in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable
river valley along its border with Pakistan. The region borders
to the north. Rajasthan covers an area of 342,239 km² (132,139 mi²).
. Geographical features include the
, which are the oldest in the subcontinent discovered so far.
. Eastern Rajasthan has two national tiger reserves,
, famous for its bird life.
, when all erstwhile princely states merged into India. The only difference between erstwhile Rajputana and Rajasthan is that certain portions governed directly by the British Government, in the former province of
, were included. Portions lying geographically outside of
state were given to Madhya Pradesh.
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
. In the southeast, a large area within the districts of
forms a tableland. To the northeast of these districts is a rugged region (badlands) following the line of the
. Farther north the country levels out; the flat plains of the northeastern
basin.
and some other tribes made a great contribution in building the state of Rajasthan. All these tribes suffered great difficulties to protect their culture and the land. Millions
Rajasthan's formerly independent kingdoms created a rich architectural and cultural heritage, seen today in their numerous forts and palaces (
) which are enriched by features of Muslim] and Jain architecture.
Main article: Economy of Rajasthan 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.
Agriculture The industrialisation of Rajasthan slowly began in 1960s. The main industries are
mineral based, agriculture based, and
textiles.
Textiles - Rajasthan is the second largest producer of
polyester fibre in India.
Bhilwara District produces more cloth than
Bhiwandi in
Maharashtra.
Mining Rajasthan is immensely rich in culture,wildlife etc.
Bharatpur Bird sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park)and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan are among the best and most popular in the world. Desert National Park and Sariska Tiger Reserve are two other important among the many others wilderness areas. It must be added that this is merely a sketch of the prominent biodiversity of Rajasthan the water lily and lotus, looper caterpillar and dung beetle, viper and cobra to name a few of the good variety, they all part of the rich natural heritage of this state.
Rajasthan wildlife 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.
Tourism A spin-off of tourism has been the growth of the handicrafts industry.
Handicrafts Rajasthan has a mainly Rajasthani population. Hindus account for 79.8% of the population. Muslims make up 16.9%,
Jains 1.9% and
Sikhs 1.3% 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.
Demographics Rajasthan is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is rich and varied
folk culture from villages which is both fascinating and mesmerizing. Highly cultivated classical music and dance with its own distinct style is part of the cultural tradition of Rajasthan. The music is of uncomplicated innocence and songs depict day-to-day relationships and chores, more often focused around fetching water from wells or ponds.
Culture The mother tongue of the majority of people in Rajasthan is
Rajasthani. Rajasthani and
Hindi (the official language of India) 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.
Language Every region has its own dialect, music and dance. 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. Folk songs are commonly ballads which relate heroic deeds and love stories; and religious or devotional songs known as bhajans and banis (often accompanied by musical instruments like
dholak,
sitar,
sarangi etc.) are also sung.
Music and dance 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. Rajasthan is a shoppers' paradise, with beautiful goods found at low prices.
Art Reflecting the colorful Rajasthani culture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises of 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 maintainence of modesty. Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colours like blue, yellow and orange.
Clothes Rajasthan is famous for the majestic forts, intricately carved temples and decorated
havelis, which were built by kings in previous ages.
Jantar Mantar,
Dilwara Temples ,
Chittorgarh Fort, Lake Palace Hotel, City Palaces, Jaisalmer Havelis are part of the true architectural heritage of India. Jaipur, the Pink City, is noted for the ancient houses made of a type of sand stone dominated by a pink hue. At Ajmer, the white marble Bara-dari on the Anasagar lake is exquisite.
Jain Temples dot Rajasthan from north to south and east to west.
Dilwara Temples of
Mt. Abu,
Ranakpur Temple dedicated to Lord Adinath near Udaipur, Jain temples in the fort complexes of
Chittor,
Jaisalmer and
Kumbhalgarh,
Lodarva Jain temples,
Bhandasar Temple of
Bikaner are some of the best examples.
Architecture Rajasthan is often called a shopper's paradise. Rajasthan is famous for textiles, semi-precious stones and handicrafts. The attractive designs of jewellery and clothes are eye-catching and invite shoppers. Rajasthani furniture has intricate carvings and bright colours. Rajasthani handicrafts are in demand due to the intricate work on them.
Above all, Rajasthan's shopping appeals to both tourists and people from other parts of
India due to its cheap prices for quality goods.
Shopping Rajasthan is a colorful land. There are many holy festivals of Hindus, Islam and other religions. 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. Dressed in brilliantly hued costumes, the people of the desert dance and sing haunting ballads of valor, romance and tragedy. There are fairs with snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats and folk performers. Camels, of course, play a stellar role in this festival.
