Day 11 of the cycle · East

Jharkhand

Jharkhand, which came into being on 15 November 2000 as the 28th State of the Union, is the homeland of the tribals who had dreamed of a separate state for a long time. According to legend, Raja Jai Singh Deo of Odisha had declared himself the ruler of Jharkhand in the 13th century.

It largely comprises the forest tracts of the Chhotanagpur Plateau and Santhal Pargana, and has distinct cultural traditions. Jharkhand is bound by West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the west, Bihar in the north and Odisha in the south.

The State has an area of 79,714 sq km, of which 18,423 sq km is forest land. Agriculture and allied activities are the major sources of Jharkhand's economy.