Padma Bhushan Major Dhyanchand
DirectionMajor Dhyanchand Museum
Although born in Allahabad, owing to his father’s numerous army transfers, Dhyanchand finally settled in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India after six years of schooling. Major Dhyan Chand took Indian hockey to soaring heights at the global level. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players in the history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated in field hockey.
His influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964. Known as The Wizard or The Magician of hockey for his superb ball control, Chand played internationally from 1926 to 1949, where he scored 570 goals in 185 matches according to his autobiography, Goal, and over 1000 goals in his entire domestic and international career.
BBC called him the “hockey’s equivalent of Muhammad Ali”. The Government of India awarded Chand India’s third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan in 1956. His birthday, 29th August, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India every year. India’s highest sporting honour, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is named after him.
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How to Reach:
By Air
At 103 km from Jhansi, Gwalior is the nearest airport. Delhi is the closest international airport, 321 km from Jhansi.
By Train
Jhansi is an important railhead on the Delhi-Chennai route. Most major cities in the country like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Agra, Bhopal, Gwalior, etc. are connected to Jhansi by rail.
By Road
Jhansi is well connected by road to many major cities in the country. Cities like Agra, Khajurao, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, etc. are easily accessible from Jhansi by road.