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 INDEX
INDEX
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 2
History.......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Ancient History ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Medieval History .................................................................................................................................... 4
Modern History ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Famous Personalities .................................................................................................................................. 9
Tourism ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Unesco World Heritage Sites ............................................................................................................... 10
Tourist Places ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Major Fairs And Festivals .................................................................................................................... 15
Art And Culture ........................................................................................................................................ 16
Famous Folk Songs .............................................................................................................................. 16
Famous Folk Dances ............................................................................................................................ 17
Geography ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Cultural Division .................................................................................................................................. 20
Climate Of Rajasthan ........................................................................................................................... 20
Soil ....................................................................................................................................................... 21
Forests .................................................................................................................................................. 22
Rivers ................................................................................................................................................... 22
Canal Projects In Rajasthan .................................................................................................................. 23
Demography ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Major Tribes ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Minerals ................................................................................................................................................ 25
Polity .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Administrative Setup ............................................................................................................................ 27
Legislature ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Panchayati Raj ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Society And Social Issues.......................................................................................................................... 30
Economy .................................................................................................................................................... 31
Industries .............................................................................................................................................. 32
Environment .............................................................................................................................................. 33
National Park And Wildlife Sanctuaries .............................................................................................. 33
Current Value Addition ........................................................................................................................... 34
Important Schemes And Portal ............................................................................................................. 35

[1]
 INTRODUCTION
• Rajasthan has been known as Marukantar,
Maru, Marudesh, Maruwaar, Raythan,
Rajputana, Rajwada, and Rajasthan from
ancient times to the present.
• The oldest evidence of the word Rajasthan
is probably found in the inscription of
Basantgarh (Sirohi) which mentions the
word "Rajasthaniyaditya". 'Muhnot Nainsi
ri khyat' and 'Rajrupak' also mention the
Rajasthan word.
• Rajasthan presents a mixture of old and new
for the tourist and is popularly known as
"Rangilo Rajasthan" for its rich cultural
heritage.
• It is also significant for mineral exploration,
harnessing renewable energy potential (solar
and wind), preventing desertification, and currently establishing itself as a key industrial hub.

HISTORY
ANCIENT HISTORY
• Archaeological evidence indicates that early humans lived along the banks of the Banas River and its
tributaries some 100,000 years ago.
• Bagore: Located in Bhilwara district on the bank of river Kothari. Evidence of animal husbandry and
stone tools have been found here.
• Tilwara: Located in Barmer district on the bank of Luni river. It was contemporary to the Bagore
settlement. Evidence of a fire pit has been found.
• Other Important Stone Age Sites: Jayal and Deedwana (both in Nagaur) and Budha Pushkar.

INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION AND VEDIC PERIOD

• Kalibanga: It is located in the Hanumangarh district on the bank of the Ghaggar River and was first
found by Amlanand Ghosh in 1952 AD. It has evidence of ploughed fields and crops namely chana
(gram) and mustard were sown. There is also evidence of fire pits.
• Ganeshwar: It is located near the copper belt of Sikar-Jhunjhunu districts.
o It was excavated first in 1977.
o It is ascribed to be a pre-Harappan site.
• Ahar (Bronze age civilization): It is located in Udaipur district, located near Ahar/Bedach River.
o Evidence suggests a joint family and collective feast.

[2]
 o Here water vessels without handles have been found, which are also found in Iranian
civilization.
• Other centres of Bronze Civilisation are:
○ Gilund: It is situated in Rajsamand on the bank of Banas River.
○ Balathal: It is located at Vallabh nagar in Udaipur.

MAHJANAPADA PERIOD
• Matsya: It was present in Alwar and Jaipur region with the capital at Viratnagar. Its information is
available in Rigveda.
• Sursen: It covers the region of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, and Karauli with the capital at Mathura.
• Kuru: It was spread over northern Alwar with the capital at Indraprastha.
• Rajnaya Janpada: It covered parts of Bharatpur.
• Shivi Janapada: It covered the region of Udaipur and Chittorgarh with the capital in Madhyamika
(present name Nagri).
• Malav Janapada: It was present in Jaipur and Tonk with the capital at Nagar (Tonk). It is called the
Khera civilization.
• Yodheya Janapada: It was present in Ganganagar and Hanumangarh district.
• Shalvya Janapada: It was present in the Alwar district.

MAURYAN PERIOD
• Bairath: The most important center during the Mauryan period was Bairath (Viratnagar).
• Bhabru rock edict of Ashoka: It was found in Bijak hills in which Ashoka expressed his faith in the
Buddhist Sangha.
• Greek ruler Minander had occupied Madhyamika in 150 AD (mentioned in Mahabhasya written
by Patanjali)

GUPTA PERIOD
• Prayag inscription: According to Prayag inscription, Samudragupta had supremacy over all
republics of Rajasthan.
• Chandragupta II defeated Shaka ruler Rudra Singh III and occupied the remaining parts of
Rajasthan.

POST-GUPTA PERIOD
• During the trilateral conflict between Gurjar Pratihar, Rashtrakuta and Pala, the capital of Gurjar
Pratihar was Bhinmal (Jalore). Bhinmal was visited by Xuan Zang and he called it Pilo milo.
• Brahmagupta belonged to Bhinmal and wrote Brahmasputa Siddhantika, Khand Khadhyak.
• Poet Magh also belonged to Bhinmal. He wrote the Sanskrit book Shishupal Vadha.
• Later, a branch of Rashtrakutas came to Rajasthan which came to be known as Rathore.

[3]
MEDIEVAL HISTORY

REGIONAL KINGDOM ALONG WITH DELHI SULTANATE

Important Kings Of This Dynasty Were:

• Ratan Singh: He was the last ruler of Rawal branch. Allauddin invaded Chittor during his reign and
first Saka was done in Chittorgarh fort. (Saka includes Kesariya and Jauhar.)
o Rani Padmini led Jauhar along with 16000 queens and Ratan Singh did Kesariya (a final
battle) along with his chief warrior.
• Maharana Kumbha (1433-1468 AD): He fought the Battle of Sarangpur against Mehmud Khilji
(Sultan of Malwa) and after his win, he constructed Victory Pillar in Chittorgarh fort, which is called
'Museum of idols'.
o Maharana Kumbha also constructed Kumbhalgarh Fort, Achalgarh Fort, Bhomath Fort,
Kumaraswamy Temple in Chittorgarh Fort.
o He also wrote Sangeet Raj, Sangeet Sudha, Sangeet Mimansa, Sangeet Ratnakar, etc.
• Maharana Sangram Singh (Maharana Sanga): He fought the Battle of
Khatoli and Battle of Bari against Ibrahim Lodi, Battle of Gagron against
Mahmud Khilji of Malwa and Battle of Khanwa against Babur.
• Maharana Udai Singh: Akbar invaded Chittor during his reign, but
Maharana Udai Singh moved to Girwa hills, and a Saka was done in the fort.
Later Maharana Udai Singh established Udaipur.
• Maharana Pratap: He did not accept Mughal suzerainty and kept on fighting
for the safety and independence of his motherland. He lived in a jungle, ate
chapatis made of grass during this struggle for self-respect. He fought Battle
of Haldighati and Battle of Diver. During his reign independent development
of Mewar school of painting started.
• Amar Singh: He signed a treaty with Jahangir and his son Karn Singh
appeared in the Mughal court on his behalf. He further developed the Mewar
School of painting.
• During the independence of India, the ruler of Mewar was Maharana Bhupal Singh, who became the
first Maharaj Pramukh of Rajasthan.