Camels are an integral part of the desert life and the camel events during the Desert Festival confirm this fact. Special efforts go into dressing the animal for entering the spectacular competition of the best-dressed camel. Other interesting competitions on the fringes are the moustache and turban tying competitions. Both the turban and the moustache are centuries old symbols of honor in Rajasthan.
Festivals List of people from Rajasthan People from Rajasthan Rajasthan's politics has mainly been dominated by the two state stalwarts, namely,
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and
Mohan Lal Sukhadia of the
Bharatiya Janata Party and the
Indian National Congress respectively. Shri Sukhadia ruled Rajasthan for 17 years and died in February 1982 while Shri Shekhawat is now in the national political horizon. The earlier politics were dominated by the Congress party. The main opposition party was the
Bharatiya Jansangh, headed by Rajasthan's most popular leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and the
Swatantra party headed by former rulers of Rajasthan. The Congress rule was untouched till the year 1962. But in the year 1967, Jansangh headed by Shekhawat and Swatantra party headed by Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur reached the majority point, but couldn't form a government. In 1972, the Congress won a landslide victory. But after the declaration of emergency, Shekhawat became immensly popular, especially after a forced arrest. As soon as the emergency was lifted, a joint opposition Janta Party won a thundering landslide victory winning 151 of the 200 seats. Shekhawat became the Chief Minister. The government was dismissed by
Indira Gandhi in 1980 after she restored power in Delhi. In the 1980 elections, the Janta Party split at the centre giving Congress a victory in Rajasthan. Indira Gandhi was murdered in the year 1984, and in the year 1985, a sympathy wave let the Congress sail through in the elections. But in 1989, which could be called a Shekhawat wave, the BJP-JD alliance won all 25
Lok Sabha seats and 140 of 200 seats in the assembly. Shekhawat became the Chief Minister for the second term. After the
Babri Mosque demolition in
Ayodhya, Shekhawat government was suspended by the P.M.,
Narsimha Rao and President's rule was introduced in Rajasthan. Election took place in the year 1993 in which his party won even after the breaking of its alliance with the Janta Dal. Shekhawat became the Chief Minister for the third term. This time he ran a succesful third term. In 1998 elections, the BJP lost heavily due to the onion price rise issue. Ashok Gehlot ran a 5 year government. Shekhawat became the Vice-President of India in the year 2002 so he had to leave Rajasthan politics and the BJP. Vasundhara raje was appointed his succesor. She led the BJP in 2003 elections and led it to a victory. She is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan since then. Narpat Singh Rajvi is the Industry Minister, Ghanshyam Tiwari Education Minister and Gulab Chand Kataria Home Minister. Next elections are due in 2008.
Government and politics The main universities in the state are :
The other major educational institutions are :
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
List of medical colleges 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
Vardhman Mahaveer Open University,Kota Education 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.
The
Desert National Park,
Jaisalmer, spread over an area of 3162 km², is an excellent example of the
ecosystem of the Thar Desert, and its diverse
fauna. Great Indian Bustard, Blackbuck, chinkara, desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf, desert cat etc. can be easily seen here. Seashells and massive
fossilized tree trunks in this park record the geological history of the desert. The region is a haven for
migratory and resident birds of the desert. One can see many
eagles,
harriers,
falcons,
buzzards,
kestrel and
vultures.
Short-toed Eagles (Circaetus gallicus),
Tawny Eagles (Aquila rapax),
Spotted Eagles (Aquila clanga),
Laggar Falcons (Falco jugger) and kestrels are the commonest of these.
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is a very small sanctuary in
Churu District, 210 km from
Jaipur, in the
Shekhawati region. This sanctuary is home to a large population of graceful Blackbuck.
Desert Fox and desert cat can also be spotted along with typical
avifauna such as
partridge and
sand grouse.
Flora and fauna Many sportpersons who have represented India at many international events.
and they encourage spors Sports Rajasthan has a good inter city surface transport system both in terms of railways and bus network. If one is covering the state as a tourist, one of the best ways to do so is by road. The fact that each of the major cities is about 250-300kms from the next one, helps planning the trip much better. The roads connecting these cities are also very well maintained barring a few patches where some maintenance work is currently underway.
Transport Main article: Districts of Rajasthan Districts Jaisalmer Udaipur Jodhpur Amber Alwar 
Churu A view of Jaipur Ajmer Road
Ajmer Masjid
Udaipur Udaipur Ranakpur Bada Bagh, near
Jaisalmer Wind turbines near
Jaisalmer Amber Jodhpur Mehrangarh Fort in
Jodhpur Statistics Districts of Rajasthan
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