Jhansi

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This article is about the city in Uttar Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Jhansi district.
Jhansi
View From Jhansi Fort towards the city
View From Jhansi Fort towards the city
Nickname(s): <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Jhansi is located in Uttar Pradesh
Jhansi
Jhansi
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Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
Region Bundelkhand
District Jhansi
Founded by Raja of Orchha
Government
 • Mayor Kiran Verma (Bharatiya Janata Party)
 • SSP SUBHASH CHANDRA DUBEY
Elevation 285 m (935 ft)
Population (2011 census)
 • City 505,693[1]
 • Rank 57
 • Metro 547,638[2]
Languages
 • Official Hindi
 • Other Bundeli
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 284001-2-3-4
Telephone code 0510
Vehicle registration UP-93
Sex ratio ♂ 0.905 : ♀ 1.000
Literacy 83.02%[3]
Avg. summer temperature 47 °C (117 °F)
Avg. winter temperature 4.0 °C (39.2 °F)
Website jhansi.nic.in

Jhansi (<phonos file="Jhansi.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi district and Jhansi division. Called the Gateway to Bundelkhand, Jhansi is situated between the rivers Pahuj and Betwa at an average elevation of 285 metres (935 feet). It is about 415 kilometres (258 mi) from New Delhi and 292 kilometres (181 mi) from Lucknow.

The original walled city grew around its stone fort which crowns a neighbouring rock. The ancient name of the city was Balwantnagar. From 1817 to 1854, Jhansi was the capital of the princely state of Jhansi which was ruled by Maratha rajas. The state was annexed by the British Governor General in 1854; Damodar Rao's claim to the throne was rejected but Rani Lakshmibai ruled it from June 1857 to June 1858.

Jhansi is well connected to all other major towns in Uttar Pradesh by road and railway networks. The National Highways Development Project has supported development of Jhansi. Kashmir to Kanyakumari passes through Jhansi as does the East-West corridor; consequently there has been a sudden rush to infrastructure and real estate development in the city. A greenfield airport development has been planned.[4]

Etymology

Karak Bijli Toop; one of the cannon at the fort

According to a legend the Raja of Orchha was sitting on the roof of his palace with his friend, the Raja of Jaitpur, and asked the latter whether he could discern this new fort that he had built on Bangara hill, and he replied that he could see it 'jhainsi' (meaning rather indistinct). This name 'Jhainsi' in course of time became corrupted to 'Jhansi'. It was one of the most strategically situated forts of central India being built on an elevated rock rising out of the plain and commanding the city and the surrounding country.

History

In the 18th century the town of Jhansi served as the capital of a Maratha province and later the Princely State of Jhansi from 1804 till 1853, when the territory became a part of British India. Hansari was another princely state near Jhansi, having a revenue of 40000 and a 4 gun salute.[citation needed] Dada Narayan Singh Yadav was a great leader of the Indian National Congress and was on familiar terms with the former Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi.[citation needed]

Demographics

Religions in Jhansi City, 2011 Census data[5]
Religion Percent
Hindus
  
 81.10%
Muslims
  
 16.51%
Others†
  
 2.39%
Distribution of religions[6]
† Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.

According to the 2011 census, Jhansi has a population of 505,693,[7] its urban agglomeration a population of 547,638.[8] Jhansi city has 57th rank among the most populated cities of India, according to the 2011 census. The literacy rate of Jhansi is 83.02%, higher than the state average of 67.68%.[9] The sex ratio is 905 females for every 1000 males.[10]

Jhansi Cantonment

According to the Indian Census of 2001[11] there were 21,917 people in Jhansi Cantonment, of whom 56% were male and 44% female (men 12,264; women 9,653; children 2,612). The rate of literacy was 80%.

Geography and climate

Jhansi is located at 25.4333 N 78.5833 E. It has an average elevation of 284 metres (935 feet).[12] Jhansi lies on the plateau of central India, an area dominated by rocky relief and minerals underneath the soil. The city has a natural slope in the north as it is on the south western border of the vast Tarai plains of Uttar Pradesh and the elevation rises on the south.

