|
|
|
Introduction
History
Geographical boundaries
Rajasthan Districts and Map
Administrative units
Population and language
Economy
Ecology
Transport
Industries and Minerals
Tourism
Fairs and Festivals
Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan
Energy and Oil
Water and Irrigation system
Wildlife and National Parks
Forts in Rajasthan
Introduction
Rajasthan is one of the 26 states of the republic of India, is situated in the
north western part of India. It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 square
miles) is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. Rajasthan lies
between latitudes 23 degree 3'and 30 degree 12', north and longitudes 69 degree 30' and 78 degree 17', east.
The southern part of Rajasthan is about 225 km from the Gulf of Kutch and about 400 km from the Arabian
Sea. Rajasthan is bounded by Pakistan in the west and north-west; by the State of Punjab in the north; by
Haryana in the north-east; by Uttar Pradesh in the east, by Madhya Pradesh in the south-east and Gujarat in the south-west.
It is the land of Great Indian Thar Desert
(Dharti Dhora ri) 58%, surrounded by beautiful
Aravalli hills Range, a land of Forts,
and a land of ancient civilization in the banks of Sarsawti river. It is one of the most beautiful states of
India which attracts very large number of domestic and foreign tourists in India
History
History of Rajasthan has a rich and colorful
history making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Rajasthan was once a part of the world's first and oldest Indus Valley Civilization.
Rajasthan was earlier called Rajputana (state of Rajputs) after the ruling class of Rajputs. It has a glorious history like
Bappa Rawal, Gora - Badal, Samrat Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Maha Rana Pratap Singh, Veer Durga Dass Rathore, Amar Singh Rathore, Rani Padmini, Rao Shekhaji, MeeraBai, Panna Dhai
and many more.
Geographical boundaries
The Northwestern thorn scrub forests lie in a band around
Thar Desert between the desert and the
Aravalli hills Range in Rajasthan This region receives less than 750 mm of rain in an average year, and summer temperatures can exceed 45º C in the
summer months, and drop below freezing in the winter. The Godwar, Marwar, and
Shekhawati regions lie in the thorn scrub forest zone, along with the city of
Jodhpur. The Luni River and its tributaries are the major river system of Godwar
and Marwar Regions, draining the western slopes of the Aravallis and emptying
southwest into the great Rann of Kutch wetland in neighboring Gujarat. The Ghaggar River, which originates in Haryana, is an intermittent stream that
disappears into the sands of the Thar Desert in the northern corner of the
state. The Aravalli Range and the lands to the east and southeast of the range are generally more fertile and better watered.
|
Mount Abu an oasis in the desert
Chittor Fort
The Thar Desert of Rajasthan
Black bugs in
Wildlife Sanctuary Talchaper
Jalmahal
Jaipur
Amer Fort Jaipur |
|
|
Rajasthan Districts and map
The map of Rajasthan district wise.
There are 32 districts in
Rajasthan. The list of 32 districts of Rajasthan are: Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Bundi,
Chittorgarh, Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhalawar,
Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Karauli, Kota, Nagaur, Pali, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk, and Udaipur.
Administrative units
There are 32 administrative units, Districts, in Rajasthan. Jaipur is the Capital of the State.
At present The Congress has been elected to power. The Governor of the state is S.K.Singh and chief minister is Ashok
Gehlot. The High Court is situated at Jodhpur, with a bench at Jaipur.
The number of Jila Parishad: 32 : Tehsil: 241 ,
Panchayat Samities: 237, Gramm Panchyat: 9188, Municipalities: 183, Number of Villages: 41,353,
Cities and Towns: 222
Major cities:are Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota,
Ajmer, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Alwar, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer
State Assembly seats: 200,
Parliament Seats: 25 and Rajya Sabha Seats: 10
Rajasthan Chief Minister : Ashok
Gehlot, Rajasthan Chief Minister for the second time in the Assembly election 2008. Shri Ashok
Gehlot, born on May 3, 1951 in Jodhpur, is a leader of Indian National Congress party. He was the
Chief Minister of Rajasthan from December 1, 1998 to December 8, 2003.
Population and language
According to the 2011 census, Rajasthan's population is over 6.86 crore.. About 70 per cent of these live in eastern and south eastern regions of the State.
Rajasthani Language (राजस्थानी भाषा)
and Hindi are the predominant language spoken. The group of dialects spoken in Rajasthan is called Rajasthani. Business is conducted in Hindi and English.
Literacy is 61 per cent. The prominent religions practised are Hinduism, Islam, Jainism and Sikhism. |
|
|
|
Economy
Economy of Rajasthan is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are
cultivated in large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane,and oilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are cash crops. Rajasthan is amomg the largest producer of edible oils
in India and the second largest producer of oilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India.
Ecology
Forest Area: 9.32% (of total state area)
State Tree - Khejri (खेजडी)
State Flower - Rohida
State Bird : Godawan or Great Indian
Bustard
State Animal - Chinkara (an antelope)
The Aravalli hills Range in Rajasthan
Transport
Airports are in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bikaner
Roads (National Highway) network length in the stae is: 8798 Km.
All the major and small cities are connected by Railways network
Desert
Ship Camel are used for goods transportation.
Industries and Minerals
Rajasthan is the mineral capital of India and produces
many important minerals. Minerals found in Rajasthan
are Jasper, Zinc, Fluorite, Gypsum, Marble, Asbestos,
Soapstone, Lead, Phosphate rock, Ball clay, Calcite, Sandstone, Limestone, etc. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyster fibre in
India. It is the second largest producer of cement. It has rich salt deposits at Sambhar
and copper mines at Khetri and Dariba.The white marble is mined at Makrana near Jodhpur.
