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McCluskieganj is a small hilly town in Jharkhand State, India, about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of the capital, Ranchi. The town used to have a significant Anglo-Indian community.[2] It is now a tourist place for its British era old mansions, hills and streams.[3][4]

McCluskieganj
Block
Nickname:  mini London
McCluskieganj Location in Jharkhand, India Show map of Jharkhand McCluskieganj McCluskieganj (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 23.64°N 84.94°E / 23.64; 84.94
Country	India
State	Jharkhand
District	Ranchi district
Block	Khalari
Established	1933
Founded by	Ernest Timothy McCluskie
Elevation	450 m (1,480 ft)
Population
• Total	3,000[1]
Languages
• Official	Nagpuri, Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	829208
Vehicle registration	JH

History

Ernest Timothy McCluskie the Anglo Indian businessman from Kolkata visited the place and impressed by the environment and climate of the area. He decided to built a town for Anglo Indian and purchased the lands from king of Chotanagpur, Udai Pratap Nath Shah Deo.[5] In 1932, he sent circulars to nearly 200,000 Anglo-Indians in India inviting them to settle there.[6] It was founded by the Colonisation Society of India in 1933 as a homeland or "Mooluk" for Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians could buy Shares in this co-operative, the Colonisation Society of India - which in turn would allot them a plot of land.[7] It became home to 400 Anglo-Indian families within ten years.[8] Of the nearly 300 original settlers, only 20 families remain, as most of the Anglo-Indian community left after World War II.[6]

Now, the population of the town is around 3000.[1]

Geography

Macluskieganj is located at the distance of around 60 km North West from state capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi in Khelari block. It is located at alltitude of 450 metre.[9] It is located near the Dugadugi river which is tributary of Damodar River.[10] Jhunjhunia waterfall located near Macluskieganj.[11]

Climate

The climate of Macluskieganj is ideal with low humidity. Macluskieganj witnesses frost during winter which cover grass, vehicles and roofs.[12] During cold wave, It record temperature around freezing points. In 2013, it recorded 1.5° Celcius in month of January.[13][14]

Infrastructure

Educational institution

• Adarsh High school, since 1985.[15]
• Don Bosco Academy, since 1997.[16]
• Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, McCluskieganj, primary school since 1998.[17]
• St. Teresa's Primary School.[18]
• Janet Academy.[19]
• Delhi Public International School.[20]
• McCluskieganj Inter college, since 2012.[21][22]

Transport

National Highway 39 (Ranchi-Daltonganj), an important roadway in Ranchi district, passes near Macluskieganj.[23] Macluskieganj railway station located in Macluskieganj.[2]

Attractions

McCluskeiganj Gurudwara and Temple: lying in the same complex is a place of integrity and shows brotherhood of India.
McCluskeiganj Mosque: It is just besides the Gurudwara and Temple complex.
St. John's Church: A historical place built by Anglo-Indians during British rule.

In popular culture

The town was the inspiration for the Hindi novel Maikluskiganj (मैकलुस्कीगंज) by journalist-writer Vikas Kumar Jha, which was translated into English by Mahasweta Ghosh in 2005.[24]

McCluskieganj is also the setting for the 2016 film A Death in the Gunj, which is Konkona Sen Sharma's directorial debut, and set in 1979.[25]

References

External links

• Time Magazine story about McCluskieganj
• Mccluskieganj (MINI London) Facebook Account
• McCluskie's Ganj: The Lost Home of The Anglos (2014): short video documentary on McCluskieganj by Dhiraj Singh

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