❖ RATHORES OF MARWAR :
Rathores were the last of the Rajputs to come to
Rajasthan. One of the branches of Rashtrakutas arrived
in Kannauj. After the Gaharwal capture of Kanauj, they
moved to Badaun. From there Rao Siha came to
Rajasthan.
• Rao Mallinath ji (1358-1399): He is one of the folk
deities of Rajasthan. He made Mewanagar
(Nakora) his capital.
• Rao Jodha (1416-1489): He founded Jodhpur and
constructed Mehrangarh fort on Chiridyatunk hills. His son Bika established Bikaner.
• Maldeo (1532-1564): He was the most powerful king of Marwar.

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 o He fought the battle of Giri Sumel against Shershah Suri.
• Mota Raja Udai Singh (1538-1595): He married his daughter Mani Bai to Jahangir.
o She is known as Jodha Bai in history.
o She is also known as Jagat Gosai.
o Her son was Shahjahan.
• Jaswant Singh (1638-1678): He supported Dara Sikoh against Aurangzeb in their succession conflict.
o He returned to Jodhpur after defeat in the Battle, his queen closed the gates of the fort for him.

❖ RATHORES OF BIKANER:
Important Kings Of The Dynasty Include:
• Rao Bika ji (1438-1504): He was the son of Jodhpur ruler Rao Jodha and established Bikaner on
a barren land called 'Jungladesh'.
• Rai Singh (1574-1612): He defeated Mirza's of Gujarat in the battle of Katholi.
o He became Mansabdar of 4000 in Akbar's reign and of 5000 in Jahangir's reign.
o He led Mughal military campaigns in Gujarat, Kabul, and Kandahar.
o He constructed Junagarh fort in Bikaner.
• Karn Singh (ruled from 1631 to 1669): He served both Shahjahan and
Aurangzeb and constructed Karni Mata temple in Deshnok.
• Maharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943): He helped the British in the Boxer
revolt of China in 1899 and was rewarded with the title of 'Kaiser-i-hind'.
o He participated in the Paris Peace Conference after World War I.
o He was the only ruler from Princely states who participated in it.
o He was the only ruler of Rajasthan who participated in all three
round table conferences.
o He provided modern forms to the temples of Ramdevra,
Gogamedhi, and Deshnok.
o He was the first chairman of the 'Chamber of Princes' established in
1921.

❖ HISTORY OF CHAUHANS OF AJMER:

• It was established by Vasudev in 551 AD. According to the Bijolia rock edict, he constructed
Sambhar Lake.
• Ajay Raj: According to Prithviraj Vijaya by Jayanak, he established Ajmer in 1113 AD. He also
constructed Ajmer fort.
• Vigrahraj (1153-1163): He captured Dhillika (Delhi) from the Tomars.
o He constructed a Sanskrit school in Ajmer and engraved the lines of his play name Harikeli
on the walls of the school.
o The school was later converted into a mosque by Qutubuddhin Aibak, named 'Adhai Din
ka Jhopra'.
• Prithviraj III (1177 - 1192 CE): Chouhan-Garhwal differences: Prithviraj and Jaychand (ruler of
Garhwal) were maternal cousins. There were differences between them on account of the
succession of Delhi and the kidnapping of Sanyogita (daughter of Jaychand) by Prithviraj.
• First battle of Tarain (1191): Fought between Prithviraj Chouhan and Muhammad Gauri and won
by Prithviraj Chouhan.

[5]
 • Second battle of Tarain (1192): This was won by Gauri.
• His courtiers included Chand Bardai (wrote Prithviraj Raso), Jayanak (wrote Prithviraj
Viajay), Janardan, Vidyapati Gour, and Vaghishwar.
• Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti settled in India during his reign.

❖ HISTORY OF KACHCHWAH OF AMER

The descendants of Lord Ram's younger son Kush were called Kushwaha and later on, they were
called Kachchawaha.
Important kings of the dynasty are:
➢ Important kings of the dynasty are:
• Bharmal: He was the first ruler of Amer who accepted the supremacy of Mughals and started
marital relations with them.
o He married his daughter Harkha Bai to Akbar.
o Jahangir was the son of Harkha Bai.
• Bhagwant Das: Akbar made him a mansabdar of 5000. He was sent as ambassador by Akbar
to Maharana Pratap.
o He also arranged a meeting of Akbar with Dadudayal.
o He married his daughter Manbai with Salim.
o Khusro was born from Manbai.
• Man Singh: He was the commander of the Royal Army in the Battle of Haldighati.
o He was made the mansabdar of 5000 which was later increased to 7000.
o Akbar made him the Governor of Bengal, Bihar and Kabul.
o During his governorship in Bengal, he defeated the ruler of East Bengal and brought
the idol of Sheela Mata.
o He then constructed the temple of Sheela mata in Amer.
o He started the construction of the Palace of Amer.
• Mirza Raja Jai Singh: He was the ruler during the reign of Jahangir,
Shahjahan, and Aurangzeb.
o He was given the title of 'Mirza Raja' by Shahjahan.
o He was sent to Deccan and signed the Treaty of Purandhar
(1665) with Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
o He constructed Jaigarh fort in Jaipur.
• Sawai Jai Singh: He was the ruler during 7 Mughal emperors. He prepared
a table of lunar nakshatras in pure form and named it 'Jij Muhammadshahi'.
o During his reign, translation of many books was done such as the
translation of the textbook of Euclid, the translation of French book 'Logarithm',
translation of Arabic book 'Ukar' into sanskrit etc.
o He established Jaipur in 1727. The architect of Jaipur was a Bengali Brahmin named
Vidhyadhar Battacharya.
o He constructed Nahargarh fort. He also constructed the temple of Govind devji, which
is the major branch of Gouriya Sect in Rajasthan.
o He also installed the Samrat instrument at Jantar Mantar which is the largest solar clock
of the world.

[6]
 • Ram Singh (1833-1880): He became king at the age of 16 months and John Ludlo was the
administrator of Jaipur and protector of Ram Singh.
o John Ludlo prohibited Samadhi practice and girl infanticide in 1844, Sati practice in
1845, Human trafficking in 1847 and dowry practice.
o He established 'Madarsa-i-Hunari' for the development of Art.
o He started Blue pottery in Jaipur. He sent two persons Churaman and Kalu Kumhar to
Delhi for training in Blue pottery from a person named Bhola.
o In 1866 AD, Kantichandra Mukherjee established a girls' school. It was the first step
for women education in any princely state in India. Women learnt sewing of clothes in
school.

MODERN HISTORY
REVOLT AND RAJASTHAN
• Military cantonment of Britishers in Rajasthan at the time of revolt were Nasirabad (Ajmer), Neemuch
(now in Madhya Pradesh), Arinpur (Pali), Deoli (Tonk), Kherwara (Udaipur) and Beawar (Ajmer).
• Nasirabad: This was the first cantonment to revolt on 28 May 1857.
• Neemuch: On account of the annexation of Awadh, a soldier named Mohammad Ali Beg refused to
take the oath of loyalty.
o The revolt was led by a soldier named Heera Singh.
o They were given shelter by the ruler of Shahpura.
o The British who ran from Neemuch were given shelter by the Maharana of Udaipur and kept
them in Jagmandir palace.
• Arinpura: A unit of Purbia soldiers was sent to Abu where they revolted.
o They were later joined by other soldiers of
Arinpura.
o They met Aauwa Thakur Kushal Singh
Champawat, who provided leadership to them.
• Revolt of Kota: Advocate Jayadayal and Risaldas Mehrab
Khan led the revolt in Kota (15 Oct 1857). It was basically
a people's revolt. Kota's political agent Burton and his
two sons were killed. Maharao Ram Singh was kept under
surveillance and Jayaram was appointed administrator of
Kota. General Robert released Kota from rebels.
• Tantya Tope: Tantya Tope visited Mandalgarh
(Bhilwara) and was supported by Nasir Mohammad Khan
against the Nawab of Tonk.

