Namta Gupta
A land of culture, vibrancy, history and beauty, Rajasthan is a perfect melting pot for various traditions and cultures that give this state a distinct fervour.
The state of Rajasthan has 33 districts in all and although English is spoken among a large group of people, it is Hindi and indigenous Rajasthani that is most widely spoken. Although a BIMARU state this vastly arid land is also a preferred destination for IT companies. North India`s largest integrated IT park is under construction in pink city Jaipur and is named as Mahindra World City Jaipur.
Geography
A treasure trove of flora and fauna Rajasthan is situated in northwest India and borders Punjab in the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the northeast, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Gujarat in the south. On the western side, it shares its border with Pakistan. Situated on the Thar Desert, Rajasthan protects the western border of the country.
Easily one of the driest regions, Rajasthan is diagonally divided into the hilly and rugged south-eastern region and the barren Thar Desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan. The Thar also has Mount Abu which is the only hill station in the state. The Aravalli hill range provides the much-needed relief to this otherwise arid land. This arid stretch boasts of sand dunes, which also makes it one of the toughest terrains in the world.
Except in the hills of the Aravalli range, temperature in most other parts of the state reaches the 40°C mark during the summer months. The climate of Rajasthan is characterised by dry and hot winds. The rainfall, which is characteristically scanty, comes during the month of July and September. The southwest region of the state is considerably humid. January is the coldest month in the state of Rajasthan. The minimum temperatures sometimes fall to --2°C in the night at places like Sikar, Churu, Pilani and Bikaner. The sandy land gets even colder with occasional secondary western winds that cross the western, northern and eastern Rajasthan during winter months, and even cause light rainfall and chilly winds can be experienced during this period. Most of the Rajasthan, except the southeast Rajasthan comprising of Kota, Bundi and Baran and western Barmer have an average temperature of more than 10°C. Due to the cold western winds, the whole of Rajasthan sometimes come under the spell of the cold wave for 2 to 5 days during winters.
History
Rajasthaan’s famous town Kalibangan is located at 29°28`N 74°08`E / 29.47, 74.13 on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River), identified by some scholars with Saraswati River in Tehsil Pilibangan, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan. A detailed report by ASI (Archeaological Survey of India) justified the previously held view of Kalibangan being a major provincial capital of the Indus Valley Civilization. This historical place is distinguished by its unique fire altars and is "world`s earliest attested ploughed field".
Mythical River Saraswati has found a mention in Rig Vedas as a mighty river with creative, purifying, and nourishing properties. Today, it is presumed that the Saraswati River was formed by the present headwaters of the Yamuna River. In ancient times, after leaving the Himalayan foothills, the waters of the Yamuna turned west instead of east at Paonta Saheb. Then, the river flowed south-west across the Punjab and Haryana regions along the course of the modern Ghaggar-Hakra River in a pathway roughly parallel to the smaller Indus River to its west. The Sutlej flowed further east than it does today, and joined the Saraswati somewhere near Bahawalpur. Eventually, the wide river emptied into the Rann of Kutch, which at the time was a more integral part of the Arabian Sea.
Along the course of the Saraswati, the Harappan Civilization developed. The earliest known examples of writing in India have been found in the ruined cities that line the now dry riverbed of the ancient waterway. It is said that the goddess Saraswati gained her role as personified communication and the giver of knowledge due to the role of the Saraswati River in the development of written language in ancient India.
Between 2000 BC and 1700 BC, seismic activity caused the waters of the river`s two main sources to change course. The Sutlej moved westward and became a tributary of the Indus River while the Yamuna moved eastward and became a tributary of the Ganges. The incredible water loss due to these movements caused the once mighty river to become listless and it dried up in the Thar Desert without ever reaching the sea.
