PLACES OF INTEREST

To a newcomer, coming from a big metropolis, settling down to the quite pace of the life in Steel city takes sometime. The surroundings, the set ups, the way of life, have a stamp of their own. The first thing that strikes a newcomer to the city is its quietness. He is not to find the ‘hustle bustle’ of a big city here. The traffic jams and the crowds are simply missing from the scene.

A bus, an auto or a taxi takes you from the station to your place or destination. As your conveyance, speeds along the quite roads, your eyes will take note of the surrounding hills, the orderly greenery along the roads, and you would like to relax. In the city where ever you go, the sweeping Dalma range beckons you the horizon. The ubiquitous Subernarekha River bursts upon your view from time to time in Sonari and Sakchi. 

In summer, Jamshedpur citizens crowd the Jubilee Park to beat the heat. Built in the lines of the Vrindavan garden in Mysore, it is also a picnic spot. The lake beside the TISCO nurseries, the children’s Park, the “rose-beds” also call for sightseer’s attention.

Jubilee Park

Jubilee Park is a place of releasing one’s tension in its natural beauty. A number of parks and gardens all over the city have added a lot to its glamour. This 80-hectare park, planned after the Brindawan Garden of Mysore and built at the cost of Rs. 27 lakhs was gifted to the citizens of Jamshedpur by the Tata Steel Co. on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee in 1958. The park includes 34 tier Mughal Gardens, a lake with boathouse and fishing facilities and a canteen. It also has a children park, a mini golf course, and an avenue of fountains, a beautiful Rose garden, and towered by a double life size statue of J.N. Tata. The Jubilee Park is lit up with multi colored lamps every Tuesday and Sunday, being the weekend for trade and industry. The leaping fountains present a pretty sight.

It is grandly decorated with electric lights every year on 3rd March. There are 11 parks in the city and some well-laid out gardens inside the works. Jubilee Park was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958. In the speech delivered by Jawahar Lal Nehru on 15th March 1958 while declaring the park open for the citizens of Jamshedpur, he said,

“Flowers, parks and trees supply something which I imagine, is of more basic importance to human spirit than even iron and steel, and it was a very happy thought to commemorate the occasion of the Jubilee of this great company by providing this beautiful park”

.Jamshed J. Bhabha installed a huge statue of bronze worth Rs. 6 lakhs, art by Sri Narayan Lakshman Sonabadehkarn on 16th September 1995.

 
Sir Dorabji Tata Park

Russi Mody Park is situated near Keenan Stadium. It has recently been christened after the name of Sir Dorabji Jamshetji Tata, son of J.N. Tata & the first chairman of Tata Steel. Manicured lawns, flower beds and brilliantly lit fountains provide a delightful touch of colour to the park.

Rivers' Meet 

A note on Jamshedpur remains incomplete remains incomplete without a mention of the Rivers’ Meet in Sonari. Also called Domohani. It is a favorite picnic spot. The clusters of Sal Trees beside the rivers have thinned down because of indiscriminate felling. The view is beautiful with the villages and the hills on the other side of the rivers. People from these villages come by ferryboats to this side for going to the market.

'Domuhani' - this scenic confluence of Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers, is located at the north-west tip of the city. In January, the rivers’ meet is visited by thousands of people on the occasion of the “Tusu Parab” of the locals. A regular fair with shops, wares and handicrafts spring up beside the rivers.

Dancing and singing go far into the night. Local folks say that goddess Durga was born as a daughter to the King of Dhalbhumgar. When the king wanted the ‘princess Tusu’ to get married after she accomplished, she disappeared never to come back.

Now days the locals come to the Domohani, dancing and singing to the beat of drums, in early morning hours. Their song is about the loss of “Tusu”. All of them go down to the rivers and search for her in the water. Puja is observed the day before. 

Tata Steel Zoological Park

Located only a few kilometers away from the Steel Plant is the Zoo which houses a variety of animals and birds. The Safari Park in the zoo enables visitors to take a drive through a wooded area where animals roam free and uncaged. A visit to the Nature Education Centre, a boat ride in the Jubilee Lake or a walk in the Nature Trail are unique outlets to relax. The co-existence of wild life in close proximity to the Steel Plant is evidence of the excellent balance of industry with nature.

Jubilee Amusement Park

The park has redefined entertainment in the Steel City. A special gift to the children of Jamshedpur, the amusement park provides entertainment that is available in far away metros only. The green hillocks and the waterbody provide a wonderful ambience for an outing where games like whirling in the wind, dashing cars, rolling till the moon, derby riding, caterpillar ride and a 75-meter slide can be enjoyed.

Hudco Lake

Nestled in the picturesque and hilly terrain of Telco Colony, the lake is a delightful retreat for those desirous of being 'in nature's lap' within the city precincts.

Dimna Lake

Located at a distance of 13 kms from the city limits, at the foot of the Dalma Hills, its salubrious surroundings are ideal for picnics and boat rides. The famed Dimna Lake, the reservoir to the steel city should not be forgotten in this connection. A journey to this ‘picnic spot’ takes us through sprawling greenery on all sides. As one reaches the destination, the cool, refreshing view of the Dimna comes to one’s sight. Here is a sparkling expanse of water nesting at the foot of the hills. On one side a stretch of walkers’ footpath encircles the lake.

Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary
  
Lurking in the thick cover of its jungles (193 sq kms) are elephants, barking deer, sloth bears, porcupines, leopards, tigers, etc. The steep slopes of Dalma Hills are also a trekker's delight.