Jharkhand, naturally!
AS one traverses through the serpentine, lush-green, 20-km stretch along the Hazaribagh Wildlife National Park , one discovers slogans like “Jungle is God’s temple!” and “Shoot, but don’t shoot!” — invoking a sense of conservation for flora and fauna. Although these oneliners are mostly seen, read and forgotten, their essence seems to have been well-preserved by the aboriginal inhabitants of the region. And it is for this reason perhaps that Jharkhand today is what it looks like: “Mother Nature’s Own State” — original and pure! Having come into being as recently as November 2000, the state’s mineral riches — iron, coal, copper, mica and uranium, among others — account for 40 per cent of the total mineral wealth of the country. It has a good industrial base as well. However, with 29 per cent of its total area under forest cover, the state boasts of great eco-tourism potential. Evergreen forests, wildlife, lakes, waterfalls, scenic beauty, health and holiday resorts coupled with a temp...