aranyer Din Ratri was shot in Palamu and the upcoming Bollywood movie, Nastik starring Arjun Rampal was also shot in Medininagar.
Climate
Medininagar has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa).
| hideClimate data for Medininagar (1981–2010, extremes 1901–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.2 (93.6) |
40.6 (105.1) |
43.9 (111.0) |
46.5 (115.7) |
47.8 (118.0) |
46.9 (116.4) |
43.8 (110.8) |
40.2 (104.4) |
39.7 (103.5) |
40.0 (104.0) |
36.5 (97.7) |
33.2 (91.8) |
47.8 (118.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 25.2 (77.4) |
28.4 (83.1) |
33.9 (93.0) |
39.3 (102.7) |
40.8 (105.4) |
37.8 (100.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
31.9 (89.4) |
29.5 (85.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
32.5 (90.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
26.2 (79.2) |
27.4 (81.3) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
14.3 (57.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) |
0.6 (33.1) |
5.6 (42.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
17.8 (64.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 11.9 (0.47) |
19.6 (0.77) |
15.6 (0.61) |
9.4 (0.37) |
24.8 (0.98) |
151.6 (5.97) |
285.2 (11.23) |
288.6 (11.36) |
179.0 (7.05) |
49.5 (1.95) |
8.4 (0.33) |
6.3 (0.25) |
1,049.8 (41.33) |
| Average rainy days | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 7.0 | 14.9 | 13.5 | 9.4 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 56.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 50 | 41 | 32 | 24 | 30 | 52 | 77 | 79 | 76 | 62 | 57 | 57 | 53 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department | |||||||||||||
Education
Nilamber-Pitamber University at Medininagar was established in 2009 and serves the Palamu division of Jharkhand.
There are many colleges for undergraduate, post graduate & other higher education in and around Medininagar which includes:
- Medinirai Medical College and Hospital
- DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology established by D.A.V College Managing Committee.
- Bhishma Narain Singh Law College
- Ganesh Lal Agrawal College
- Yodh Singh Namdhari Mahila Mahavidyalaya
- Janta Shivratri College
- Elite Public B.Ed. College
- Jyoti Prakash Mahila B.Ed. College
The major private schools in Medininagar include:
- M.K. DAV Public School, Chianki (CBSE)
- Sacred Heart School, Chianki (ICSE)
- Heritage International School (CBSE)
Places of Interest
View of Daltonganj from Koyal River
- Betla National Park, park hosts a wide variety of wildlife
- Palamu Tiger Reserve, one of the first tiger conservation projects in India.
- Palamu Fort, twin forts of Chero dynasty built by Raja Medini Ray.
- Hussainabad Fort, built by Mughal jagirdar, Hidayat Ali Khan.
- Shahpur Fort, built by Chero ruler
- Bishrampur Fort, built by Chero rulers
- Kala-Kabra mound, Harappan era artefacts
- Bhim Chulha, a 5,000-year-old stove, on which Bhima used to make food during the Pandavas’ ignorance