PEASANT MOVEMENT IN RAJASTHAN

• Bijolia Movement (1897-1941)
o Presently in Bhilwara, then A class thikana of Mewar.
o Non-violent movement for 44 years (1897-1941).
o Reasons - 84 types of Lag-Bag taxes, Chanwari tax (given at the time of peasant's daughter),
Talwar Bandhai tax (whenever new landlord ascended the throne).

[7]
 o Leadership by Vijay Singh Pathik, Manikya Lal Verma, Jamna Lal Bajaj.
o Women - Anjana Devi Choudhary, Narayan Devi Verma, Rama Devi.
• Eki Movement (1920-1922)
o Bhil tribe in Bhomath region.
o Full moon day of Vaishakh month from Matrikundiya (Haridwar of Rajasthan) in Chittorgarh.
o Leader - Moti Lal Tejawat.
o 1922 - police firing on an assembly held in Neemra village (Vijaynagar) - 2nd Jalianwala
Massacre.
• Movement of Meena Tribe
o The Meena tribe was kept under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1925. Later under the Jarayam
Pesha Act of 1930, it was made compulsory for every Meena male and female of above 25
years to give his/her presence at the local police station.
o In 1933 AD, the Meena Regional General Assembly was established. In 1944 a Meena
Conference was organized at Neem ka Thana in Sikar under the leadership of Muni Magan
Sagar.
o Jarayam Pesha law was repealed in 1952.

• Unification of Rajasthan
o At the time of independence there were 19 Princely states and 3 Thikanas (sub-states) - Lava,
Neemrana, and Kushalgarh-in Rajasthan. The unification of Rajasthan was completed in 7
stages.
o Formation of Matsya Union (March 17, 1948): By merging Bharatpur, Dholpur, Alwar,
Karauli, and Neemrana thikana. Inauguration was done on. Maharaja Udaibhan Singh of
Dholpur was its Rajpramukh.
o Formation of Rajasthan Union (March 25, 1948): It was formed by merging 9 Princely
states, Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Kishangarh, Tonk, Shahpura
and 1 thikana Kushalgarh. Maharaja Bhim Singh of Kota was its Rajpramukh.
o Formation of Rajasthan (April 18, 1948): Formed by merger of Mewar in Rajasthan union.
It was inaugurated by Pandit Nehru on April 18, 1948. Mewar Maharana Bhupal Singh was its
Rajpramukh.
o Formation of Greater Rajasthan (March 30, 1949): Formed by merger of United states of
Rajasthan and Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer. This day is celebrated as Rajasthan Day. It
was inaugurated by Sardar Patel. Heeralal Shastri was its PM.
o Formation of United States of Greater Rajasthan (May 15, 1949): It was formed by merger
of Greater Rajasthan and Matsya Union.
▪ Sirohi (excluding Abu and Delwara) was merged with the United States of Greater
Rajasthan on 26 Jan 1950 and Heera lal Shastri was first nominated CM of Rajasthan.
▪ On the recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission Ajmer Merwara
was merged into Rajasthan on 1 Nov 1956. Abu and Delwara were also merged with
Rajasthan.

[8]
 FAMOUS PERSONALITIES
Vijay Singh He Belonged to Bulandshahar and led the
Pathik Bijoliya Peasant movement. He raised the
issues of the Bijoliya movement in Congress
session of 1919. He published a newspaper
Naveen Rajasthan. He was jailed for having
led the Kisan agitation against the ruler of
Mewar. Pathik was invited by the Kisan
Panchayat, Mahila Mandal, and Yuvak
Mandal to come and give them a lead.

Manikya Lal He was the Prime Minister of Rajasthan

Verma before the full formation of Rajasthan state. He
participated in Bijoliya Peasant Movement.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1965.
In 1934, Manikya Lal Verma opened a
sevashram in a small village named Nareli,
near Ajmer, with the aim of preparing workers
for creative work. He also started a school in
Dungarpur for the emancipation of Bhils.
Later, he became the President of Rajasthan
Bhil Seva Mandal Vimukta Jati Sevak
Sangh in 1954-55. In 1938, Mewar Praja
Mandal was established with his active
cooperation.

Jamna Lal Bajaj He was born in Sikar and was an industrialist.

He also participated in the Bijoliya peasant
movement. He also led the Jaipur
[Link] founded the Bajaj Group of
companies in the 1920s, and the group now
has 24 companies, including six that are listed
on the bourses.

[9]
 Ram Narayan He was a Gandhian social reformer and led the
Chaudhary Bengu Peasant movement. His father Murli
Dhar Chaudhry sent him to both a Pandit and a
Moulvi for learning Hindi, Urdu, and Persian.
Ram Narayan Chaudhary, through his
writings, not only energized the independence
movement and inspired participation in the
freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi's
guidance but also laid the foundation for post-
independence reformative literature in the
nation.

Moti Lal Tejawat He was employed in Jhadol thikana for some

time, where he witnessed the oppressive
behavior of Thakur towards Bhils and resigned
in 1920. He got inspiration from the Bijolia
movement and led the Eki Movement.

Jai Narayan Vyas He was the leader of Jodhpur Prajamandal. He

published three newspapers Akhand Bharat,
Angibaan and Peep. Jai Narayan had made the
Prime Minister of Jodhpur in 1948. He was the
Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 1951 to
1954.

TOURISM
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
• Ajmer: Alan Sign, the ruler of the Chanda clan of Meenas, was the first to build the fort in 967 AD,
and they were also responsible for the settlement of Amer. The fort has been constructed in red and
white sandstone and marble. It is a blend of Rajputana and Mughal styles.
• Chittorgarh: The fort is situated at the height of 1810 feet on the Mesa plateau. The fort includes 65
historic structures, including four palaces, 19 temples, 20 water bodies, and 4 memorials.
o Victory pillar: 122 feet in height, Constructed by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his
victory over Mahmud Shah I Khalji.

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 o Kirti Stambh: 72 feet high. It was built by a Jain merchant and dedicated to Adinath, the
first Jain Tirthankara.
o Padmini Palace: It is a three-storied palace. This palace was constructed in the form of the
Jal Mahal (a palace surrounded by water) and inspired other palaces in the state.
o Kalika Mata temple: constructed in a century. Earlier it was a Sun temple but later the idol
was destroyed during the Mughal invasion.
o Gaumukh reservoir: Earlier it was the main source of water for the fort during numerous
sieges.
o Rana Kumbha palace: Maharana Udai Singh was born in the palace and Panna Dhai
sacrificed her son to save Udai Singh from Balbir.
• Gagron: Located in Jhalawar, it is an example of a hill and water fort. It was constructed in the century
by king Bijaldev of Khinchi kingdom. The fort has been constructed on the confluence of Ahu river
and Kali Sindh river.
• Jaisalmer (Sonar Fort): It is a living fort as nearly 1/4th
population of the old city's population still resides in the
fort.
o It is the second oldest fort in Rajasthan. It has been
constructed in yellow sandstone.
o The fort's walls are a tawny lion color during the
day and honey-gold as the sun sets. Therefore it is
called Sonar Fort or Golden Fort.
• Kumbhalgarh: It was built during the century by
Maharana Kumbha. Maharana Pratap was born in the fort.
o The fort has a wall of around (second largest after the Great wall of China) with a width
enough to take eight horses abreast.
o The fort consists of a number of Hindu and Jain temples.
• Ranthambhore: It is situated within Ranthambhore National Park. The fort also houses three Hindu
temples dedicated to Ganesha, Shiva and Ramlalaji and a Jain temple of Lord Sumatinath and
Lord Sambhavanath.
• Jantar Mantar: It is an astronomical observatory constructed by
Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur. There are multiple buildings of unique
form, each with specialised function for astronomical measurement.
The instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with
the naked eye.
• Keoladeo National Park: It also known as Bharatpur Bird
Sanctuary,It is located in the Bharatpur district of the northwestern
state of Rajasthan. The park is renowned for its rich avian diversity,
particularly during the winter months when numerous migratory birds
visit the area.
• Jaipur city: Jaipur is known for its historical significance, cultural heritage, and architectural marvels.
The city was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and is often referred to as the Pink
City due to the predominant color of its buildings.

