McCluskieganj in the Indian state of Jharkhand is popularly known as `Chota England` in British era. This place is famous for housing the relics of British Empire. Red roofed British bungalows, Rose gardens, a scenic railway station, magnificent hills and ancient churches are the special attractions of the place. The climate of the township is pleasing with cool evenings. The daytime is however quite hot and dry. This spot is a popular tourist destination now for the people of West Bengal, Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Jharkhand. Mc.Cluskieganj is situated within Chota Nagpur Plateau.
History of McCluskieganj
The place was founded by the Colonisation Society of India in 1933 as a homeland or "Mooluk" for Anglo-Indians. They could buy shares in The Colonisation Society of India, which in turn would allot them a plot of land. Later, it became home to 400 Anglo-Indian families within 10 years. In 1932, Ernest Timothy McCluskie, a businessman from Calcutta (now Kolkata), sent circulars to nearly 200,000 Anglo-Indians in India inviting them to settle there. After World War II, only 20 Anglo-Indian families remained in the village out of nearly 300. After the death of Earnest McCluskie, the land was named McCluskieganj in his memory. 30 years after the establishment of the town, it became an abode for old and retired people from UK, Australia and other western nations.
Tourism in McCluskieganj
Most of the old mansions of this place have been turned into guest houses for tourists. Duga Dugi River, Duli Village, McCluskieganj Forests and Jagriti Vihar are the most popular spots of McCluskieganj. Apart from them, McCluskeiganj Gurudwara and Temple, McCluskeiganj Mosque and St. John"s Church draw visitors from several places to them. There is also a Don Bosco Academy in the town, about which a documentary was made in 1993.
McCluskieganj in Art and Film
McCluskieganj was the inspiration for the Hindi novel "Maikluskiganj" by journalist-writer Vikas Kumar Jha, which was translated into English by Mahasweta Ghosh in 2005. It was also the setting for the 2016 film "A Death in the Gunj", which is Konkona Sen Sharma`s directorial debut, and set in 1979.
Nearby Attractions of McCluskieganj
There are a number of beautiful tourist sites located nearby which are easily accessed by McCluskieganj. Some popular nearby tourist spots of this place are Tagore Hills, Kanke Dam, Rock garden, Dassam Falls, Jonha Falls and Hundru Falls.
Visiting Information to McCluskieganj
The best time for visiting this place is during winter and monsoon seasons. McCluskieganj can be reached by bus or car from Ranchi; it will take around 3 hours to reach there. Ranchi Junction Railway Station and Birsa Munda Airport are the most convenient mediums of transport to reach the place.
