Jhansi, u.p.

This article is about the city in Uttar Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Jhansi district.
Jhansi
View From Jhansi Fort towards the city
View From Jhansi Fort towards the city
Nickname(s):
City of Rani Lakshmi Bai
Jhansi is located in Uttar Pradesh JhansiJhansi
Coordinates: 25°26′55″N 78°34′11″ECoordinates: 25°26′55″N 78°34′11″E
Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
Region Bundelkhand
District Jhansi
Founded by Raja of Orchha
Government
• Mayor Kiran Verma (Bharatiya Janata Party)
• SSP Sabha Raj
Elevation 285 m (935 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• City 505,693[1]
• Rank 57
• Metro 547,638[2]
Languages
• Official Hindi
• Other Bundeli
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 284001-2-3-4
Telephone code 0510
Vehicle registration UP-93
Sex ratio ♂ 0.905 : ♀ 1.000
Literacy 83.02%[3]
Avg. summer temperature 47 °C (117 °F)
Avg. winter temperature 4.0 °C (39.2 °F)
Website jhansi.nic.in
Jhansi (About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi district and Jhansi division. Called the Gateway to Bundelkhand, Jhansi is situated between the rivers Pahuj and Betwa at an average elevation of 285 metres (935 feet). It is about 415 kilometres (258 mi) from New Delhi and 292 kilometres (181 mi) from Lucknow.

The original walled city grew around its stone fort which crowns a neighbouring rock. The ancient name of the city was Balwantnagar.[citation needed] From 1817 to 1854, Jhansi was the capital of the princely state of Jhansi which was ruled by Maratha rajas. The state was annexed by the British Governor General in 1854; Damodar Rao's claim to the throne was rejected but Rani Lakshmibai ruled it from June 1857 to June 1858.

Jhansi is well connected to all other major towns in Uttar Pradesh by road and railway networks. The National Highways Development Project has supported development of Jhansi.Srinagar to Kanyakumari North-West corridor passes through Jhansi as does the East-West corridor; consequently there has been a sudden rush to infrastructure and real estate development in the city. A greenfield airport development has been planned.[4] On 28 August, 2015 Jhansi was selected among 98 cities for smart city initiative by Government of India
Etymology[edit]

Karak Bijli Toop; one of the cannon at the fort
According to a legend the Raja of Orchha was sitting on the roof of his palace with his friend, the Raja of Jaitpur, and asked the latter whether he could discern this new fort that he had built on Bangara hill, and he replied that he could see it 'jhainsi' (meaning rather indistinct). This name 'Jhainsi' in course of time became corrupted to 'Jhansi'. It was one of the most strategically situated forts of central India being built on an elevated rock rising out of the plain and commanding the city and the surrounding country.

History[edit]
In the 18th century the town of Jhansi served as the capital of a Maratha province and later the Princely State of Jhansi from 1804 till 1853, when the territory became a part of British India. Hansari was another princely state near Jhansi, having a revenue of 40000 and a 4 gun salute.[citation needed] Dada Narayan Singh Yadav was a great leader of the Indian National Congress and was on familiar terms with the former Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi.[citation needed]

Demographics[edit]
Religions in Jhansi City, 2011 Census data[8]
Religion Percent
Hindus

81.10%
Muslims

16.51%
Others†

2.39%
Distribution of religions[8]
† Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
According to the 2011 census, Jhansi has a population of 505,693, its urban agglomeration a population of 547,638. The literacy rate of Jhansi is 83.02%, higher than the state average of 67.68%. The sex ratio is 905 females for every 1000 males.[8] Jhansi city has 57th rank among the most populated cities of India, according to the 2011 census.

Jhansi Cantonment[edit]
According to the Indian Census of 2001[9] there were 21,917 people in Jhansi Cantonment, of whom 56% were male and 44% female (men 12,264; women 9,653; children 2,612). The rate of literacy was 80%.

Geography and climate[edit]
Jhansi is located at 25.4333 N 78.5833 E. It has an average elevation of 284 metres (935 feet).[10] Jhansi lies on the plateau of central India, an area dominated by rocky relief and minerals underneath the soil. The city has a natural slope in the north as it is on the south western border of the vast Tarai plains of Uttar Pradesh and the elevation rises on the south.


Jhansi (a view from the hill of Sipri)
The land is suitable for species of citrus fruit and crops include wheat, pulses, peas, and oilseeds. The region relies heavily on Monsoon rains for irrigation purposes. Under an ambitious canal project (the Rajghat canal), the government is constructing a network of canals for irrigation in Jhansi and Lalitpur and some part of Madhya Pradesh. The trade in agricultural products (including grain and oilseeds) is of great economic importance.[11] The city is also a centre of brassware manufacture.[12]

Climate[edit]
Main article: Climate of Uttar Pradesh
Being on a rocky plateau, Jhansi experiences extreme temperatures. Winter begins in October with the retreat of the Southwest Monsoon (Jhansi does not experience any rainfall from the Northeast Monsoon) and peaks in mid-December. The mercury generally reads about 4 degrees minimum and 21 degrees maximum. Spring arrives by the end of February and is a short-lived phase of transition. Summer begins by April and summer temperatures can peak at 47 degrees in May. The rainy season starts by the third week of June (although this is variable year to year). Monsoon rains gradually weaken in September and the season ends by the last week of September. In the rainy season, the average daily high temperature hovers around 36 degrees Celsius with high humidity. The average rainfall for the city is about 900 mm per year, occurring almost entirely within the three-and-a-half months of the Southwest Monsoon. In summer Jhansi experiences temperatures as high as 45-47 degrees and in winter the temperatures fall as low as 0-1 degrees (