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TOURIST PLACES

Rajasthan Tourism Policy, 2020

• Enhance existing tourism products and experiment with new ones - Desert tourism, eco-tourism,
tribal tourism, cultural tourism, Wedding tourism, rural tourism.
• Special tourism zones will be declared.
• Strengthen tourism infrastructure.
• Improve accommodation facility - will launch a 'Guest house' scheme for 5-20 rooms.
• Awareness about employment opportunities in tourism sector.

MAJOR TOURIST PLACES

Jaipur • City palace: Until 1949, it was the ceremonial and administrative seat of Maharaja
of Jaipur.
o The palace houses the Maharaja Man Singh II
museum.
• Hawa mahal: Constructed by Sawai Pratapsingh in
1779 AD. He got the inspiration for Hawa Mahal from
the Khetri Mahal in Jhunjhunu.
o It is constructed in the shape of the crown of Lord
Krishna.
o It has 5 storeys and 953 small windows (jharokhas).
o It is at the back of the City palace and the original purpose of its construction was
to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life and
festivals celebrated in the street below without being
seen, since they had to be in “purdah”.
o The architectural feature also allowed cool air to pass
through thus making it pleasant during hot summer.
• Albert Hall Museum: Constructed in 1876 and
inaugurated by the Prince of Wales Albert.
• Nahargarh fort: It was constructed in 1734 by Sawai Jai Singh.
o During the 1857 Mutiny, Europeans of the region were moved to Nahargarh fort
by the king of Jaipur.
o Until April 1944, the Jaipur State government used for its official purposes
solar time read from the Samrat Yantra in the Jantar Mantar Observatory,
with a gun fired from Nahargarh Fort as the time signal.
• Jaigarh: It was built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1726 to protect the Amer fort.
o The fort houses Jaivana (Jaivana Cannon) which was manufactured in the fort
and was the largest cannon on wheels.
o Jaigarh and Amer fort is connected by subterranean passages and are considered
as one complex

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Ajmer • Adhai din ka jhopda: Constructed as Sanskrit
School in 1153 AD. Converted into a mosque by
Kutubuddin Aibak.
• Aana Sagar: It was constructed by Arnoraj,
Grandfather of Prithvi Raj Chauhan in the 12th
century.
• Pushkar: Temple of Lord Brahma. Special bath is
organised on Kartik Purnima.
o There are 52 Ghats around the pond.
o A fair is organised on Kartik Purnima which is
called “Rangeela Mela” of Rajasthan.

Udaipur • Haldighati: It is a mountain pass between Udaipur

and Rajsamand. The battle of Haldighati was
fought here. It is also famous for rose products.
• Jagdish temple: It is a Nagara-style, two-storey
temple built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh.
• Sajjangarh: It is a monsoon palace. Its
construction was started by Maharana Sajjan Singh
and completed by Maharana Fateh Singh.
• Fatehsagar Lake: The original construction of the lake was done by Maharana
Jaisingh but it was damaged due to excessive rainfall.
o Later Maharana Fateh Singh reconstructed the lake. There is Nehru Park
and a Solar observatory inside the lake.
o The excess water from Pichola Lake is brought to Fateh Sagar by Swaroop
Sagar.
• Lake Pichola: It was constructed during the 14th century by a Banjara during the
reign of Maharana Lakha.
o Jagmandir, Natni ka Chabutara, and Jag Niwas (Lake Palace) are situated
in the middle of the lake.
o Shahjahan took shelter in Jagmandir in 1622- 24.
• Eklingji temple: It is a temple in Kailashpur, built by Bappa Rawal in the 8th century.
• Jaisamand Lake: The lake was constructed in 1685 by Maharana Jaisingh on the
Gomti River.
o It also hosts Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary.
o Two irrigation canals taken out from this lake are Shyampura and Bhat.

[13]
Jaisalmer • Ramdevra: It is primarily known for the famous
Ramdevra Temple, dedicated to Baba Ramdev, a
saint and folk deity revered by people in Rajasthan
and neighbouring states.
• Jaisalmer fort: The fort was built in 1156 and is a
proud chattel of the Bhati clan. Rawal Jaiswal
was the founder of Jaisalmer City, and Jaisalmer
Fort was built during his reign. The fort constitutes
99 bastions; amongst these, 92 were built between 1633 and 1647.

Jodhpur • Mehrangarh Fort: It was constructed in

1459 by Rao Jodha, though most of the
existing structure is from the 17th century.
o There are several palaces inside the fort
with intricate carvings and courtyards as
well as a museum housing various relics.
• Osiyan: It is an ancient town. It is an oasis in
the Thar desert and famous for a cluster of
ruined Hindu and Jain temples belonging to
the 8th to 12th century.

Chittorgarh • Chittorgarh Fort: Situated some 100 km

from Udaipur in the pretty town of
Chittorgarh, the fort is reminiscent of
Rajputana pride, loyalty, and sacrifice. It is
also one of the largest forts in India.
• Sanwariya ji: It is situated in Mandhaphiya
town on Chittorgarh-Udaipur highway.

Rajsamand • Rajsamand lake: The lake was built by Maharana Raj Singh across Gomati river. It
is the oldest known famine relief work in Rajasthan.
o There is Raj Prashasti, which is the world's largest and longest stone
inscription in Sanskrit.
o It is inscribed on 25 black marble slabs, describing the history of Mewar.
o Another area of interest is Nau Chauki pal which are pavilions on the
embankment of the lake.
o These are beautifully carved with pictures of Sun, gods, chariots, birds etc.
• Srinath ji temple: It is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Srinathji in
Nathdwara.

Pali • Ranakpur temple: It is a 15th century Jain temple built by a Jain businessman Darna
Shah under the patronage of Maharana Kumbha.
o The temple is built in Maru Gurjara architecture.
• The temple is famous for intricate carvings and architecture.

[14]
 Sirohi • Dilwara temple: It is a Jain temple built in
Maru-Gurjara architecture, which is famous for
its use of very pure white marble and intricate
carvings.
• Nakki Lake: This lake is a caldera lake. The
lake is situated at a height of 1200m. This is
Rajasthan’s only hill station lake.

MAJOR FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Desert festival, • It is celebrated for 3 days in February

Jaisalmer such that the last day falls on a full moon
day.
• The festival is organized by the state
tourism department to exhibit the
imperial state culture of Rajasthan.
• A person can experience a fancy camel
ride, and participate in camel races,
polo matches, turban-tying
competitions, and various other things.

Camel Festival • It is celebrated for 2 days in January

Bikaner against the background of Junagarh Fort.
• The attractions of the festival are special
tea and sweets made from camel milk,
camel dance, camel tug of war, best
breed competition, etc.

Pushkar Fair • It is organized in the month of Kartik

for 13 days. It is considered the largest
platform to buy and sell camels, cattle,
and horses

[15]
 Nagaur Fair • It is organized for four days from 30
January to 2 February. This carnival
provides the largest platform for trading
cattle, cows, bullocks, oxen, camels and
horses.
• The main attraction of the fair is the
Mirchi Bazaar (Red chilly market)
where wooden items, leather articles,
handicraft and traditional jewellery can
be bought.

