Godda is a town with a municipality in the Godda subdivision of the Godda district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the headquarter of the Godda district. Godda experiences a tropical wet and dry climate, and the basic seasons in this region are summers, winters and the monsoon.
History
As a consequence of the Santhal rebellion of 1845-55 the district of Santhal Paragna was created from portions of Bhagalpur and Birbhum. Godda was a part of undivided Santhal Pargana district until 1981 census. Later, the old Godda sub-division of Santhal Pargana was separated and formed as a new district. The district of Godda was created on 17 May 1983 out of old Santhal Pargana district which was upgraded to the level of division. Godda, the only one town of the district, is the headquarters of Godda district, Godda subdivision and Godda block.
GeographyGodda is located at 24.83°N 87.22°E. It has an average elevation of 77 metres (252 feet). Godda came into existence as the 55th district of undivided Bihar on 25 May 1983. After the bifurcation of Bihar into Jharkhand state on 15 November 2000, it was one of 18 districts of Jharkhand. National Highway 133 (NH-133) passes through the city of Godda.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Godda had a total population of 48,480, of which 25,707 (53%)
Agriculture is predominant in the region and rice, wheat and maize are the main crops grown here, along with vegetables, linseed and sugarcane. Fruits like mango, banana, jack fruit, plum grown in the region. Some small & middle scale industries are also present in Godda.[citation needed]
Jindal Steel & Powers at Tesubathan (Sunderpahari) came here with 1320 MW capacity of thermal power plant.
Adani Power or Adani Godda is establishing its 1600 MW thermal power plant at Godda and it will become India’s first power sector Special Economic Zone.
Rajmahal Coal Mining Ltd, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Groups operates the mine of Eastern Coalfields at Mahagama. Lalmatia Colliery of ECL is one of the oldest and biggest mining projects in India. Easten Coalfields also operates mines at Sunderpahari and Boarijore blocks of Godda.How to Reach
By Air :
Ranchi Airport is the nearest airport to Godda at a distance of about 364 Km. Ranchi Airport is one of the major airport of India and have regular flights from all over the India. Recently Deoghar Airport also has become operational.
By Train :
Godda is well connected with road and rail link. The Godda railway station is situated around 4km from city center. Humsafar express was the first train depart from the Godda railway station on 8 April 2021. This weekly train will connect Godda to New Delhi via Bhagalpur and Gaya. Trains can also be taken in Bhagalpur, from where Godda can be easily reached. The railway station in Bhagalpur will have regular trains to New Delhi, Danapur, Mumbai, Varanasi, Ranchi, Guwahati, Gaya, Surat and even Dibrugarh.
By Road:
The national highway NH-133 pass through Godda.
Godda is well connected by a road network and national Highway. The tourist can reach to Godda by taxi. The normal Indian taxi charges of Rupees 8 to 20 will be charged for each km.
Places of Interest
Tourists mainly frequent the town of Godda to revel in its natural charm and beauty, and merge as one with the surroundings. There are many distinct tourist places to visit in Godda, and the place can serve as an idle weekend retreat for tired souls.
While in the town of Godda, you can visit Lalmatiya, which is located in the region. This is a very large open mine, and touted to be the largest in Asia. Many tourists flock to this mine during their trip to Godda.
You can also visit the Khajjiya Bridge in Godda, which is yet another famous tourist destination.
The Gulzar Bagh in Godda is also a good place to visit.
There are many destinations of religious importance as well in Godda, and the Shiv Temple here is frequented by tourists from all across the country.
You can also visit the Gur Masher Dham, which is another pilgrim hot spot.
Yogani Shaktipeeth at Pathargama is one of the Shakti Peetha of Shaktism tradition in India. Here the thighs of Sati fallen when she died and Shiva carried her body while tandava.
Basantrai, the place was named after Raja Basant Rai, the ruler of the region and there a big tank was built by him. It is known for miraculous powers and according to legend, no one has ever been able to cross the tank from one end to another. Fairs are always organised at its bank for 15 days beginning from Chaita Sankranti festival i.e. 14 April.
Sunder Dam is the biggest irrigation project constructed on Sundar river near Rajabhitha village (Pathargama) and this is a beautiful picnic spot for the tourist.
Biodiversity Park Godda is a newly built park here and consists of various herbs and trees. It is a new point of attraction among local peoples and shooting for Santhali songs.
Mullers Tank
This tank was built by Fredrick Max Muller and is located at the district headquarters.
Notable people
Bhagwat Jha Azad: Former Chief minister of Bihar
Rameshwar Thakur: Former Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Kirti Azad : Former Cricketer, Team India.
Bharat Thakur: Famous Yoga Guru and Business Tycoon
Bhumika Chawla: Bollywood Actress, Daughter-in-law of Godda and wife of Bharat Thakur
Anil Kumar Jha: Former Chairman, Coal India Limited
S.K. Choudhary: Former Chief Secretary, Jharkhand.
Vibhash Chandra Jha : Vice Chancellor, Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur
Pradeep Yadav: MLA, Poreyahat
Dipika Pandey Singh: MLA, Mahagama
Raghu Nandan Mandal: Former MLA, Godda
Amit Kumar Mandal: MLA, Godda