The other side of Ranchi

There was a Ranchi before MS Dhoni, even if it's a hazy memory for the rest of the country. Placed fortuitously on the Chota Nagpur plateau, rising up above the scorching plains that surround it, it was once the summer capital of Bihar under British rule. After years of playing second fiddle to Patna, it became the centre of the separatist movement for the state of Jharkhand and subsequently its capital in 2000.

But it was Dhoni who put the city on the map. In came the fans, making a pilgrimage from the neighbouring states and farther, to stand before Shaurya, his house, and hope to catch a glimpse of the master at home. In came the tourists, to watch him play in his home ground, the Jharkhand States Cricket Association International Cricket Stadium, built in 2013. And they are discovering, much like the rest of the country, that Ranchi has a spirited city growing out of its small-town roots. There's a vibrant student culture aided by the many educational institutions here - the Indian Institute of Management Ranchi, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Central University of Ranchi and more. There's great food and a rich tribal culture. There are deep Sal forests a short stroll away from the city and stunning waterfalls all around. There's much to discover in Ranchi yet. Till then, the city's happy waiting in the wings.

A hilly topography and its position on a plateau conspire to make Ranchi more pleasant than the plains below. During the India-Australia match, temperatures will hover around 28°Celsius to 33°Celsius but, in May, around the IPL, temperatures are likely to hit 40.

The Birsa Munda Airport in Hinoo, 7kms from Ranchi, connects the city to the rest of the country by air. It's only a domestic airport, but there are daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, from where international connections are available. Two major railway stations - Ranchi Railway Station and Hatia - offer better connectivity to the rest of the country, with trains plying to Delhi, Kolkata, Patna, Mumbai, Varanasi, Surat, Rourkela, Dhanbad, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad and more.

Though parts of the city are connected by a system of buses, locals depend on the ubiquitous share-autos to get around. These are known to cram in about twice the number of people the rickshaws can actually fit, so it's not the most comfortable ride. Non-metered private rickshaws can also be hired in the city, and cycle rickshaws will run shorter distances.

The Jharkhand States Cricket Association International Cricket Stadium where matches are held is within city limits and a ten-minute drive from Birsa Airport and about 10kms from the city centre. On match days the roads leading to the stadium often clog up so it's recommended to get there an hour or two before match time.

High-end
The city's most luxurious hotel, The Radisson Blu (from Rs 7000), gets rave reviews from both business and leisure travellers and is a mere 9kms from the cricket stadium. Le Lac Hotel (from Rs 5000) offers business amenities and excellent hospitality as does Hotel Capitol Hill (from Rs 5500).

Mid-level
Hotel Green Acres (from Rs 3000) is a no-frills business hotel close to the airport and just 5kms from JSCA stadium. Emerald Hotel (from Rs 2100) lies halfway between the city and the stadium and is close to a mall and restaurants. AVN Grand (from Rs 3500) comes recommended for its in-house restaurant and 24-hour in-room dining.

Budget
Clean rooms, basic amenities and free wifi are what you'll find at OYO Rooms Upper Bazar (from Rs 1500), located right next to the city's busiest market. Other good budget options include Rajdhani Plaza (from Rs 1000) at the city centre and Mantri Residency (from Rs 1945).

Food options in Ranchi are largely limited to multi-cuisine restaurants that go the regular Mughlai-Chinese-North Indian route. Local food is best had at street-side stalls in the city that serve up traditional litti-chokha, golgappas, and more recently, momos. Carnivores would do well to hit up the dhabas that line NH33 for sizzling skewers of tikkas and kebabs.

High-end
Fine dining meets comfort food at The Great Kabab Factory at the Radisson Blu, whose value-for-money buffet lets you sample everything on the menu for Rs 1600. Regulars rave about the galowti kebabs here and the paan ice cream gets a special mention too. Prana in Harmu does Lebanese, Mexican and Italian by way of China, while Yellow Sapphire, a favourite with families, serves continental and Indian food.

Mid-range
Hidden deep in the otherwise boilerplate menu of Jungli Moon Dance Restaurant is a treasure trove of local, tribal food. Try the chhilka, a rice and lentil pancake or the gila chawal, old rice soaked overnight in water with beng saag and aloo chokha. Kaveri, a Ranchi institution, has some of the best vegetarian food in the city while Madhubhan Dhaba, a sprawling complex just off NH33 is where you go to get your meat fix to a sountrack of truck horns.

Budget
Food Street is a food-court-style venue outside Hotel Yuvraj Palace that has stalls selling everything from faux-Mongolian food to Lebanese shawarmas. If you must go local, head to Bhola Litti or Sadhu Litti Centre in Doranda, who compete fiercely to make the best litti-chokha, little fried balls of wheat stuffed with gram flour, in Ranchi. If your tastes lean towards the sweet, head to Punjab Sweet House in Kanka that does a mean samosa-jalebi and, with zero irony, dosas.

Ranchi has little by way of nightlife, but most of the reputable hotels have decent bars for a stiff pre-match drink. Float Bar at the Capitol Hill Hotel does good cocktails and Indian/continental food. Service can be a bit slow at Hooch, another popular watering hole, but there's a pool table and tiny dance floor to kill time while you wait for your drink. Fusion, on the outskirts of the city, has a well-stocked bar and loud, loud music, if that's more your jam.

Go waterfall hopping
Ranchi's topography - situated as it is on the Chota Nagpur plateau - lends itself to numerous waterfalls, earning it the moniker "city of waterfalls". The Subarnarekha river tumbles 320 feet off a cliff 45kms outside of Ranchi to form the Hundru falls, which are particularly majestic in the monsoon. Similarly, the Kachni river, a tributary of the Subarnarekha, forms two waterfalls, Dassam (34kms from Ranchi) Jonha or Gautamdhara (40kms from Ranchi), while the Banai river forms the five-pronged Panchghagh Falls, 55kms from the city proper.

Visit the Jagannathpur Temple
A smaller clone of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Ranchi's version was built by King Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo in 1691. There's also an annual rath yatra, similar to the one in Orissa, that usually takes place in the months of June or July.

Find your zodiac tree at Nakshatra van Nakshatra van, a park in the heart of the city created by the forest department, is centred around a giant circle representing the zodiac and trees grouped by their associated signs. It's a great place for an evening stroll and even some boating for a change of pace.

Get an eyeful of Ranchi from the top of Tagore Hill. It's a long walk up 300 feet to the top, but the views are unbeatable. The hill gets its name from Rabindranath Tagore's youngest brother Jyotirindranath, who built his own Shanti Dham here after the death of his wife.