Top things to do in JAMSHEDPUR – “Steel city of Jharkhand”

May 19, 2025

Where nature creates Hills and Forest and manmade lake, parks, dam. The amalgamations of nature and man’s creativity. The city is called Steel City. We had planned the three-day short trip to India’s first ever planned city – JAMSHEDPUR, also known as TATANAGAR. The largest city in Jharkhand and the city is situated on the Chota Nagapur plateau in Singhbhum district. The Steel City is enclosed by Dalma Hill and the Subarnarekha River.

JAMSHEDPUR AT A GLANCE -

Climate: Pleasant
Summers: 42 degree C (Maximum), 30 degree C (Minimum)
Winters: 25 degree C (Maximum), 8 degree C (Minimum)
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Must Visits: Jubilee Park, Tata Steel Zoological Park, Sir Dorabji Tata Park, Hudco Lake, Rivers Meet, Rankini Mandir and more.
Language Spoken: Hindi, English & somewhere Bengali also.
STD Code: 0657

“Founded by a Parsi, planned by an American,
Named by a British viceroy, and
Landscaped by a German botanist
—few Indian cities match Jamshedpur’s plural lineage.”

– Natgeotraveller

Back in December 2018, I had received a surprise offer from my elder sister for a three-day weekend trip to Jamshedpur. Needless to say, that first trip remains one of my favourites yet. By Gitanjali Express from Howrah, we reached Steel City just before dinner (Train was arrived on time). A cloudy, dusty, foggy city welcomed us to inherit its essence. Every nook & corner of the most prominent industrial city tells us about its own story. From the station, we had travel to Sakchi, which is the city's core, including major marketplaces and a few residential districts. It's a residential neighbourhood with a cum market. The city's oldest section contains several buildings with older architectural types, as well as the larger goods stores. Jamshedpur was formed in the hamlet of Sakchi. akchi is home to famous shopping malls and a number of restaurants. Sakchi is surrounded by well- developed locations such as Bistupur, Kadma, Sonari, Baradwari, Mango and Sidhgora.

Tegor hill | Pic. by @pajamatraveller

People’s Talk……
“According to some people who have seen Tatanagar 80–90 years back as a child, today, where we have Aambagan maidan near the Present Masjid, there used to be a single line railway track which used to carry sand for the factory. It does not exist anymore. The mode of transport in Jamshedpur city was Buggy and Taxis. There were single lane roads with old British-style street lamps. Mostly, the roads between Sakchi and Bistupur were surrounded by jungles.” @wiki

DAY One - Next day morning started with coffee and had breakfast with Club Kachori and Sabji, and decided to discover the city. The city has returned more than what we are expecting.

CHANDIL LAKE: –

Morning view of CHANDIL LAKE from Chandil dam | Pic. by @pajamatraveller

The trip started from Chandil Lake. Which is located on the Ramelin – Tata Highway of NH–33 in Chandil Block of Saraikella – Khansawan district. Chandil Dam is also standing in this place. A famous place for picnic goers. The Dam is 220 mt in height. Chandil Lake has huge importance in the tourism sector. The lake is also famous for its adventure sports. The Kakori River, which originates from Hundru Waterfalls, merges with the Subarnarekha River here at Chandil. The museum is located close to the Dam. There are scripts written on rocks that are 2000 yrs old. You can enjoy the landscape from the top of the Dam, which is surrounded by green mountains, hills and rivers.

DIMAN LAKE -

Dimna lake and dam | Pic. by @pajamatraveller

After Chandil, we had travelled 35 km for manmade lake, Dimna. From Jamshedpur, it is about 13 km. It is close to Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary at the foothills of the Dimna Mountain range. Tata Group built this as a water reservoir for Industrial use as well as city use. The lake is also a favourite Sunday picnic spot for local residents. After spending some refreshing moments with nature, we had lunch nearby Dhaba with Jeera Rice, Dal Makhani, Papad, Mix Veg dish and Kadai Chicken with Salad.

JUBILEE PARK -

Jubilee park | Pic. by @pajamatraveller

Then we moved towards the city for Jubilee Park. It is situated at the heart of the city. Built on the concept of the famous Brindavan Garden of Bangalore. The park is also known as the “Mughal Gardens of Jamshedpur”. The park is spread over 225 acres of land covered with huge trees, flowers, a mini zoo, a boating complex, an amusement park, a fountain laser show and many more. The Jubilee Park was built by Tata Steel on its Golden Jubilee year in 1956 and inaugurated by J.L.Nehru. After the laser show in the park, we had leave for the evening food trail.