Jhansi (a view from the hill of Sipri)

The land is suitable for species of citrus fruit and crops include wheat, pulses, peas, and oilseeds. The region relies heavily on Monsoon rains for irrigation purposes. Under an ambitious canal project (the Rajghat canal), the government is constructing a network of canals for irrigation in Jhansi and Lalitpur and some part of Madhya Pradesh. The trade in agricultural products (including grain and oilseeds) is of great economic importance.[13] The city is also a centre of brassware manufacture.[14]

Climate

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Main article: Climate of Uttar Pradesh

Being on a rocky plateau, Jhansi experiences extreme temperatures. Winter begins in October with the retreat of the Southwest Monsoon (Jhansi does not experience any rainfall from the Northeast Monsoon) and peaks in mid-December. The mercury generally reads about 4 degrees minimum and 21 degrees maximum. Spring arrives by the end of February and is a short-lived phase of transition. Summer begins by April and summer temperatures can peak at 47 degrees in May. The rainy season starts by the third week of June (although this is variable year to year). Monsoon rains gradually weaken in September and the season ends by the last week of September. In the rainy season, the average daily high temperature hovers around 36 degrees Celsius with high humidity. The average rainfall for the city is about 900 mm per year, occurring almost entirely within the three-and-a-half months of the Southwest Monsoon. In summer Jhansi experiences temperatures as high as 45-47 degrees and in winter the temperatures fall as low as 0-1 degrees (recorded in winter 2011).

Climate data for Jhansi (1971–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 33.8
(92.8)		 39.4
(102.9)		 43.3
(109.9)		 46.2
(115.2)		 48.0
(118.4)		 47.8
(118)		 45.6
(114.1)		 42.2
(108)		 40.6
(105.1)		 40.6
(105.1)		 38.1
(100.6)		 33.1
(91.6)		 48.0
(118.4)
Average high °C (°F) 23.3
(73.9)		 26.9
(80.4)		 33.3
(91.9)		 39.3
(102.7)		 42.3
(108.1)		 40.5
(104.9)		 34.0
(93.2)		 32.2
(90)		 33.3
(91.9)		 33.9
(93)		 29.6
(85.3)		 24.5
(76.1)		 32.9
(91.2)
Average low °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3)		 10.3
(50.5)		 15.8
(60.4)		 21.9
(71.4)		 26.3
(79.3)		 27.3
(81.1)		 24.6
(76.3)		 23.7
(74.7)		 22.8
(73)		 19.1
(66.4)		 13.2
(55.8)		 8.5
(47.3)		 18.4
(65.1)
Record low °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2)		 0.6
(33.1)		 5.3
(41.5)		 10.1
(50.2)		 15.1
(59.2)		 18.5
(65.3)		 20.3
(68.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 16.7
(62.1)		 10.7
(51.3)		 1.1
(34)		 0.3
(32.5)		 0.3
(32.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 9.2
(0.362)		 9.6
(0.378)		 7.7
(0.303)		 2.3
(0.091)		 13.9
(0.547)		 85.0
(3.346)		 270.4
(10.646)		 286.2
(11.268)		 165.3
(6.508)		 31.8
(1.252)		 6.3
(0.248)		 3.6
(0.142)		 891.3
(35.091)
Average rainy days 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.5 1.3 4.9 12.3 13.1 7.0 1.6 0.5 0.5 44.2
Source: India Meteorological Department (record high and low up to 2010)[15][16]

Places of interest

Jhansi Fort

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Main article: Jhansi Fort

The early 17th century fort was made by Raja Bir Singh on top of a hill known as Bangara as an army stronghold. The Karak Bijli tank is within the fort. There is also a museum which has a collection of sculpture and provides an insight into the history of Bundelkhand.

Government Museum; and Rani Mahal

Jhansi Government Museum
Rani Mahal Jhansi

In the Government Museum there are collections of weapons, statues, dresses and photographs that represent the Chandela dynasty and a picture gallery of the Gupta period. There are also terracottas, bronzes, manuscripts, paintings and coins. The museum is closed on Mondays and second Saturday of every month.

The Rani Mahal was the palace of Rani Lakshmi Bai and has now been converted into a museum. It houses a collection of archaeological remains of the period between the 9th and 12th centuries AD.

An engineering college named as Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology an state govt engineering college

Other places of interest

Temples: Iskcon Temple, Laxmi Temple; Shri Kali Temple; Karguan Jain Temple.--Christian churches: Shrine of St. Jude Church; St Antony's Cathedral.--Gangadhar Rao-Ki-Chhatri (tomb).--Laxmi Bai Park; Narayan Bagh; Jari Ka Math; Barua Sagar & Fort; Garhmau Lake.