Elephant Festival, • It is a parade organised on the occasion

Jaipur of Holi. It is considered as a symbol of
Rajasthan royalty.
• All the participating elephants are
females and take part in race, tug or war
and polo.
• Elephants are groomed, painted and
dressed for the festival.

Mewar festival, • The festival is celebrated in Chetra

Udaipur month for 3 days.
• In the festival, women carry the statues
of Isar (Lord Shiva) and Gangaur
(Goddess Parvati) towards Lake Pichola.

ART AND CULTURE

FAMOUS FOLK SONGS
• Kesariya Balam: Kesariya Balam is an Indian folk song from Rajasthan. Kesariya means saffron,
which symbolically means good health and beauty, and Balam means husband or lover, this
Rajasthani song is sung by or on behalf sung for women to express their feelings of love, affection, and
respect for their beloved husbands.
• Kaga: In this song, the wife is trying to fly away a crow to create an auspicious moment for her
husband's arrival.
• Gorband: This song is dedicated to an ornament that is worn on the neck of a camel.
• Chirmi: This song is sung by a married girl who is waiting for her father and brother in her in-law's
house.

[16]
• Ghumar: It is a song that is sung on auspicious occasions. In it, a girl is requesting her mother to allow
her to go to play Ghumar.

FAMOUS FOLK DANCES

Ghoomar • Ghoomar is a traditional as well as an enthusiastic folk

dance of Rajasthan. It was developed by the Bhil
tribe.
• The Kachhwaha Clan of Rajputs who ruled Jaipur
defeated the Bhils and later acceded to a peaceful
coexistence and adopted this dance. Since then it has
been associated with the royal ladies of Jaipur, who
perform it on certain auspicious occasions.

Kachhi • It is a professional dance of Shekhawati region.

Ghori Performed only by men. Dancers dance by making
four mutually opposite rows, therefore, the dance
seems like the opening of flowers.

Gair • Performed on the occasion of Holi and continues for

Dance 15 days.
• Gair dance of Bhils of Mewar region is popular. It is
played using sticks (like Garba).

Walar • It is an important dance of Garasiya tribe. Just like

Dance Ghoomar it involves many circular movements of
dancers on beats.

Bhawai • The dance is performed by males and females by

Dance balancing some earthen pots on their head nimbly,
pirouetting, and then swaying with the soles of their
feet perched on the top of a glass bottle, on the edge
of a sword etc.

[17]
 Chakri • This dance is performed by the Kanjar tribe, residing
Dance in some parts of Kota and Baran districts.
• It is the main source of livelihood and is performed by
women only.

Terah • The dance is performed by Kamada tribes. The

Taali dance is also performed to honor Baba Ramdeo.
Dance • 13 mantras are tied to different parts of the body and
dancers strike them with the ones they hold in their
hands.

Gawri • Gawri is performed by the Bhil tribe, which is a

dance popular folk dance and starts from Rakshabandhan.
• Dancers perform Gawri in different villages for 40
days.

GEOGRAPHY
• Rajasthan has an international boundary with Pakistan along its western border. This boundary spans
a significant portion of the western edge of the state.
• The international boundary starts at Hindumalkot (Sriganganagar) and ends at Shahgarh in Barmer.
On the other side of the border are Punjab and Sindh.
• Rajasthan shares an interstate boundary with Madhya Pradesh (1600 km), Haryana (1262 km),
Gujarat (1022 km), Uttar Pradesh (877 km) and Punjab (89 km).
o Punjab: Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.
o Haryana: Jaipur, Bharatpur, Hanumangarh, Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Alwar.
o Uttar Pradesh: Bharatpur and Dholpur.
o Madhya Pradesh: Dholpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Bhilwara, Banswara, Baran,
Jhalawar, Pratapgarh and Chittorgarh.
o Gujarat: Jhalore, Banswara, Barmer, Udaipur, Sirohi, Dungarpur.

AREA OF RAJASTHAN
• Rajasthan has a total area of 3,42,239 sq. km. This accounts for the 10.41% area of the country.
Rajasthan holds the first position from area point of view in the country.
• 4 largest districts: Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, and Jodhpur
• 4 smallest districts: Dholpur, Dausa, Dungarpur, and Pratapgarh.

GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS OF RAJASTHAN

[18]
● Northwestern desert
region: It is spread over the
total geographical area of
Rajasthan and houses
around the population of the
state.
o It has been divided into
two parts for study
purpose, i.e. Arid region
and Semi-arid region.
o Arid desert: It is the
area with 25 cm annual
rainfall. 58.5% area is
dune area and 41.5%
of area is without dune
(because of the rocky
desert) which is spread over Jaisalmer,
Barmer, and Jodhpur.
o Semi-arid desert: It is a 25-50 cm rainfall
area found between the arid desert and
Aravalis. It has been further divided into
Ghaggar Basin, Shekhawati Region, Nagaur
Upland, and Luni Basin.
● Aravalli: Aravallis were formed during the
Precambrian period and are contemporary to the
Appalachian Mountains in the USA. It covers the
9% geographical area of Rajasthan and houses
10% population.
● Eastern Plain - It is formed by rivers and spread
over 23% the geographical area of Rajasthan and
houses around 39 % of the population.
○ It has been divided into Mahi Plain, Banas-Banganga Plain and Chambal Plain.
○ Mahi Plain area: It is also known as Chappan ka Maidan and is spread over Banswara and
Pratapgarh districts. The soil is red loamy soil which is good for Maize and rice cultivation.
○ Danas-Banganga plain: Banas plain is spread over Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh
(Southern part over Mewar region), Ajmer, Tonk and Sawai Madhopur (Northern part) with
presence of brown soil.
○ Chambal plain: It is spread over Karauli, Dholpur, Sawai Madhopur, Kota. Due to badland
topography this area is called Beehad/Dang/Ravine.
● Hadoti Plateau- It is spread over 7 % of geographical area and houses around 11% of population.
○ It is divided in two parts, i.e. Deccan lava plateau and Vindhyan scarpland.
○ Deccan lava plateau: It is spread over Pratapgarh and Jhalawar districts.
○ Vindhyan scarpland: It is spread over Hadoti region (Kota, B,undu, Baran, Jhalawar) and
Dang region (Karauli, Dholpur and Sawai Madhopur).

[19]
 ● Great Boundary Fault: It is a dislocation which separates Aravallis from Hadoti and spreads over
Chittorgarh, Bundi and Sawai Madhopur.

CULTURAL DIVISION
Cultural Division of Rajasthan
• Dhundhar - Jaipur, Tonk and nearby area -
Meena, Bad-Gurjars
• Hadoti - Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Baran
• Marwar - Jodhpur, Bikaner, Nagaur,
Jaisalmer - Jat, Rajputs,
• Mewar - Udaipur, Chittor, Bhilwara, Sirohi,
Rajsamand,
• Matsya - Karauli, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Alwar,
Sawai Madhopur, Dausa
• Merwara - Ajmer, Tonk
• Mewat - Alwar and northern Bharatpur
• Shekhawati - Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu,
Hanumangarh
• Vagad - Banswara, Dungarpur

CLIMATE OF RAJASTHAN
• Rajasthan has a subtropical climate.
• Arid region: It includes Western desert area, i.e. Jaisalmer district, northern part of Barmer, western
Phalodi tehsil of Jodhpur, western parts of Bikaner and Southern parts of Ganganagar district.
o Annual rainfall in the region is 0 to 20 cm.
o Climate of the region is very severe and arid.
o The annual diurnal temperature variation is severe with average summer temperature more than
34% and average winter temperature between 12°C to 16°C.
• Semi-Arid region:
o It includes the region to the east of Arid region and includes western parts of Ganganagar,
Hanumangarh, Jodhpur and Barmer districts.
o Annual rainfall is 20-40 cm, but that is erratic as well as torrential which brings floods in the
region.
o Winter season is very short and arid in the northern parts of the region.
o The average temperature during winter ranges from 10°C-17°C and summer temperature
ranges from 32°C to 36°C.
• Sub-humid region:
o It is spread over Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa, Ajmer, eastern parts of Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Pali,
northwestern part of Tonk, Bhilwara and Sirohi districts.
o This region has steppe type of vegetation.
o Annual rainfall is 40-60cm and is limited to a few monsoon months only.