Hudco Lake: In Telco Colony, a beautiful park and picnic spot with an artificial waterfall and man-made lake. The hillock nearby provides a panoramic view of the surrounding areas.

Sir Dorabji Tata Park: Near Keenan Stadium. Hosts Jamshedpur's annual flower show in December. Manicured lawns, flower beds and brilliantly lit fountains provide a delightful touch of colour to the ark.

Bhatia Park: Situated at Shastri Nagar along the banks of the Subernareka River. Located at Uliyaan, Kadma.

Keenan Stadium: The well-known stadium where many international cricket matches are played, Keenan Stadium was regarded as India's most beautiful cricket stadium until Mohali came up. There have been many ODIs played here; unfortunately, India has lost most of them.

JRD Tata Sports Complex: This magnificent complex has an international-standard football ground and an eight-lane monosynthetic track. Facilities for other sports, viz., handball, tennis, volleyball, hockey, basketball, boxing, and table tennis, as well as a modern gymnasium, are available at the complex, which was the first of its kind in India.

Russi Mody Centre of Excellence (RMCE): A unique structure, just outside the Jubilee Park, designed by the famous architect,  Hafeez Contractor, is home to many professional associations of Jamshedpur. It also houses the Tata Steel Archives, where one can see documents relating to the history of the Steel Company and the city.

Gol Pahari Mandir: Situated just outside the city, Gol Pahari is famous for the Pahari Mandir, where Pahari Maa is the reigning deity. The temple (mandir) is built on a hill near the Tatanagar Railway Station. An annual festival is organised at the Railway Loco Colony to worship Pahari Maa.

Bhuvaneshwari Mandir: Located at Telco colony near VBCV School. Situated on top of a hill, it looks down on the South-Eastern stretch of the city. The view is very beautiful.

Jamshedpur is well connected to India by road & rail. The nearest airport is Sonari Airport, Airport Road, Sonari, and Jamshedpur (The airport is primarily designed to land chartered planes of the TATA Group) or at Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi, located around 150 km from Jamshedpur, while the Tatanagar Junction is the railway junction in Jamshedpur from where trains run to any major stations in the country. Since it is connected by national and state highways, both state-run and private buses ply regularly to the nearby cities. By road, Jamshedpur is accessible to all of India's main cities. The city is crossed by National Highway 33 (Bahragowda to Barhi), which links to National Highway No. 2, which connects Kolkata and Delhi.

How to Reach?

Nearest Airport:  The closest airport is Jamshedpur Airport (IXW), also called Sonari Airport, which is only 2.5 –4 km away. However, Birsa Munda Airport (IXR) in Ranchi, which is roughly 105 - 120 km away, provides better connectivity for major flights, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) in Kolkata is a crucial alternative for more options. Jamshedpur Airport (IXW-Sonari Airport) is the closest airport (limited flights): This is the most practical for short trips and is situated inside Jamshedpur; however, there are frequently few flying options. Large Airports with Improved Communication: Ranchi (Birsa Munda Airport, IXR) - About 105–120 km from Jamshedpur, Ranchi is a well-liked alternative with more airline options. A few hours away by car, Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is the main choice for numerous domestic and international connections.

Many major towns in Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa, including Ranchi (131 km), Patna, Gaya, and Kolkata, provide direct bus routes to Jamshedpur (both government and private) (250 km).

Where to stay –

There are various options of budget and luxurious hotels, and finding one through booking.com, where you should not face any problems.

FOOD TRAIL IN THE CITY –

Jamshedpur will provide a vast choice of cuisines, including Indian cuisine, vegetarian Italian dishes, Mughlai cuisine, South Indian snacks, and a variety of desserts. Chanachur, the city's hallmark dish, is the most delectable. There are also a lot of street vendors offering excellent foods, including chicken patties, dough patties with spicy sattu, chaats, and golgappas. The most famous eatery is Hari's Golgappa in Telco Colony, Bhatia’s milkshakes and Bauwwa ji’s chai near the X.L.R.I. business school, Tambi’s dosa near Sai Mandir, Fakira’s Chanachur  - near Kamani Centre, etc. Many sorts of sweets will be available in Jamshedpur, such as Laddus, Malpua, Rabri, and Rasmalai.