Without any water for irrigation or transportation, the dense population of the river basin soon shifted east with the waters of the Yamuna to the Ganges River valley. Later Vedic texts record the river as disappearing at Vinasana (literally, "the disappearing"),
and as joining both the Yamuna and Ganges as an invisible river. Some claim that the sanctity of the modern Ganges is directly related to its assumption of the holy, life-giving waters of the ancient Saraswati.
The existence of Saraswati River also gained foothold when archaeologists using satellite images traced the course of the river. The images reveal a small channel of water flowing near Kurukshetra.
Not just the places, even Rajasthanis date with history go as far as Harrapaan civilization as the first inhabitants belonged to this great civilization. More than its forts, palaces, desert, wildlife and things like these, it is the people of this state who make Rajasthan a lively place.
Rajasthani is enriched with contributions from Rajputs, Nath, Jats, Bhils, Ahirs, Gujars, Meenas and some other tribes. All these tribes suffered great difficulties to protect their culture and the land from onslaughts; millions were martyred for this land.
‘The Hinduan Suraj’ title was given to Udaipur due to sacrifices made by Bhils whom Jats had been fighting since the beginning. The brave Gujjar race was almost annihilated fighting invaders in Bhinmal and Ajmer. The earlier contributions of warriors and protectors of the land Jats, Bhils, Gujars and Meenas were neglected and lost in history.
Rajasthan includes most of Rajputana, which comprises 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. Rajput families rose to prominence in the 6th century CE. The Rajputs resisted the Muslim incursions into India, although a number of Rajput kingdoms eventually became subservient to the Delhi Sultanate as the Mughal Empire expanded at a ferocious pace.
The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur was built by Rao Jodha in 1498.Mewar led other Rajput states against Muslim rule. The epic battle that Rana Sanga fought against Babar, known as Battle of Khanua, is still sung about in Rajasthan; while Maharana Pratap Singh’s resistance against Akbar in battle of Haldighati is the pride of every Rajasthani. These iconic wars are still etched in common folklore and many ballads arose from these battles.
As the Mughal Empire weakened in 18th century, the Rajputs reasserted their independence. But, the Mughal empire declination also made these small states vulnerable to attacks from the Marathas and Pindaris, and the Maratha general Scindia succeeding in capturing Ajmer. Rajput kings rendered helpless, concluded treaties with the British in the early 19th century, accepting British sovereignty in return for local autonomy. And Ajmer, because of its strategic location became a province of British India, while the autonomous Rajput states, the Muslim state Tonk), and the Jat states (Bharatpur and Dholpur) were organized into the Rajputana Agency.
Without mentioning contribution made by people from Marwar or Marwaris history of Rajasthan is incomplete. These peope flused with money and zeal for architecture created a rich architectural and cultural heritage, seen today in their numerous forts and palaces (Mahals and Havelis) which are enriched by features of Muslim and Jain architecture. The development of the frescos in Rajasthan is linked with the history of the Marwaris, who have also played a crucial role in the economic development of the region.
Demography
The state of Rajasthan has an area of 342,239 sq. km.
Population
According to 2001 census, the total population of Rajasthan is 56,473,122. Both male (29,381,657) and female (27,091,465) population percentage witnessed growth of 27.51% and 29.23% respectively. The sex ratio that stood at 910 in 1991 soared to 922 in 2001.
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. Sindhis too constitute a small fraction of the population.
Literacy rate
As per the census, 28,086,101 people (61.03 %) were found to be literate. This comprised of 18,279,511(76.46 %) of male population and 9,806,590(44.34 %) accounted for the female population.
Political map
Rajasthan is the largest state of India in terms of area and Jaipur is the state capital. It was formed on 30 March 1949, when all princely states ruled by Rajputs, known as Rajputana, merged into the Dominion of India. The only difference between erstwhile Rajputana and Rajasthan is that certain portions were governed directly by the Britishers, while in the former province of Ajmer-Merwara, were included. Portions lying geographically outside of Rajputana such as the Tonk state were given to Madhya Pradesh.
