Bokaro Steel City - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

• Bokaro Steel Plant - Bokaro Steel Plant(23°40′16″N 86°06′16″E / 23.671136°N 86.104531°E / 23.671136; 86.104531) is one of the largest steel mills in the country, with an output capacity of more than five million tonnes of steel. The plant also has a power plant, now being run by Bokaro power Supply Company Ltd., a 50–50 joint venture between SAIL and DVC. The plant is undergoing a modernization program, and the increased demand for steel over the last couple of years saw all the blast furnaces in the company becoming operational together for the first time. The company has about 30000 employees on its rolls as of 2005. d.

• Garga Dam is located around 12 km from the city centre, Near to railway station on the NH-23. It is a picnic spot for the citizens of Bokaro. The green surroundings and variety of aquatic habitat residing in and around Garga Dam lures school excursions and biological expeditions to the area The dam is constructed for the use of the steel plants as well as for a water supply for the people.

• Parasnath Hills - Parasnath Hills are a range of hills located in Giridih district of Jharkhand. The highest peak is 1350 metres. In Jainism, the Parasnath hills are referred to as Shri Sammet Shikhar Teerth (Shikharji). They are one of the two most prominent Jain pilgrimage centers, the other being Shetrunjaya, located in Gujarat state of Western India. The hill is named after Parasnath, the 23rd Tirthankara. Twenty of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras attained salvation on this hill. According to some, nine Tirthakaras attained salvation on this hill.

• Rajrappa is a tourist place and is famous for the 'Chinnamasta Temple' which is situated on the bank of the confluence of the rivers Bhairavi and Damodar. The temple is nestled amidst dense greenery eight kilometres from the Colony. The place gets its name from the temple which is known as 'Rajrappa Mandir'. Rajrappa is 60 km from the Bokaro Steel City.

• Bokaro Ispat Pustakalaya, located near Bokaro Hotel, has a collection of over 40,000 books (including some valuable manuscripts) that meets the reading requirements of the people in the township. It is managed by the management of the steel plant.

• City Centre, Bokaro is the main shopping district of the city. The difference between the market and most other major markets in Indian cities is in the ample parking space, and the wide approach and market roads. The centre has all major Indian banks, shops for clothing, electronics, and food joints. There are two cinemas - Jeetendra and Pali Plaza. The latest comers to the market are coaching institutes, small clinics, and hospitals.

• Siwandih Large number of migrants from bihar, UP are living and working in Bokaro Steel plant. A place on outskirt of steel city has view of mini India with it various faces living togeather.

• Buddha Vihar is located in Sector-IV/D. This is the single place in Bokaro for the Buddhists religious gathering.

• Gayatri Mandir is located in Sector-9/A. People visit the place during the morning and evening for the daily prayer. Navmi puja at Gayatri mandir is also famous. Khichri is distributed as the prasad on the occasion of Navmi puja.

• Aaiyappa Mandir is located in Sector-5, it is an important social, cultural and religious meeting place for people from the south.

• Ram Mandir, located in the Sector-1/C, is the most famous mandir dedicated to Lord Ram and smaller other mandirs encircling it dedicated to other gods and goddesses. The Ram Mandir market is known for its coffee house, batata poori, chat, samosa, phuchka and egg-rolls. Ram Mandir houses one of the oldest markets of Bokaro. The airport is 1 km from Ram Mandir.

• Jagannath Temple, located in Sector-4, ia a newly built temple. The temple is a replica of the famous temple in Puri, Orissa.

• Kali Mandir, located in Sector-8, is one of the oldest temples of the city. As the name suggests, the temple is dedicated to one of the incarnations of Shakti, Goddess Kali. Besides the religious activities it is also a major socializing place for the Bengalis of the city. The temple organizes an annual painting competition attended by hundreds of students from the schools of the city.

• Sai Baba Sansthan is located in Sector - 6 near the TV tower. Daily aartis at morning 5.30 Kakar Aarti, 6.30 Abhishek Aarti, 12.00 Noon Dhoop Aarti, at evening 6.00 p.m. Sandhya Aarti and 9.00 pm Shez Aarti are performed. A special aarti is performed every Thursday 8.00 p.m.

• City Park - Bokaro has a City Park with an artificial lake and three artificial islands. These islands were designed in Japanese style. The park used to have some animals but they were transferred to the Jawaharlal Botanical Garden in the early 1990s. There is a small guest house that is used to host parties for visiting dignitaries. The park hosts an annual Basant Mela (Spring Fiesta) in early February.

• Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park is the biggest zoological garden in Jharkhand, was built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It has animals and birds from different parts of the world, with the big cats being the biggest attractions. The zoo came into limelight after multiple breedings of white tigers, royal Bengal tigers, and the Asiatic lion. The cubs were sent to zoos in India and abroad, since the available resources were not good enough to cater to the needs of so many big cats. Boating is allowed in the artificial lake created within the park. There is a kids corner near the bear cage and adjacent to it is a small dam.

• Chas - Once a small grain trading hub of the region, this town first became famous during the Second World War when the British government used it as a base to supply soldiers fighting on the eastern front against the Japanese. After the decision of government of India to establish the Bokaro Steel Plant it gained in stature. It was the administrative headquarters of the area when Bokaro was a part of Dhanbad district, and later when Bokaro became a district. The headquarters were moved to the steel township.

• Chira Chas - Chira Chas is a suburb of Bokaro and Chas and is located on the eastern fringe of the city, beyond the Garga river. Chira Chas is notable for the real estate boom and many housing projects and integrated townships, coming up within its scenic environs.Chira Chas is home to famous Sri Sri Kalika Maharani Temple.

• Pupunki Ashram is the last Kasba on the Bokaro Dhanbad route. The village, with its fields and fishery ponds, is squeezed between NH-32, the Bokaro-Chandrapura railway line and the Damodar river. Opposite to the village across the NH-32 is the pious Pupunki Ashram "The Multiversity". Established by Akhanda Mandaleshwer Sri Sri Swami Swarupananda Paramhansha Deva, popularly known as Babamani. This Ashram was a home for Gurus who used to harbour Gaushalas with hundreds of students being imparted scientific and spiritual knowledge. The place is a popular picnic spot.