Jhansi

This article is about the city in Bihar, India. For its namesake district, see Jhansi district.

Jhansi
Metropolis
Jhansi Skyline
Nickname(s): City of Rani Laxmi Bai Gateway of Bundelkhand Crossroads of India
Jhansi
Coordinates: 25°26′55″N 78°34′11″E
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Region	Bundelkhand
District	Jhansi
Founded by	Raja of Orchha
Named for	Orchha Cantonment
Government
• Mayor	Kiran Verma
• Assistant Superintendent	Dinesh Kumar Singh
• Member of Parliament	Uma Bharti (Bhartiya Janta Party)
Elevation	285 m (935 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• Metropolis	505,63
• Rank	57
• Metro	547,638
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%
Avg. summer temperature	47 °C (117 °F)
Avg. winter temperature	4.0 °C (39.2 °F)
Website	www.jhansi.nic.in

Jhansi ( pronunciation ) 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 99 kilometres (62 mi) south of Gwalior.

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. Srinagar to Kanyakumari North-South corridor passes through Jhansi as does the East-West corridor; consequently there has been a sudden rush of infrastructure and real estate development in the city. A greenfield airport development has been planned. On 28 August, 2015 Jhansi was selected among 98 cities for smart city initiative by Government of India.

Etymology

Karak Bijli Toop; one of the cannon at the fort

Bhawani Shankar another 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

Jhansi Fort, 1900

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.

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1871	30,000	—
1881	33,000	+10.0%
1891	53,779	+63.0%
1901	55,724	+3.6%
1911	70,200	+26.0%
1921	66,400	−5.4%
1931	76,700	+15.5%
1941	103,300	+34.7%
1951	127,400	+23.3%
1961	140,200	+10.0%
1971	173,300	+23.6%
1981	231,300	+33.5%
1991	300,850	+30.1%
2001	426,198	+41.7%
2011	505,693	+18.7%
Source: 1871-1891 - The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1901-1981 - Populstat.info 1991-2011 - Citypopulation.de

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

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

Jhansi Cantonment

According to the Indian Census of 2001 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). 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. The land is suitable for species of citrus fruit and crops include wheat, pulses, peas, and oilseeds. The region relies heavily on Monsoon the 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. The city is also a centre of brassware manufacture.

A view of Jhansi from the hill of Sipri)

Climate

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)

Tourism

Jhansi Fort

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 cannon is in the fort. There is a museum nearby which has a collection of sculpture and provides an insight into the history of Bundelkhand.

Government Museum and Rani Mahal

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 Government Museum specifically keep the belonging of the Rani of Jhansi, for example: her sword, armour and utensils. The museum is closed on Mondays and the 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.

Other places of interest

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

Culture

Festivals

Jhansi Mahotsav

Annually organised in jhansi in winter season. rani laxmibai birthday

Jhansi in popular culture

Movies and television

• Raavan
• Badrinath Ki Dulhania
• Hollywood Project, a movie on Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, will be shot in UP for nearly two months; the movie will be shot in Jhansi from February next.
• Manikarnika

Education

Higher education

• Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University
• Bundelkhand University
• Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, Bundelkhand University Jhansi
• Chandra Shekhar Azad Institute of Science & Technology, 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.

• Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College
• Bundelkhand Govt. Ayurvedic College & Hospital

In 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.

• Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology
• Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bundelkhand University.

Grassland Jhansi

• Government Polytechnic Jhansi
• Rani laxmibai central agriculture university jhansi
• SR Group of Institutions, Ambabai,Jhansi

Research institutes

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

Schools

Further information: List of educational institutions in Jhansi

Transport

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

Railways

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, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, 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.

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 Gwalior, New Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bhopal, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jammu, Agra, Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad, etc.

Jhansi Junction is served by 4 broad gauge routes:

1. Jhansi - Gwalior Junction - New Delhi
2. Jhansi - Kanpur Central - Lucknow
3. Jhansi - Bhopal - Mumbai
4. Jhansi - Manikpur - Allahabad
5. Jhansi - Shivpuri - Sawai Madhopur (proposed)

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

Trains originating from Jhansi

1. 12279/12280 Jhansi Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi) Taj Express.
2. 11109/11110 Jhansi Lucknow Junction Intercity Express.
3. 11103/11104 Jhansi Bandra Terminus (Mumbai) Express.(via Gwalior, Ujjain, Ratlam, Surat
4. 11105/11106 Jhansi Kolkata Pratham Swatrantata Sangram Express.(via Kanpur, Patna)
5. 11801/11802 Jhansi etawah express
6. 21125/21126 Jhansi Gwalior Indore Express
7. 51815/51816 Jhansi Agra Fort Passenger
8. 51831/51832 Jhansi Agra Cantt Passenger
9. 51803/51804 Jhansi Kanpur Central Passenger
10. 54157/54158 Jhansi Kanpur Central Passenger
11. 51813/51814 Jhansi Lucknow Charbagh Passenger
12. 51807/51808 Jhansi Banda Passenger
13. 54159/54160 Jhansi Banda Passenger
14. 51805/51806 Jhansi Manikpur Passenger
15. 51819/51820 Jhansi Allahabad Jn Passenger
16. 51817/51818 Jhansi Tikamgarh Passenger
17. 51821/51822 Jhansi Khajuraho Passenger
18. 51811/51812 Jhansi Bina Passenger
19. 51827/51828 Jhansi Itarsi Nagpur Passenger

and several other passengers and shuttles trains connecting Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra Cantt, Allahabad, Manikpur, Banda Jn, Khajuraho, Tikamgarh, Bhopal, Bina and Itarsi.

