Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The city of Giridih is known for its industrial and health sectors, as well as its scenic beauty. Giridih houses the Giridih Coalfield which is one of the oldest coalfields to be worked in India. Giridih is one of the six Data Processing Centres of Data Processing Division (DPD) of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Before 1972, Giridih was part of Hazaribagh district. Etymology The literal meaning of Giridih is the land of hills and hillocks – giri, a Hindi word, means hills and dih, another word of the local Khortha dialect, means land of. History Giridih district was a part of Kharagdiha estate until the late 18th century. During the British Raj Giridih became a part of Jungle Terry. After Kol Uprising in 1831, the parganas of Ramgarh, Kharagdiha, Kendi and Kunda became parts of the South-West Frontier Agency before being renamed to Hazaribag, which became the administrative headquarters. The Kharagdiha Rajas were settled as Rajas of Raj Dhanwar in 1809, and the Kharagdiha gadis were separately settled as zamindari estates. Some of the notable Kharagdiha Zamindari Estates were Koderma, Gadi Palganj, Ledo Gadi, Gande Gadi, Ghoranji Gadi and Gadi Sirsia. The town of Giridih was under the rule of the Khargdiha Zamindari Estate of Salimpur and the temporarily settled estate of Karharbari. Giridih district was created on 6 December 1972 by carving some parts of Hazaribagh district. In 1999 part of it became Bokaro district. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor. Minerals Land of Giridih is rich in coal, and once Giridih was boomed by mica industry which exported mainly to Japan and the USSR. There are many small and big mines of coal found in Giridih, particularly in the southern side. Geography Location Giridih is located at . It has an average elevation of . Śrī Sammed Shikharji also known as the Parasnath Hills, located in Giridih district is the highest mountain peak in Jharkhand. It is a conical granite peak located 4,477 feet (1,365 metres) above the sea level. 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. Climate The climate of Giridih is generally dry. It is pleasant during the winter season between October and March. Summer season starting April, is generally hot,