[20]
 o Average summer temperature ranges from 28°C to 34°C , whereas winter temperature ranges
from 12°C in the northern parts and 18°C in the southern parts.
• Humid region:
o It is spread over Bharatpur, Dholpur, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Kota, Barmer, and
Rajsamand districts and north-eastern parts of Udaipur.
o The region receives winter rainfall as well associated with cyclones along with monsoon
rainfall and annual rainfall ranges from 60-80cm.
o The region is dominated by deciduous vegetation.
• Very humid region:
o It includes southeast Kota, Baran, Jhalawar, Banswara, southwest Udaipur, and adjacent areas
of Mount Abu.
o Summers are very hot and winters are cold and dry.
o Rainfall mainly occurs in the rainy season and ranges from 80-100cm.
o The region has a monsoon savanna type of vegetation.

SOIl

• Sandy soil:
o The soil has been formed from sandstone and granite
rocks. The soil is rich in calcium.
o Its extension is over the western Desert area
(Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer) and the Shekhawati
region.
o Production: Bajra (maximum), Moong, Month,
Groundnut and Gwar.
• Mountain/Forest soil:
o The soil has been formed from granite rocks and
gneiss rocks.
o Its extension is over southern Aravalli (Udaipur, Rajasamand, Sirohi, Ajmer).
o Production: Maize on the sloppy areas of Aravalli.
• Alluvial soil:
o The soil has been formed by deposits brought by rivers.
o It is spread over eastern plain areas (Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli and Dholpur).
o Production - Wheat, mustard, Sugarcane.
• Black soil:
o This is formed by basalt rocks and spread over the Haroti plateau.
o It has maximum water retention capacity and the least irrigation is required.
o A wide variety of crops including wheat, rice, cotton, and tobacco are grown in this soil.
• Red loamy soil:
o It is formed by metamorphic rocks and found in Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and
Udaipur.
o Production: Maize, Rice, Sugarcane
• Brown soil:
o Extension over Banas and Luni river basin.

[21]
 o Production: All types of crops.
• Red Black soil:
o Extension over Bundi, Bhilwara, and Chittorgarh.
o Production: Maize, Cotton, and Opium
• Saline soil:
o This is found in dry/arid regions due to excessive irrigation.
o Extension over Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Narmada canal region (Jhalore and
Barmer)
o Production: Sugarcane, Guava, Jamun.

FORESTS
Forests of Rajasthan can be divided into the following broad categories:
• Tropical thorn forests:
o These are found in arid and semi-arid regions of western Rajasthan, i.e. Jodhpur, Pali, Jalore,
Barmer, Nagaur, Churu, Bikaner etc.
o Vegetation is mainly in the form of shrubs such as cactus and other grasses (sewan, karanj,
dhaman etc).
o Trees found in the region are Khejri, Rohida, Babool, Khair, etc.
• Subtropical deciduous forest
o It covers 28% forest area of Rajasthan.
o It is found on the eastern slopes of Aravallis where annual rainfall is around 60-80 cm.
o Tree species are Palas, Neem, Amla, etc.
• Tropical evergreen forests
o These forests are found in the southern and southeast districts with an annual rainfall of 80 to
120 cm.
o Important tree species include teak, mahua, bamboo, tendu, etc.
• Montane semi-evergreen forests
o These are found in Mount Abu only and the tree species include Sheesham, Banyan and Sal
tree, etc.

RIVERS
• Luni river: Originates from Naag Hills, Ajmer and drains into Runn of Kutch flowing through Ajmer,
Nagore, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jhalore.
o Jawai Dam has been constructed on the river which supplies water to Pali, Jodhpur and Sirohi.
• Mahi River: Originates in Vindhyanchal Hills, MP, and drains into the Gulf of Khambhat.
o Beneshwar dham is located on the confluence of the Som, Mahi, and Jakham rivers, which is
an important place for the Bhil tribe.
o Mahi Bajaj Sagar dam, Jakham dam, etc. have been constructed on the river.
• Western Banas: Originates in Naya Sanwara and drains into Rann of Kutch.
o The catchment area lies in Sirohi. Mount Abu is situated along the river.
• Sabarmati River: Origin Pandrala hills (Udaipur) and drains into the Gulf of Khambhat.
o The catchment area lies in Udaipur.

[22]
• Ghaggar river: Origin in Kalka hills (Himachal Pradesh). The main catchment areas in Rajasthan are
Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.
o Historically it has been called the Saraswati River.
• Kantali river: Origin is Khandela hills (Sikar). The catchment area lies in Sikar and Jhunjhunu.
o Ganeshwar and Sunari civilization flourished at the bank of the river in ancient times.
• Banganga River: The origin is Bairath Hills (Jaipur).
o Ramgarh dam has been constructed on the river which has now dried.
• Chambal river: Originates in Vindhyanchal (MP) and drains
into Yamuna (Itawa, UP).
o Catchment area lies in Chittorgarh, Kota, Bundi,
Karauli, Dholpur, and Sawai Madhopur.
o Rameshwar Dham (Sawai Madhopur) is situated on the
confluence of the Chambal, Banas and Seep rivers.
o Gandhisagar (MP), Ranapratap Sagar (Chittorgarh),
Jawahar Sagar (Bundi & Kota), and Kota Bairaj have
been constructed on the river.
• Banas River: Originates in Khamnaur hills (Rajsamand) and
drains into the Chambal River.
o Bisalpur Dam (Tonk), Isarda Dam (Sawai Madhopur), and Meza Dam (Bhilwara) have
been constructed on the river.
o It is the longest river that is completely flowing in Rajasthan.
o The first river linking project in Rajasthan is Chambal and Banas.
• Ayad/Bedach river: Originates in Gogunda hills (Udaipur) and drains into Banas river.
• Gambhiri River: Originates in Sapotra Tehsil and drains into Yamuna (Mainpuri, UP).
o Panchna dam has been constructed on the river.
o Chittorgarh Fort is situated at the bank of the Gambhiri and Bedach rivers.

CANAL PROJECTS IN RAJASTHAN

• Indira Gandhi Canal
o It transports water from Harike in Punjab, the confluence
of the Satluj and Beas rivers, to Rajasthan.
o Covers an area of long and wide in Thar desert in Western
Rajasthan.
o Length of main canal , length of branches
▪ Stage 1 - comprising construction of long feeder
canal, long main canal; originates from Harike
Dam.
▪ Stage 2 - Starts from the tail of Stage long main canal
• Narmada Canal
o It is a joint project of Gujarat and Rajasthan that starts from Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat.
o Two districts that benefit from this in Rajasthan are Jalore and Barmer.
o 3 lifts from the Narmada canal are Sanchore lift, Bhadreda lift and Paneriya lift.

[23]
 o Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation have been made compulsory in the Narmada canal.
These techniques have been adopted from Israel.
• Gang Canal
o It originates from Satluj river and was constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh in 1922-1927.
o It is the country's first canal in the desert region and benefits Ganganagar district.
• Rajiv Gandhi Sidhmukh Canal Project
o It has been constructed from Satluj river.
o The districts that benefit from the canal are Hanumangarh and Churu.
• Yamuna Canal:
o Rajasthan and Haryana are cooperating in this project.
o It benefits Bharatpur district and supplies water to Ajan Dam and Keoladeo.
• Eastern Rajasthan Canal project
o It is planned to harvest surplus water available in Southern Rajasthan rivers and transfer to
deficit basins in Southeastern Rajasthan.