Education

Higher education

Bundelkhand University
S.R.Group College Jhansi

Medical and Technical Colleges

MLB Medical College

Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical college Hospital Jhansi was established in 1968, is named after the "Jhansi ki Rani" Maha Rani Laxmi Bai. The college admits 100 students each year for medical course and nearly 54 post graduate student in various specialties.[citation needed]

On October, 2009 the Union health ministry had given approvals for setting up an institute equivalent to AIIMS, the first in bundelkhand region and developing central agriculture university.[17]

Grassland Jhansi

Research institutes

  • ICAR-Indian Grassland & Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI)
  • ICAR-Central Agro-Forestry Research Institute (CAFRI)

Schools

Army School, Jhansi Cantt

Transport

The city is well connected to other parts of India by railways and major highways.

Railways

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Main article: Jhansi Junction railway station

Jhansi Junction has its own Division of the Indian North Central Railways. It is well connected by train services to all parts of the country, including four metropolitan cities. There are direct trains to Mumbai, madurai, Delhi, Kolkata (Howrah), Chennai, Bangalore (Bengaluru), Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Agra Gwalior, Trivandrum, Indore, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Pune, Jammu, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bhopal, Mahoba, Khajuraho, Gaya, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Bandra and other major towns. A list of all train services passing through Jhansi Junction can be found here.

File:Jhansi Junction.jpg
Jhansi Junction

Jhansi Junction is a major railway junction of Indian Railways: a major intercity hub and a technical stoppage for many superfast trains in India. Jhansi has its own division in the North Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. It lies on the main Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Mumbai lines. The station code is JHS.

History

The railway station was built by the British in the late 1880s. After a long survey of three places the current site was selected for the station. The station has a massive fort-like building painted in maroon and off white.

The station had three platforms in the beginning. Platform One is 2,525 feet (770 m) long making it the seventh longest in the world so could easily handle two trains at a time. Platforms two and three are also long enoungh to do this. The first Shatabdi Express of India started between New Delhi and Jhansi. Earlier Jhansi used to be a part of Central railways zone headquartered at Mumbai but now comes under NCR headquartered at Allahabad.

Platform - Jhansi Railway Station

Connectivity

Jhansi Junction is linked with many industrial and important cities of India by direct trains like New Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bhopal, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jammu, Agra, Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad, etc.

Jhansi Junction is served by 4 broad gauge routes:

  1. Jhansi - New Delhi
  2. Jhansi - Kanpur Central
  3. Jhansi - Bhopal
  4. Jhansi - Manikpur
  5. Jhansi - Shivpuri (Proposed)

There is an ongoing survey for a new line between Jhansi Junction and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh which would be further connected to Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur.

Many prestigious Indian Railways trains pass through Jhansi, including the Taj Express, Tamil Nadu Express, Kerala Express, Andhra Pradesh Express, Bhopal Express, Dakshin Express and Pushpak Express.

Jhansi is an important destination for tourists intending to go to Khajuraho (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and to Orchha.

There is an also an escalators in the Jhansi junction railway station for elderly or incapacitated passengers.

Facilities

Jhansi Junction has 7 platforms, 4 broad over-bridges. Due to heavy usage, two new platforms are planned, increasing the total to 11. Five pairs of the Rajdhani Express as well as the Bhopal — New Delhi Shatabdi Express pass through Jhansi.Three pairs of Duronto Express also have their technical stoppages at Jhansi. All state Sampark Krantis passing through Jhansi have official stops at Jhansi. In all more than 150 trains stop at Jhansi Junction everyday.

The station also features a restaurant, air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned waiting rooms, a cyber cafe, and tourist information offices of both the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments. Outside the station also there is a passenger complex and canteen.

Road transport

Jhansi is located at the junction of these National Highways: NH-12A; NH-25; NH-26; NH-75; and NH-76. Thus, Jhansi commands a strategic position in the roadways network as highways in 5 different directions diverge from it.

And go near towns and major cites in all over India these are Datia, Gwalior, Lalitpur, Agra, New Delhi, Bhopal, Allahabad, Kanpur, Orchha, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh, Unao Balaji, Sagar

The proposed north-south and east-west corridors of the Golden-Quadrilateral Highway project pass and cross each other only in Jhansi and the city is also well connected to Kanpur, Lucknow and Madhya Pradesh by road. The four lane national highway is at the last stage of its completion, giving a boom in infrastructure and other sectors in Jhansi and nearby areas;[when?] the greenery near this highway is attractive.