Facilities

Jhansi Junction has seven 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.

There are tourist information offices of both the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments.

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.

The towns and major cities connected to it are Datia, Gwalior, Lalitpur, Agra, New Delhi, Bhopal, Allahabad, Kanpur, Orchha, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh, Unnao 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;

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. 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.

Major markets

• Manik Chowk [Old City) - the biggest and most important market of Jhansi. Combination of three major markets The Sarafa Bazaar, Bada Bazaar, and Purani Najhai. Ancient buildings of different styles of architecture (Chandeli, British, Maratha, Mughal, Rajputi etc.) can be viewed.
• Sadar Bazar - one of the oldest markets of Jhansi City and now is the most expensive one and well known for its branded clothing stores, bakeries, and this place was used by the army cantonment and local population for business by selling goods for statesmen and other rich people.
• Sipri Bazaar- one of the old markets of the City known for its vegetable market and cheap clothing goods and accessories; situated on Shivpuri Road (known to be Shivpuri Bazaar which later changed to Sipri Bazaar)
• Loha Mandi- market known for steel and iron goods as well as good building materials including floor stone, marble etc.
• Elite Circle - in the City Centre of Jhansi which is a junction point of five radial roads with huge number of hotels and shops
• Jhokan Bagh - known for its furnished goods and furniture at reasonable prizes; however its roads are irregular and not well maintained

Armed forces

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.

Media

Newspapers

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

Newspaper	Language	Notes
Amar Ujala	Hindi
Dainik Jagran	Hindi
Dainik Vishwa Pariwar	Hindi
Daily Aziz E Hindustan	Urdu
Dainik Royal Mail	Hindi
Hindustan	Hindi
Jan Jan Jagran	Hindi
Jan Seva Mail	Hindi
Raftaar	Hindi
Swadesh	Hindi

Radio

Jhansi has three radio stations: 92.7 BIG FM,103.0 AIR FM and 91.1 Red FM.

Cinema

Jhansi currently has two cinema halls which are operating rest are under construction.

1.Elite Cinema

2.Khilona Cinema

Sport

Postage stamp commemorating Rani Lakshmibai

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

Notable people associated with Jhansi

• Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, Raja of Jhansi State, 1838–53
• Rani Lakshmibai, queen consort of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao; queen 1853-58
• Chandra Shekhar Azad, Indian freedom fighter
• Major Dhyan Chand, Indian Army officer and hockey player for the national team of India
• Amit Singhal, senior vice-president at Google Inc.,responsible for developing Google search Algorithm
• Abdul Karim (the Munshi), an Indian Muslim attendant of Queen Victoria who served her during the final 15 years of her reign, gaining her maternal affection over that time
• Ashok Kumar (field hockey), former player of Indian national hockey team.
• Dr Saumitra Rawat, an eminent surgeon, Chairman and Head, Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. The Government of India honoured him in 2015 with the award of Padma Shri.
• Tushar Khandekar, player of Indian national hockey team.
• Subodh Mukherjee, director / producer / writer of Hindi cinema, his hits include Dev Anand starer Paying Guest, Munimji and Love Marriage (Some part of the movie were shooted at Jhansi with Bipin Bihari Inter college in background), and Junglee.
• Dr. Sudhangsu Mohan Bhowmick, Railway Doctor (1952-80)
• Subodh Khandekar, Olympian hockey player.
• Maithilisharan Gupt, most famous modern Hindi poets.
• Joy Mukherjee, Indian Ace Actor and Director.
• Pankaj Mishra, Indian essayist and novelist.
• Sashadhar Mukherjee, producer in Hindi films.
• Edward Angelo, Australian politician born in Jhansi, 1870
• Alexander Archdale, English actor who had a very long career in both the theatre and in film.
• Michael Bates (actor), English actor. He was best known for playing Cyril Blamire in Last of the Summer Wine (1973–75) and Rangi Ram in It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–77).
• Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard, explorer, adventurer, big-game hunter and marksman who made a significant contribution to sniping practice within the British Army during the First World War.
• Piyush Jha, film director and screenwriter and novelist of Indian origin.
• Vinod Kumar Bansal, Bansal classes, kota.

Jhansi in literature

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." 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. In each novel the main character is a British army officer named Colonel Rodney Savage, one 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.

Jhansi also appears as the backdrop for a portion of the George MacDonald Fraser novel Flashman in the Great Game set just before and during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

See also

• Barua Sagar

External links

• Jhansi travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website