THE STREET FOOD WHILE EXPLORING THE CITY -

Jamshedpur, the city not only famous for Felco or Steel plant or industry activities. This city is also famous for its culinary specialities. This city has attracted many tourists for its food culture. Mainly, beugalies are established this city as their second home. Generally, we have noticed some mixed culture in this city includes foods and festivals. But don’t compare all those things with Kolkata. Just for the sake of this comparison with other cities' food culture. When you are in Jamshedpur, it’s time to explore this city and enjoy the mouthwatering street food, including dosa, chaat, momo, kulfi, golgappas, biriyani and many others. Don’t forget to try Chilli-Chokka's exclusive Jharkhandi food.

During my first visit to this planned city, I stayed at the Sakeki Bazaar area, just opposite Sabji Mandi (vegetable market). One of the most popular food joints in this city. Famous for tangy and spicy street food. Apart fromthe Sakeki area, you can explore the Bistupur area for a food trail. Now take a short trip to these places for scrumptious food at pocket friendly price tag.

Sakcki Bazar area is famous for panipuri or golgappa (puff ball made with wheat dough served with masala mixed aloo and tangy water). Charcoal grilled chicken at “Balbeer Grilled Chicken (BGC)”, Dosa hut for South Indian Gonsmets, Sukk Sagar is a perfect destination for vegetarians, for a sweet visit to Bhola Maharsing or Gangour, and many more. After the Sakchi Bazar food trail, you can take another food trail towards the Birhtupur area. It is around 3 to 4 km via Kharkai Link Road.

At Birhtupur, you can start your food journey at Manhor’s Chaat, near Basant Takies.

From Raja Chola Bhatura or Ram Sankar Chole Bhature or starts with rabals at Regal. Bishtupur area is famous for its signature dishes like Masala Dosa, Milk shakes at BHATIYA, Shrstha Litti Bhandar for traditional food. Litti-chokhe – there is a perfect Bihari food made with sattu. The ballsof dough, backed and dipped in ghee or rice bran oil and served with Chokhe, which is the perfect combination of smashed potato, eggplants, green chilli,and chaat masala mixture.

Important markets -

• Bistupur - All the major showrooms are on the main road. Best markets, fashion stores, car showrooms, and the best hotels and restaurants.
• Sakchi Bazaar - the "centre" of the city. Sakchi is present in the centre of Jamshedpur. Here you will get a very big market which is called Sakchi Bazaar, all types of malls, shops and showrooms you will get here.
• Kharangajhar - lying at the outskirts of Telco Colony, this is the most important market for the employees of Tata Motors.
• Sector Market, in Telco colony - Internet cafe, beauty parlour for both men and women, medical store and other stores.
• Golmuri - the largest wholesale market for grains and foodstuffs.
• Birsanagar Market – better known as the Sunday vegetable market.
• Amar Market, in Bistupur - the latest in youth fashion and footwear.
• Jawahar Market, in Bistupur - electronics, CDs, video games and fashion.
• Sanjay Market, in Sakchi - Similar to Amar Market.
• Tibet Market, in Golmuri - This is a seasonal market which is set up by Tibetans. It starts after Durga Puja and remains till February. Earlier, this market was set up in Sakchi (old Jail area), but a few years ago, it was shifted to the Golmuri Circus ground.

WEEKEND GATEWAY FROM JAMSHEDPUR –

• Deori Temple - about 70 km from Jamshedpur. This place is the worship point of sixteen armed goddess Durga. This is a divine place and people believe that Mother Durga fulfils the needs of the devotees.
• Sun Temple - about 90 km from Jamshedpur towards Ranchi. This place is the worship point of the Sun. Built in the form of a chariot being pulled by seven horses (the seven horses denote the seven days of the week), this is a beautiful place with a small picnic spot.
• Dassam Falls - about 100 km from Jamshedpur towards Ranchi, this is a beautiful waterfall. The best place to visit is from August to November. Please avoid getting into the water as this waterfall is also known for fatalities.
• Lupunghutu in Chaibasa - This place about 75 km from Jamshedpur and 5 km from chaibasa has a small wood where natural spring comes out of the roots of trees.
• Saraikela - about 45 km from Jamshedpur, this place is famous for the Chhau Dance and its sweet - "Saraikela Laddu". You can visit the royal palace and witness the Chhau at the school in its premises.
• Ghatshila - about 55 km.