DEMOGRAPHY

• Percentage of India's population - 5.66%

• Sex ratio of Rajasthan- 928
o Urban areas - 914 (890 in 2001)
o Rural - 933 (930 in 2001)

[24]
MAJOR TRIBES
• Kathori:
o Mainly found in Udaipur district.
o They extract Katha from Acacia catechu (Khair tree) and are therefore called Kathori.
o They are an endangered tribe with only 35-40 families left. Therefore they are given special
status in MGNREGS and are provided 250 days of employment.
o They perform Mavaliya dance (male) and Holi dance (female).
• Damor:
o Found in Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara
o Only tribe not dependent on forests, but more indulged in agriculture and animal husbandry
o Consider their origin from Rajputs
o Men wear jewellery equal to women
• Bhil tribe:
o 2nd largest tribe of Rajasthan
o They do not lie after drinking kesar
water (saffron drink) of Kesariyaji
o They do Gair dance on the second day of
Holi
o Gawri is also performed by them, which
is a popular folk dance and starts from
Rakshabandhan and continues for 40
days.
o Important fair of Bhils - Beneshwar fair (Dungarpur).
• Meena tribe:
o Largest tribe of Rajasthan
o Mainly found in Jaipur
o The coronation of Amber rulers was done by Meenas.
• Garasiya tribe:
o Third largest tribe of Rajasthan.
o Mainly found in Sirohi (Abu and Pindwara tehsil) and Pali (Bali tehsil).
o They are nature lover.
o They consider Akshay Tritiya as their new year.
• Sahariya:
o Only Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group(PVTG) of Rajasthan and are found in Baran
district.
o They play Lathmar Holi on the occasion of Holi.
o They also do 'Rai' dance at that time.
o They play 'Lengi' with wooden sticks on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

MINERALS
• Major Minerals:
o 81 different types of minerals are found in Rajasthan out of which 57 are mined
o Sole producer of lead & zinc ores, Selenite and Wollastonite.

[25]
 o Almost entire production of Silver, Calcite and Gypsum comes from Rajasthan
o Prominent position in Marble, Sandstone and Granite.
o Leading producer of Cement grade and steel grade Limestone.
• Minerals of Aravalli Belt:
o Copper: from Jhunjhunu (Khetri), Sikar (Neem ka thana) and Alwar (Kho Dariba)
o Iron: Jaipur (Morija, Banela) and Dausa (Neemla, Raisela)
o Lead, Zinc and Silver: Udaipur (Jawar, Debari), Rajsamand (Rajpura, Dariba), Bhilwara
(Rampura, Agucha)
• Minerals of Wagad Belt:
o Diamond: From Kesarpura in Pratapgarh
o Gold: from Jagatpura, Anandpura in Banswara
o Manganese: from Leelvaani, Kalakhunt, Talwada in Banswara
o Fluorite: from Maando ki paal in Dungarpur
• Clay Minerals:
o China clay: Bikaner
o Dal clay: Bikaner
o Fire clay: Bikaner
o Bleaching clay: Barmer and Bikaner
o Silica sand: Bundi, Jaipur
• Stone minerals
o White marble: Makrana (Nagaur)
o Black marble: Bhainslana (Jaipur)
o Green marble: Udaipur
o Pink marble: Udaipur (Rishabhdev)
o Yellow marble: Jaisalmer
o Satrangi marble: Pali
o Limestone: Cement grade (Chittorgarh), Steel grade (Maximum from Jaisalmer)
• Minerals found only in Rajasthan
o Garnet: Tonk and Ajmer
o Ochre: Chittorgarh
o Jasper: Jodhpur
o Emerald: Rajsamand (Devgarh and Amet)
o Wollastonite: Sirohi
• Atomic minerals
o Uranium: Khandela hills and Rohila region in Sikar and Udaipur
o Thorium: Pali and Bhilwara.
• Energy minerals
o Petroleum: There are four regions of petroleum in Rajasthan, i.e. Barmer-Sanchore basin
(Cairn India), Rajasthan shelf basin (ONGC), Bikaner-Nagaur basin (Bikaner, Nagaur and
Churu -IOCL, SriganganagarEssar), Vindhyan basin (Cairn India and ONGC).
o Natural gas: It is found in the Jaisalmer region.
o Coal: Maximum storage and production comes from Barmer. Other areas of production are
Bikaner, Nagaur etc.

[26]
 POLITY
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
Rajasthan has a total of 10 divisions, 50 districts.

Division Districts

Ajmer division • Ajmer

• Beawar
• Deedwana-Kuchaman
• Kekri
• Nagaur
• Shahpura
• Tonk District

[27]
Bharatpur division • Bharatpur
• Deeg
• Dholpur
• Gangapur City
• Karauli
• Sawai Madhopur

Bikaner division • Anupgarh

• Bikaner
• Hanumangarh
• Sri Ganganagar

Banswara division • Banswara

• Dungarpur
• Pratapgarh

Jaipur division • Alwar

• Dausa
• Dudu
• Jaipur
• Jaipur Rural
• Khairtal-Tijara
• Kotputli-Behror

Jodhpur division • Balotra

• Barmer
• Jaisalmer
• Jodhpur Urban
• Jodhpur Rural
• Phalodi

Kota division • Baran

• Bundi
• Jhalawar
• Kota

Pali division • Pali

• Jalore
• Sanchore
• Sirohi

Sikar division • Jhunjhunu

• Neem ka Thana
• Sikar
• Churu

[28]
 Udaipur division • Bhilwara
• Chittorgarh
• Rajsamand
• Salumbar
• Udaipur

LEGISLATURE
• Rajasthan has a unicameral legislature. The Rajasthan • State flower: Rohida
Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is situated in • State tree: Khejri (Prosopis Cineraria)
the capital city of Jaipur.
• State bird: Great Indian Bustard
• It was first formed in March 1952.
• State animal (livestock): Camel
• There are a total of 200 Assembly constituencies in
• State animal (wildlife): Chinkara
Rajasthan, which are represented by 200 MLAs or
Members of Legislative Assembly.
• Governor: Shri Haribhau Bagade
• Chief Minister: Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma
• Speaker: Vasudev Devnani
• There are three sessions of the Rajasthan Legislative
Assembly - budget, winter, and monsoon.
• The current Legislative Assembly, which is the 16th
Assembly of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha, was
elected in 2023.

PANCHAYATI RAJ
• History of Panchayati Raj in Rajasthan:
o In Rajasthan, the princely states of Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Sirohi, Udaipur, and
Karauli enacted legislation on Panchayats.
o Thus, at the time of independence, Panchayats were functioning in some of the erstwhile
princely states, while in other states no such institutions existed.
o In 1953, the Rajasthan Panchayat Act was enacted and village Panchayats were established
throughout the state.
o Rajasthan has the distinction of being a pioneer in accepting the scheme of democratic
decentralization envisaging a three-tier system of representative bodies at the village, block,
and district levels.
o This Panchayati Raj system was inaugurated by then PM Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru on 2
Oct 1959 in Nagaur.
o With the already existing Panchayats at the village level under the Rajasthan Panchayat Act,
1953, the three-tier scheme of Panchayati Raj began functioning on 2 October 1959.

• Composition of Panchayats in Rajasthan:

o Gram Panchayat: A Sarpanch and directly elected Panchs.

