My Experience in "Land of Thousand Gardens" Hazaribag (Jharkhand)

The term Hazribagh's etymological significance is 'A City of Thousand Gardens'. Occupying an area of 6147 sq. km and located at 23.98° N 85.35° E, Hazaribag is 2019 ft high above sea level in the Chotanagpur Plateau. Hazaribag, with its panoramic rhapsodies, congenial salubrious climate abounds in lush verdant flora. The eminent tourist spots include Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, Hazaribag Lake and Canary Hills. In very early times the district was covered with inaccessible forests to which non- Aryan tribes who refused to surrender to the steadily advancing Aryans, retired at different times. The entire territory of Chhotanagpur, known as Jharkhand (meaning forest territory) was presumably beyond the pale of district Hindu influence in ancient India. Though out the Turko-Afghan period (up to 1526), the area remained virtually free from external influence. It was only with the accession of Akbar to the throne of Delhi in 1556, that Muslim influence penetrated Jharkhand, then known to the Mughals as Kokrah. And then the saga of exploitation started, even though, no significant development took place but on the name of development the area was divided after 1991 census. The district of Hazaribag has been divided into three separate districts viz. Hazaribag, Chatra and Koderma. The two sub-divisions namely Chatra and Koderma were upgraded to the status of independent districts.

Hazaribag

People here forgot the importance of forest and started cutting trees for there own needs and grievances loosing out the forest cover, even today government challenges to have forest but only on the base of green forest cover. The coal mines and the recent fire in the coal mice created a havoc. Recent study says because of the coal mine and fire burning in there generating a gas cover which is spreading over the atmosphere creating environmental changes in terms of climate of Hazaribag. The road side trees are being cut to broaden the Highway, dense forest if cut to fix rail lines. Once a hill stations now could only be cherished in our memories as no one is bothered to bring its glory back, Canary Hill is a popular spot for nature lovers. There is a guest house and a watch tower on the top of the hills. Canary hill got its name from the Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher , Culicicapa ceylonensis, a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. This is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia. Many populations are resident, but Himalayan birds migrate short distances to lower altitudes. The Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher breeds in hill forests and other wooded areas. It nests on a rock ledge or in a tree trunk and lays three or four eggs. The Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher is 13cm long. It is an upright long-tailed flycatcher. The adult has a grey head and breast, green upper parts, and bright yellow under parts. These birds are caught and are imprisoned into a wired cage in order to increase the aesthetic view of their home. During my stay in Hazaribag I have seen how the striped hyenas stay in the foot hills got disrupted due to city expansion which lead to hyena human encounters but till date no official complaint has been registered of any damage to human life, but yes the wild group hunt the cattle around which may lead to a serious issue. Recently a proposal has been submitted for setting up a tiger and deer safari at the place, a good news but if we cant maintain what we had how can we maintain the things to come. Just an open ended thought, the scene is same every were just give it a thought.

Grey-headed Canary-flycatchers after which Canary Hill got its Name

Types Hyenas in the foot hills of Canary Hill