Tourism
Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is flourishing in
Rajasthan. The palaces of Pink
City Jaipur (भारत का गुलाबी नगर जयपुर), lakes of Udaipur and desert forts of
Jaisalmer ( स्वर्ण नगरी जैसलमेर)
, Chittor and Jodhpur are among the most preferred destination of many tourists, Indian and foreign.
Tourism accounts for eight percent of the state's domestic product. Many old and
neglected palaces and forts have been converted into heritage hotels. Tourism has increased employment in the hospitality.
Fairs and Festivals
Festivals
of Rajasthan
are very colourful and unique. Rajasthan has a fair for every religious occasion, for every change of season and for every harvest.
Rajasthan comes alive with exuberant folk dances, melodious music and spectacular festivities.
The prominent festivals of Rajasthan are: Pushkar Fair, Camel Festival, Mewar Festival, Nagaur Fair, Kaila Devi Fair, Mahavir Ji Fair, Teej Festival,
Summer Festival, Gogaji Fair, Kaliteej, Ramdevra Fair, Marwar Festival, Dusshera, Gangoor Fair, Chandrabhaga Fair, Kolyat Fair etc.
Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan
As far as the field of Arts
and Crafts is concerned, .Rajasthan is among the richest states in the country. May be it was a result of the war-like lifestyle of the people
of Rajasthan which sharpened the creative senses,artistic skills and inspired them to create the most
opulent and richest of treasures. Stone, clay, leather, wood, ivory, lac, glass, brass, silver, gold and textiles were given the most brilliant forms.
As, Jaipur meenakari is famed for its delicacy and its use of colours. Rajasthan is rich in jewellery, each area having its own unique style. Some of the traditional
designs are rakhri, tirnaniyan, bala, bajuband, gajra, gokhru, jod, etc. The ivory bangles, Lac bangles, Sandalwood and Wood,
Stone Statues on religious themes are carved all over Rajasthan and in several cities. Other crafts like
blue pottery, hand block printing, tie and dye, terracotta sculptures, painting on camel hide, embroidery, cloth painting, carpets, durries, inlay work
on brass and wood are to be found all over Rajasthan.
Energy and Oil
The Thar desert in its underbelly contains millions of tonnes of oil and
natural gas and in a few years from now, the desert region is expected to witness a boom with a lot of economic activities taking
place. Oil and Gas in Rajasthan
being produce up to 2,40,000 barrels per day from its prolific Rajasthan fields
by Cairn India.
Atomic Power Plant: Tarapur Atomic Power station units 1 and 2 were brought under the umbrella agreement of ISSA
last year. India will place the Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant’s Units 3 and 4 in Rawatbhata under the India Specific Safeguards Agreement (ISSA) of the International Atomic
Energy Agency, in accordance with the separation plan of Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
“In 2010, the two units of Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant (RAPP) at Rawatbhata will be placed under ISSA and the process has already begun,” Nuclear Power
Corporation Of India Limited (NPCIL) officials said. IAEA officials would visit the sites to make appropriate arrangements for
monitoring and enabling units 3 and 4 to come under the nuclear watchdog’s safeguards, officials said.
Solar Energy in Rajasthan
Atomic Power Plant at Rawatbhata
|
Migratory bird Kurja in
Wildlife Sanctuary Talchaper
Desert
Ship Camel
Arts
and Crafts of Rajasthan
Migratory Birds in
Keoladeo
Ghana National Park
|
|
|
Forts in Rajasthan
The ancient Forts in Rajasthan gives a message of brave
flooded life and a brave stormy death of Rajput kings like Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga. The emergence of the Rajput warrior clans in
the 6th and 7th centuries played the greatest role in making the great forts of Rajasthan. Recently Five forts in Rajasthan have officially been
nominated as Indian entries for the tag of World Heritage Site.
The forts Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron and Amber
- are all located on the Aravalli hills Range , which also happens to be one of
the oldest mountain ranges in the world. "All of them together tell a story about the way Rajput military
architecture has evolved over time. It is almost a narrative which gives a lyrical history of Rajput culture and their interaction with Mughals
and other neighbouring dynasties," said Shikha Jain, convener of the
Haryana/ Rajasthan chapter of Intach, an organisation that seeks to preserve Indian art and cultural heritage.
The forts date back to between the 15th and 19th centuries. While
Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore and Chittorgarh represent the architectural style of Hindu forts, Gagron and Amber represent a fusion of Mughal and
Hindu architecture. In Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh especially, remains of the Mauryan era
have been found. Amber represents the more evolved and mature form of Rajput architecture. Chittorgarh is also India's largest fort.
The five forts have been picked after an extensive study of forts all over India. Each represents a different era, different geographical area and
different designs. Both Ranthambore and Kumbhalgarh are forest forts.
One of the deference's of these forts is the thick vegetation surrounding
them which practically hide their existence. While Gagron fort is much smaller, it stands out as an excellent example
of using water as a defence. The fort is surrounded on all sides by water. It has been constructed on the junction of two rivers.
"Recently, a representative of Unesco inspected the five forts. Based on
the report, Unesco will take a decision by June next year," Archeological Survey of India director-general Gautam Sengupta said. |
|
Chittorgarh Fort
Amber Fort |
|