In 2003 Rajasthan Assembly elections BJP came back to power under the leadership of Vasundhra Raje. The first ever woman Chief Minister defeated Mr. clean of Rajasthani politics Ashok Gehlot.
But the crown has proved to be really thorny for this erstwhile queen as she fought issues right from power shortage, Jaipur blasts of 2008, Gujjar agitation and communal discontentment in the state. Though successive governments have claimed that development would be their priority still it is one of the poorest states with low per capita income and low literacy rate especially in women and that is when this state is least populated. Rajasthan`s gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at USD 33 billion in current prices. Unemployment and Poverty is widespread, state count among BIMARU (Sick) states.
Though both the national parties Indian National Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party have widespread presence in the state still not much development has taken place that could distinguish Rajasthan at international level. In this election the stakes are even and this election could see some major political upheaval as the major parties make go for each other’s throat.
In Rajasthan Assembly there are in total 200 assembly seats, in which 33 are reserved for Scheduled castes, 24 for scheduled tribes while 143 are in General category.
Economy
The total cultivable area in this state is 257 lakh hectares and food grain production of Rajasthan is close to 173 lakh tones. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are cash crops that are grown in Rajasthan. Not just that, Rajasthan is also among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer of oilseeds. This historical land is also the biggest wool-producing state in India.
Mainly there are two crop seasons. The major crops sown during the months of June-July and harvested in Sep-Oct are bajra, Jowar, Pulses, maize and ground nut. Main Rabi crops for which sowing operations start during Oct-Nov and harvested in March-April include wheat, barley, pulses, gram and oil seeds. Besides oil seeds, rape and mustard is the most important produce in Rajasthan. Cultivation of vegetable and citrus fruits like orange and malta have also picked up in last few years. Other crops of Rajasthan are red chillies, mustard, cumin seeds, methi and hing. The water for irrigation in Rajasthan comes from wells and tanks. Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan. The total irrigation potential of the state is about 48 lakh hectares. Rajasthan buys about half of its power from neighbouring states. The old methods of ploughing in Rajasthan are still continuing by using camels and buffaloes. The p\increase in production due to latest techniques of agriculture have increased crop productivity and now rajasthan is self sufficient in the production of food grains.
The main industries of Rajasthan are mineral based, agriculture based, and textiles. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyester fibre in India. 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.
With the discovery of oil in Thar Desert, industrialisation of desert part will be swift.
Tourism
Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry 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, both 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. The state is promoting cultural & Heritage Tourism extensively as it sees it as a major source of revenue generation. Rajasthan is also called a shopper`s paradise and is famous for textiles, semi-precious stones and handicrafts. The attractive designs of jewellery and clothes make it a tourist heaven. Due to intricate carvings and bright colours Rajasthani furniture and handicrafts are in huge demand. Above all, Rajasthan`s shopping appeals to both tourists and people from other parts of India due to its cheap prices for quality goods.
Culture
Rajasthan is known for its vivid dance forms. The famous ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have got international recognition. Folk music too is a vital part of Rajasthani culture. Kathputali, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindar, Kachchhighori, Tejaji etc are the famous examples of this. Folk songs are sung at various festivals and it is said that there is a song for every occasion. Even for death. Music is an integral part of culture. And ballads that a common man sings are usually heroic deeds and love stories; or religious or devotional songs known as bhajans and banis (often accompanied by musical instruments like dholak, sitar, sarangi etc).
Known for its traditional, colourful art Rajasthan is a pioneer in block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, Zari embroidery.
Rajasthan is famous for its 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, Udaipur Palace. 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 Mount 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.
Festivals
The main religious festivals of Rajasthanis are Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Gogaji, Makar Sankranti and Janmashtami, as the main religion is Hinduism. Rajasthan`s desert festival is also celebrated with great zest. Held once a year during winters, the festival is celebrated with pomp and show and the people of the desert dance and hum ballads of valor, romance and tragedy.
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