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE CITY –

Apart from the Tata group of companies, Jamshedpur is also famous for those people which had made Jamshedpur proud.

There are famous and prestigious management institution XLRI and NIT, in Jamshedpur.

We have many people from Jamshedpur who are famous now in different fields, and some of them are as follows:-

• Varun Aron- Indian bowler and part of the current team India squad
• Imtiaz Ali - director; works include Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met, and Love Aaj Kal; writer of Indian cinema; born in Jamshedpur. Late Pratyusha Banerjee - Indian television actress
• Priyanka Chopra - Miss India World 2000, Miss World 2000 and Bollywood actress, born in Jamshedpur
• Raghubar Das - current Chief Minister of Jharkhand; born in Jamshedpur
• Jahar Dasgupta - artist, painter, President of the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata
• Astad Deboo - Padma Shree awardee; Indian contemporary dancer and choreographer and exponent of modern dance in India
• Gerald Durrell - (1925–1995), naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author, and television presenter
• Ishita Dutta- actress, born and raised in Jamshedpur
• Tanushree Dutta - Miss India Universe 2004 and Bollywood actress; born and raised in Jamshedpur
• Rajit Gadh - Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angles
• Sanjeev Jaiswal - Bollywood Actor.
• Rameesh Kailasam - Indian governance reform expert, born in Jamshedpur
• R. Madhawan - Indian Tamil cine star; born and brought up in Jamshedpur
• Purnima Mahato - coach of Indian archery team at the 2012 London Olympics
• Shweta Prasad - actress, born and raised in Jamshedpur
• Shilpa Rao - playback singer for Hindi films such as Aamir, Bachna Ae Haseeno, and Dev D
• Tuhin Sinha - Notable author.
  Abhinav Kumar from Loyola School (IIT AIR - 1, 1998), Jharkhand, had secured 92% marks in JEE, which was the highest up to 2011, and that too when the paper was subjective. But he didn’t join IIT and completed his BS from MIT in EECS, mathematics and physics in 2002 and did his PhD from Harvard. He is currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics at MIT.
• Udaan Movie - Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the film was shot among the locations in Jamshedpur were Hudco dam, Kaiser bungalow and the Circuit House area. The crew shot in Shimla for three days as well. (Answer edited).

What is bad about Jamshedpur?

Infact, the lack of civic sense is at its lowest here. Combined with a lack of space and infrastructure, the Sackchee and Bistupur areas are at their worst nowadays. One cannot stand there because of nonstop honking, abusive and highly arrogant tempo drivers with their vehicles in the middle of the road or in the middle of a crossroad.

No matter where you park your car, when you are leaving, someone will suddenly appear and demand parking charges, even if the place belongs to a government office or it's a deserted place.

The railway station has the height of the lack of “law and order”. More than 20 hooligans in their teams will be there, demanding money forcibly, even for reaching the drop area. One cannot bypass them, even the three-wheeler drivers. There have been gunfight incidents recently, but authorities are sleeping as always.

It's a mess outside the Tata Steel-controlled and cared-for area. You are blessed if you go out of it and come back without being shouted at or being snatched.

The quality of any service or good is average to poor. No matter what you pay, it is guaranteed that you will get substandard service.

People are highly money-minded. That is the main reason, every aspect of a good life is moving downward. This will never change as it’s an industrial town with industry mentality, which works for its own profit.

“Get everything free from corporate or from those who have it by their hard work”, this mentality of the less privileged has to be changed.

Political parties are biased on local issues. They don't have a broader vision for the overall progress of Jharkhand. Their thought process is not ‘all-inclusive’. When it comes to taking, only people of Jharkhand should get, meaning “Tribal” only. The bona fide persons are only those whose ancestors had registered a piece of land before 1930. People settled afterwards are not eligible for local resources and opportunities. No matter, one’s grandfather and father had spent their lives for the development of Jharkhand.

On the contrary, the same political parties make a big noise for the same rights of the people of Jharkhand throughout India, which they deny here for so called outsider.

Fortunately, the present government has come up with a broader and long-term vision for the development of Jharkhand. Let's hope the situation will improve in the distant future

** Ajai Singh - Educational Consultant at Academy of Dental) - Lives in Varanasi, India (2020-present), Updated September 21, 2017