A moment to trigger nostalgia...

Date: 2nd April, 2011
Time: 2249 hours (in my watch)

Place: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Incident: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hits a six over long on boundary

Result: India wins the 2011 World Cup

What happens next: It brings back old memories of a city in which I have stayed for a long time, since my birth

Which City?

RANCHI!!!

Why?

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hails from Ranchi, and has studied at DAVJVM.

What's the significance of the four words after the comma in the previous sentence?

I too have studied in DAVJVM :) , albeit only for four years :(

Nevertheless, I take privilege in writing few things about what makes Ranchi special.

Firayalal: Firayalal is one of the oldest landmarks of Ranchi. It is this place from which the city started spreading. This happens to be the heart of the city. The Mahatma Gandhi Road, popularly known as the Main Road starts from this place.  FIRAYALAL means ‘one stop’ for all requirements of a family. It has been one of the most prominent shopping places in the city. And not to forget, the decades old 'Softy' icecream which you get in its entrance; no icecream can taste as good as the softy available in Firayalal.

Church Complex: The Church Complex on the main road is the first shopping arcade in Ranchi. It houses some of the oldest shops in Ranchi, such as the Playhouse (my childhood toy store :P), the Big Shop, one of the first clothes departmental store, and the best restaurant in Ranchi, the Kaveri Restaurant, apart from the Krishna and the Godavari restaurant.

Punjab Sweet House: Punjab Sweet House is one of the oldest and the most famous sweet shops in Ranchi. It is bang opposite to the Church Complex. No other restaurant at Ranchi might be having the kinds of sweets as found here, not to mention the Chhole Bathure and the Masala Dosa.

Kashmir Vastralaya: Kashmir Vastralaya is another landmark on the main road, in which one can get some of the best woolen wear.

The Tagore Hill: The Tagore hill is named after the celebrated literary figure Rabindranath Tagore. It is said that Asia's first Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore wrote numerous articles and books while sitting on the top of the hill. The scenery and peaceful location of the hill served as an ideal setting for Tagore to write something innovative and inspiring. Thousands of tourists come to visit this historical place during their Ranchi itinerary. One can have a panoramic view of the whole Ranchi city, while standing on the top of the hill. There is an ancient castle on the hill in an irregular form. In spite of its incomplete structure, the architecture of the castle attracts the tourists. The views of the surrounding areas embody serenity, and the ambience reflects nothing but solitude.

(The hill was visible in the eastern sky, from the balcony of our home)

Morabadi Ground: This ground is one of the major grounds in Ranchi. It has been home to many political ralies. It is also a major center of sporting activities, flying kites, learning driving (I started here) and enjoying the wind :)

Ranchi Hill: Ranchi hill is a hill situated in the city's heart. It has a temple atop it.

Ranchi Lake: Below the Ranchi hill is the Ranchi Lake. It is the biggest lake in Ranchi.

Kankey Dam: Kankey Dam is situated in the northern part of the city. It has a big man-made lake, where Chhath celebrations occur every year. I have stayed very close to it in my chioldhood.

Shyamli: The Shamyli colony is a residential colony meant for the employees of MECON. However, it is a throughfare, unlike many other government residential colonies. Therefore, this is a part of the city, where roads are clean, wide, and the environment is green.

DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir: DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, popularly known as DAVJVM is the biggest school in Ranchi, in terms of size and population. This is the place where Mr Mahendra Singh Dhoni spent his academic years (and even I did :))

Places around Ranchi:

Dasham Falls: Dasham means ten. Since ages and till today, whenever the waterfall is seen, ten streams of water can be seen falling. Hence, the waterfalls is known as Dasham Falls. The Dasham Falls is a natural cascade across the Kanchi River, a tributary of the Subarnarekha River. The water falls from a height of 44 metres. The sound of water echoes from a good distance, around the place. Dasham Falls is at one of the edges of the Ranchi plateau is one of the many scarp falls in the region.

Hundru Falls: The Hundru Falls is created on the course of the Subarnarekha River, where it falls from a height of 98 metres, creating one of the highest water falls in India (34th highest).

Jonha Falls: It is the third major waterfalls in Ranchi. It is 40 kms from the city, situated on the Purulia Road.


























Other Falls: Other falls include the ones at Panchghat and Hirni.


Ranchi has few dhabas near it, on National Highway 33, on the way to Hazaribagh. The ones at Ormanjhi are the best.


The list of attractions in and around the city is exhaustive. One has to travel to this place to experience it. I had lost some amount of emotional touch with this city. Though I am proud of Dhoni, since he is the only cricketer from Ranchi, and one of the very few from east India, I have never felt as much proud of Ranchi till Dhoni lifted the World Cup. Ranchi rocks!!! :)