Air transport

Amy Johnson at Jhansi in 1932

Jhansi Airport is a military aviation base built in the British era used by the Indian army and political visitors. Though there are provisions for private aircraft to land, there are no civil aviation operations. There had been a demand to make it operational for commercial purposes in the 1990s and again in the 2000s. The Uttar Pradesh government announced the construction of an all new civil aviation base to support tourism in Bundelkhand in April 2011.[18] The Indian army maintains an objection to extension of the military aviation. So, the government has examined three different places other than army aviation base for the airport in Jhansi. Gwalior Airport is the nearest airport from Jhansi.

Media

Newspapers

Many national and local newspapers are published in Jhansi both in Hindi and English:

Newspaper Language Notes
Amar Ujala Hindi
Dainik Jagran Hindi
Dainik Vishwa Pariwar Hindi
Dainik Lokpath Hindi
Dainik Royal Mail Hindi
Hindustan Hindi
Jan Jan Jagran Hindi
Jan Seva Mail Hindi
Raftaar Hindi
Swadesh Hindi

Radio

Jhansi has two radio stations: 92.7 BIG FM and 103.0 AIR FM.

Armed forces

Jhansi district has the headquarters of the 31st Indian Armoured Division of the Indian Army, stationed at Jhansi-Babina. It is an armoured division which has equipment like the T-72 and T-90 tanks, and the BMP-2 armoured personnel carrier.

The Jhansi Cantonment was the site of the accommodation for British civil and military personnel in the period of British rule in India. Within the cantonment is Sacred Heart Church, a Roman Catholic church built early in the 20th century.[19]

Various amenities

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Cinema halls/Multiplexes

  • Khilona Multiplex
  • Elite Cinema

Restaurants

Shopping malls and markets

Malls
  • Space City Mall (Baghwantpura) (under construction)
  • SG Mall (Sadar)
  • Galaxy Mall (Shivaji Nagar)
  • Siddivinayk Mall Cum Vishal Mega Mart (near Bus Stand)
  • V Mart (Civil Lines)
  • City Life (in front DM'S Office gate)
  • Railway Mall Cum Hotel (in front Jhansi Junction) (under constraction)
Markets
  • Khati Baba
  • Nagra Bazar
  • Sipri Bazar
  • Sadar Bazar
  • Manik Chowk
  • Bada Bazar
  • Jawahar Chowk

Sport

Postage stamp commemorating Rani Lakshmibai

Sports stadiums in Jhansi are Dhyanchand Stadium; Railway Stadium; and LVM Sports Place.

Notable people associated with Jhansi

Rulers
  • Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, raja of Jhansi State, 1838–53
  • Rani Lakshmibai, queen consort of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao; regent and afterwards queen who led her people in defence of the city against British forces in 1858
Others

Jhansi in literature

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See also: Rani of Jhansi § Literature, film & television

Two novels by John Masters are set in the fictional town of Bhowani. According to the author, writing in the Glossary to the earlier novel, Nightrunners of Bengal, Bhowani is an "imaginary town. To get a geographical bearing on the story it should be imagined to be about where Jhansi really is - 25.27 N., 78.33 E."[22] Nightrunners of Bengal is set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 at "Bhowani" (the title alludes to the mysterious distribution of "chapatis" to village headmen which preceded the revolt). Bhowani Junction is set in 1946/47 the eve of independence and in both novels the main character is Colonel Rodney Savage, a British army officer and part of a succession of such men from the same family.

Christina Rossetti wrote a short poem about the fate of the Skene family at Jhansi during the Indian Mutiny. It is entitled 'In the Round Tower at Jhansi - 8 June 1857'. It was published in 1862 in the same volume as her more celebrated poem 'Goblin Market'. Some time afterwards, Rossetti discovered that she had been misinformed about the husband and wife's suicide pact in the face of a murderous and implacable enemy ('The swarming howling wretches below' the tower walls) which is the poem's subject, but did not delete it from later editions.

See also

References

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External links

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  13. ↑ The Macmillan Encyclopedia; rev. ed. London: Macmillan, 1983; p. 647
  14. ↑ Moore, W. G. (1971) The Penguin Encyclopedia of Places. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 371
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  20. ↑ Amit Singhal
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Masters, John. Nightrunners of Bengal. (London and New York, 1951). Glossary.
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