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Rajasthan is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan.Rajasthan covers an area of 342,239 km² (132,139 mi²).
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History: Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949, when all erstwhile princely states merged into India.Historical traditions are
that Rajputs, Nath, Jats, Bhils, Ahirs, Gujars, Meenas and some other tribes made
a great contribution in building the state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan includes most
of Rajputana, comprised of a number of Rajput kingdoms as well as Jat kingdoms and
a Muslim kingdom. The Jats were rulers in Bharatpur and Dholpur. Tonk was ruled
by a Muslim Nawab.
Jodhpur,Bikaner,Udaipur and Jaipur were some of the main Rajput states |
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Geography: The main geographic features of Rajasthan are the Thar Desert and the Aravalli Range, which runs through the state from southwest to northeast,almost from one end to the other, for more than 850 km. Mount Abu is at the southwestern
end of the range, separated from the main ranges by the West Banas River, although a series of broken ridges continues into Haryana in the direction of Delhi where it can be seen as outcrops in the form of the Raisina Hill and the ridges farther
north. About three-fifths of Rajasthan lies northwest of the Aravallis, leaving two-fifths on the east and south.The Northwestern thorn scrub forests lie in a band around the Thar Desert,between the desert and the Aravallis. This region receives less than 400 mm of rain in an average year. Summer temperatures can exceed 45°C in the summer months and drop below freezing in the winter.
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The AravaliRange runs across the state from the southwest peak Guru Shikhar MountAbu which is 1,722 m in height, to Khetri in the northeast. This divides the state into
60% in the northwest of the range and 40% in the southeast. The northwest tract is sandy and unproductive with little water but improves gradually from desert land in the far west and northwest to comparatively fertile and habitable land towards
the east. The area includes the
Thar Desert.The south-eastern area, higher in elevation (100 to 350 m above sea level) and
more fertile, has a very diversified topography. in the south lies the hilly tract
of Mewar. |
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Districts: Rajasthan is divided into 32 districts and seven divisions:
 Ajmer Division | : | Ajmer, Bhilwara, Nagaur, Tonk. |
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Bharatpur Division | : | Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli,Sawai Madhopur. |
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Bikaner Division | : | Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar,Hanumangarh. |
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Jaipur Division | : | Jaipur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Sikar,Dausa. |
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Jodhpur Division | : | Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, JodhpurDistrict, Pali, Sirohi. |
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Kota Division | : | Baran, Bundi, Jhalawar, Kota. |
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Udaipur Division | : | Banswara District, Chittorgarh
District, Dungarpur District,Udaipur, Rajsamand. |
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Economy: Rajasthan's economy is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer of oilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan.
The industrialization of Rajasthan slowly began in 1960s. The main industries are mineral based, agriculture based, and textiles. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyester fibre in India. The Bhilwara District produces more cloth than Bhiwandi, Maharashtra.
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Rajasthan is pre-eminent in quarrying and mining in India. The state is the second largest source of cement. It has rich salt deposits at Sambhar, copper mines at Khetri and zinc mines at Dariba, Zawar mines at Zawarmala for zinc, rampura aghucha (opencast) near Bhilwara. Dimensional stone mining is also undertaken in Rajasthan: Jodhpur sandstone is mostly used in monuments, important buildings, residential buildings, etc. This stone is termed "chittar patthar".
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| Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is flourishing in Rajasthan. The palaces of Jaipur, lakes of Udaipur, and desert forts of Jodhpur, Bikaner & Jaisalmer 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 sector. |
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Demographics: Rajasthan has a mainly Rajasthani population. Hindus account for 88.8% of the population. Muslims make up 8.5%, Sikhs 1.4% and Jains 1.2% of the population . Rajasthan state is also populated by Sindhis, who came to Rajasthan from Sindh province (now in Pakistan) during the India-Pakistan separation in 1947.
The mother tongue of the majority of people in Rajasthan is Rajasthani. Rajasthani and Hindi are the most widely used languages in Rajasthan. After independence, Rajasthani was used as a medium of instruction, along with Hindi and English, in some schools. Some other languages used in Rajasthan are Sindhi, Gujarati and Punjabi.
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Culture: Rajasthan is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained international recognition. Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture. Kathputali, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindar, Kachchhighori, Tejaji etc. are the examples of the traditional Rajasthani culture.Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art. The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, Zari embroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and handicrafts, carpets, blue pottery are some of the things commonly found here.
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| Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle length skirt and a short top, also known as a lehenga or a chaniya choli. A piece of cloth is used to cover the head, both for protection from heat and maintenance of modesty. Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colours like blue, yellow and orange.
The main religious festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Gogaji, Makar Sankranti and Janmashtami, as the main religion is Hinduism. Rajasthan's desert festival is celebrated with great zest and zeal. This festival is held once a year during winters. |
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Flora and Fauna: Though a large percentage of the total area is desert, and even though there is little forest cover, Rajasthan has a rich and varied flora and fauna. The natural vegetation is classed as Northern Desert Thorn Forest (Champion 1936). These occur in small clumps scattered in a more or less open forms. Density and size of patches increase from west to east following the increase in rainfall.Some
wildlife species, which are fast vanishing in other parts of India, are found in the desert in large numbers such as the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), the Indian Gazelle (Gazella bennettii) and the Indian Wild Ass.
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Education : |
List of Universities in Rajasthan
University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Mohanlal Sukhadia Univertsity, Udaipur
Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer
Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur
Rajasthan Agriculture University, Bikaner
National Law University, Jodhpur
University of Bikaner, Bikaner
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List of Major Educational Institutions in Rajasthan
Birla Institute of Technology and Science,Pilani
Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur
Banasthali Vidyapith, Jaipur
Mayo College, Ajmer
College of Technology & Engineering, Udaipur
MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur
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