Palkot is a village in the Palkot CD block in the Basia subdivision of the

Gumla district Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Etymology For centuries, the place was a meeting center for people from the hinterland who flocked ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

History

During 18th century, Nagvanshi king Yadunath Shah shifted his capital from

Navratangarh Navratangarh (Doisagarh) was one of the capitals of the Nagvanshi dynasty, who ruled parts of what is now the state of Jharkhand, India. It is located in Sisai block of Gumla district. It is said that king Durjan Shah shifted his capital from Kh ...

to Palkot due to Mughal invasion. The fort and temples of Lalgarh built by Nagvanshi king during their reign. In 1870, Nagvanshi shifted their capital to

Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to r ...

. But one branch left in Palkot. Initially Nagvanshi were Shaivite, but the daughter of King of Rewa brought idol of Durga with her after marriage. Then worship of Durga started among Nagvanshis. Since then Durga Puja festival have been organised in Palkot.

Geography

Location

Palkot is located at Palkot, at an altitude of around above mean sea level, forms the boundary "between the Ranchi peneplain surface and the rugged south-west of the

Chota Nagpur Plateau The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...

. Geologically, it is an area of intrusive granite formations with abundance of granite exposed in the hills around the area." The ''Pahaad'' (Palkot hill) and other photogenic granite exposures have attracted world-wide attention.

Area overview

The map alongside presents a rugged area, consisting partly of flat-topped hills called ''pat'' and partly of an undulating plateau, in the south-western portion of

. Three major rivers – the Sankh, South Koel and North Karo - along with their numerous tributaries, drain the area. The hilly area has large deposits of

Bauxite Bauxite () is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)), and diaspore (α-AlO(OH) ...

. 93.7% of the population lives in rural areas. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the district. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Civic administration

There is a police station at Palkot. The headquarters of Palkot block CD block are located at Palkot village.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Palkot had a total population of 8,945, of which 4,413 (49%) were males and 4,532 (51%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 1,296. The total number of literate persons in Palkot was 5,638 (73.71% of the population over 6 years). (*For language details see Palkot block#Language and religion)

Education

Pumpapur Inter College is a Hindi-medium coeducational institution established in 1999. It has facilities for teaching in classes XI and XII. It has a playground, a library with 3,000 books and has 3 computers for teaching and learning purposes. Kandarp High School Palkot is a Hindi-medium coeducational institution established in 1950. It has facilities for teaching from class VIII to class XII. The school has a playground and a library with 206 books. Project Girls High School Palkot is a Hindi-medium girls only institutionestablished in 1982. It has facilities for teaching from class VIII to class X. The school has a library with 405 books.

Culture

Palkot has a 350-years old Sati-Math that commemorates the sati committed by the Maharani of Chotanagpur who immolated herself after her husband’s death. Gobar Silli Hill, 25 km from Gumla and near Palkot, attracts tourists with its mysterious rocks. "The main attraction is the five huge rocks piled up upon each other in an awkward position". Added to it is a lot of mythology and local hear-say.

References

External links

{{South Chotanagpur Division Villages in Gumla district