Mass death of crows creates puzzle and scare in Jharkhand   Jamshedpur: according to a number of reports in the past few weeks, thousands of crows have been dying in different parts of Jharkhand for reasons that are yet to be found. The panic has now resulted in a visit from a high-level joint team of the United Nations and Union government to Jharkhand recently. The panic is caused by the simple fact that crows tend to hover around human settlements and stay in close contact with humans. In apprehension, the state authorities have now issued a blanket alert to all the 24 districts,... 

Now a Mercedes Benz bus service: Patna-Tata-Ranchi-Gaya!   Patna: now bus rides between Bihar and Jharkhand will compare with the smoothest and best of experiences had travelling between myriads of routes between Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad-Bangalore-Chennai and further down south. According to reports, a Mercedes Benz luxury bus service between Bihar and Jharkhand with GPRS, TV and WI FI facilities will begin from December 12. The buses each cost Rs 1.20 crore and would run between Patna and Tata, Ranchi and Gaya. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rode one of the buses between Raj Bhawan... 

Two great art forms from Jharkhand: Sohrai and Khovar!   Traditionally, tribals artists and householders in Jharkhand have been using natural colours to make Sohrai and Khovar paintings on walls, caves but in recent times they have taken to paper. This is very much like the famous Madhubani paintings of Bihar which are now found on fabrics and ceramics. Sohrai form is made during the festive season of Diwali and harvest times while khovar [Kohbar?] is made during weddings. Avoiding synthetic colours, Sohrai artists use red, black, yellow and white soils, cow dung, coal and powdered leaves... 

A combing operation in Saranda forest: to document its plants and animals!   Ranchi: according to reports, Saranda has received some unexpected attention from scientists at a time when it has become synonymous with Maoist menace rather than as Asia’s largest Sal [Shorea robusta] forest that it is.  As part of an exercise before the Union ministry of environment and forest gives its final approval to Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for mining and industrial activity at mineral-rich Manoharpur and Chiria, a state government expert committee has carried out a survey on Saranda’s... 

Two major historical sites in Jharkhand to be excavated: Itkhori and Kabra-Kala!   Ranchi: latest reports from Jharkhand bring the pleasant news that two historical sites Bhadrakali Temple at Itkhori, Chatra and the Kabra-Kala mound, on the right bank of river Son in Palamau are to be excavated by the Ranchi circle of the Archeological Society of India [ASI]. Even though the excavation work will begin by the month end and may take two years to complete, the taking over by the ASI will immediately ensure that the vandals and antique hunters in the area are kept at bay, a fear that applies... 

New Indian women’s hockey captain: Asunta from Lakra family of Simdega!   “] Asunta Lakra[leftRanchi: news is Simdega district’s Asunta Lakra has been selected as the captain of the Indian senior women’s hockey team for a four-nation tournament to be played in Argentina from December 7 to 18. Apart from India, and Argentina, South Africa and Ireland will play during the tourney. India will play its first match on December 7 against Argentina at Buenos Aires. Asunta, who has been representing India since 2000, is a veteran centre-half with the experience of around 80 international... 

Jharkhand has almost no mukhiya-patis: a lesson for Bihar  panchayats   Ranchi: according to reports, unlike the women mukhiyas of Bihar, the Jharkhand women mukhiyas are proving to be more independent minded and less likely to be dominated and overshadowed by their husbands – who have found the title of mukhiya-patis in Bihar over time. These mukhiya-patis even acquired a semi-official status by attending formal meetings, with the actual mukhiyas confined to putting down their signatures or thumb prints on pieces of paper. The Bihar government, embarrassed by reports on the phenomenon... 

Mapping Madhu Koda’s money trail: from Jharkhand to Dubai and further…   Ranchi/Delhi/Dubai: it is not very often that a common citizen gets to see the trail of funds that corrupt politicians leave behind them. Taking the advice of experts at the game, politicians and bureaucrats make the money vanish somewhere on the distant horizon, even when the vigilance agencies are able to pin them down for the missing money. According to a recent report, at least part of the ex-CM of Jharkhand Madhu Koda’s money trail has been made visible with the arrest of his money manager Sanjay Chaudhari... 

Green Diwali: Ranchi Club takes admirable initiatives!   Ranchi: according to reports, Ranchi Club has taken an initiative that should be seen as an example not simply by clubs in Jharkhand, Bihar and the neighbouring areas, but also by large and wealthy households whose Diwali economics works more or less like a club – mounds of crackers and fireworks go up just to show the power and the presence of the family in the neighbourhood and the city. While, it is futile to sermonize over restraint on show of money power on the occasion of a festival of wealth, examples like that of Ranchi... 

Jharkhand, land of many tongues in a tangle: Bhojpuri, Maithili want their place too!   Ranchi: in a new development, the Jharkhand governor Syed Ahmed has returned a bill passed by the state Assembly on September 3 which accorded the second status to 11 languages. The governor has asked the state government to respond to issues raised by some language speaking groups such as Maithili and Bhojpuri.  As reported earlier by bihardays , the Assembly had passed a new language bill giving second official language status to five tribal languages Santhali, Ho, Kurukh, Mundari and Kharia and...