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 o Panchayat Samiti: Directly elected members from territorial constituencies; All members of
the Legislative Assembly of the State representing constituencies which comprise whole or
partly the Panchayat Samiti area; Chairpersons of all the Panchayats falling within the
Panchayat Samiti.
o Zila Parishad: Directly elected members from territorial constituencies; All MPs (Lok Sabha)
and MLAs representing constituencies which comprise wholly or partly the Zila Parishad area;
All MPs (Rajya Sabha) registered as electors within the Zila Parishad; Chairpersons of all
Panchayat Samities falling within the Zila Parishad area.
Successful Examples Of Sarpanchs In Rajasthan
• Chhavi Rajawat
o Sarpanch of Soda village, Tonk district
o brought clean water, solar power, paved roads, toilets and a bank to the village.
• Radha Devi
o Sarpanch of a village in Nagaur district.
o Motivated young girls to attend school, pulled up the principal to make students to bring
water from a hand pump outside the school; decreased dropout rate
• Nauroti Devi
o Sarpanch of a village in Ajmer district
o Even after being illiterate, she herself got trained in computer education and trained other
700 women in computer education.
• Shyam Sundar Paliwal
o He is the former Sarpanch of Piplantri village in Rajsamand district.
o He started an initiative in which villagers plant 111 trees every time a girl child is born in the
village and the community ensures these trees survive.

SOCIETY AND SOCIAL ISSUES

• Condition of Women in Society:
o Poor sex ratio - 928 (lower than national average)
o Reproductive span is second highest in the country (9.2, UP - 10, National - 6.6) - the duration
between first marriage and sterilisation
o Violence against women - According to NCRB 2022, 45058 cases are registered in 2022.
o Child marriages: The NFHS-5 has revealed that the extent of child marriages have come down
to 25.4 %, a decrease of 10% in Rajasthan.
o Child marriage continues to be higher in rural areas with of girls married before the age of 18
years as compared with in the case of their urban counterparts.
• Government Steps:
o Launch of Edutainment channel called Naubatbaja that aims to build a mass movement
against child marriage.
o District administration has made it mandatory to print the date of birth of both the bride and
groom on wedding cards.

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• Opium-Doda addiction: A survey was conducted in 45 rural villages of Barmer, Jaisalmer and
Bikaner districts.
o The analysis revealed that there were 1200 opium or doda addicts in the rural population of
3640 (1200 households).
o The overall addiction rate was 8.4 % in Barmer, 79% in Jaisalmer and 6.9% in Bikaner.
o districts of Rajasthan.
o The addicts were all males and a negligible number of females in the surveyed villages.
o Cultivation is allowed only after obtaining a license, mainly in Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh
districts (60% of total opium production in India).

COMPARISON OF NFHS-5 AND NFHS-4 ON KEY SOCIAL INDICATORS

Educational Schemes
• Mahatma Gandhi Government English Medium School: For classes 1-12 at every district
headquarter
• Free Text Book distribution scheme to students of class 1 to 8 in all government schools
• Around 35000 Govt primary schools, 19500 UP Schools, 15000 Secondary/Sr. Secondary schools
• Pre-matric scholarship - SC, ST, OBC etc.
• 319 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya operating in the State.

ECONOMY
• Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP): For the fiscal year 2023-24, Rajasthan's GSDP is projected
at ₹15,28,385 crore, reflecting a growth rate of 8.03% at constant (2011-12) prices.
• Sectoral Composition:
o Agriculture: Contributes 27% to the state's Gross Value Added (GVA). Rajasthan leads in the
production of rapeseed, bajra, mustard, and wool in India. The state is also a significant
producer of oilseeds, spices, milk, and coarse cereals.
o Industry: It accounts for 24% of GVA. Rajasthan is rich in minerals. It is a leading producer
of cement and has substantial reserves of limestone, marble, and other minerals.
o Services: Makes up 41% of GVA. Tourism plays a vital role, with attractions in Jaipur,
Udaipur, Jodhpur, and other cities drawing both domestic and international visitors.

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Agro Based Industries:
• Rajasthan Agro-Processing, Agri-Business & Agri-exports Promotion Policy, 2019
o 50% of the project cost up to max Rs. 100 crore to farmers and their organisations.
o 25% of project cost up to max Rs. 50 crore to all others
o Cluster-based approach to minimize the post-harvest losses.
o Raising farmer's income by involving them in value addition and supply chain directly.
• Krishak Kalyan Kosh: Of Rs. 1000 crore has been constituted to provide fair prices of agricultural
produce and to promote any other variety connected with the farmer welfare.

INDUSTRIES
• Cement: Rajasthan has 24 cement plants and is the largest producer of cement in India.
o The total cement capacity in Rajasthan is around 55 million tonnes per annum.
o Limestone is locally available but coal is imported into the state.
• Auto and Auto-components: Alwar and Jaipur districts are close to major auto production hubs of the
country such as Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Gurgaon and Dharuhera (Haryana).
o Rajasthan has three main auto clusters and over 100 units are currently functional in Bhiwadi,
Neemrana and Pathredi in Alwar district, Rajasthan.
• Neemrana-Japanese zone: Japanese industries have a special place in Rajasthan.
o A 1167-acre industrial area in Neemrana has been developed especially for industrial units
from Japan.
o The industries located here include Nissin Brakes, TPR Auto parts, Takata India, Nippon Steel,
Toyota Gosei, Mikuni India and Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
• Textile sector: Rajasthan is a leading producer of polyester viscose yarn and synthetic suiting material
as well as a processor of low-cost, low-weight fabric (at Pali, Balotra, Sanganer, and Bagru). Bhilwara
is India's largest manufacturer of suiting fabrics and yarn. Jaipur is a well-known centre for
manufacturing garments, especially for exports.
• Gems and jewelry: Many precious and semi-precious stones such as emeralds, aquamarines,
topazes, etc. are found in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is the largest production center of colored precious
and semiprecious stones as well as largest manufacturer of cut and polished diamonds in the country.
The manpower here is traditionally skilled along with several training institutions.
• Ceramics: Rajasthan has abundant slip clay, pottery clay, retort clay, terracotta clay, pipe clay,
bleaching clay, bonding clay, etc., which are used for manufacturing bricks, tiles, statues, insulators,
porcelain (via a mixture of clay with felspar and quartz) etc. Major production units are concentrated
in Jaipur, Bikaner, Abu road and Bhiwandi.
• Marble: Rajasthan accounts for India's marble, slate and sandstone production and has a monopoly
in other ceramic minerals.
• Salt: Rajasthan produces salt of the country. Sambhar is India's largest salt-producing lake.

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 ENVIRONMENT
NATIONAL PARK AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
• Desert National Park
o Spread in Jaisalmer (1900 sq km) and Bikaner (1262 sq km).
o sparse with open grassland, thorny bushes, plantation, and dunes. Species of Khejri, Sewan
grass, and cacti are found.
o Fauna include Blackbuck, desert cat, Great Indian bustard, Lesser florican etc.
• Keoladeo National Park
o Located in Bharatpur district, it originated as a royal hunting reserve during the 1850s and
was a game reserve for Maharajas and the British.
o The park got its name from the ancient Shiva temple located in the park.
o It is a man-made and man-managed wetland
o It is also the only regular wintering area in India for the critically endangered Siberian crane.
o Keoladeo National Park is the only one of its kind in India which is enclosed by a 2-meter
boundary wall to fend off encroachments.
o It is a Ramsar site as well included in the Montreux record.
• Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve
o Park is situated between two parallel mountains viz. Mukundra and Gagrola which run across
a length of about (from Murlipura to Rawatbhata).
o The four rivers that form the boundary of this valley are Ramzan, Ahu, Kali, and Chambal.
o Leopards, Wild Boars, Hyena, Sloth Bears, Deer, Wolves, Chinkara & Antelopes
o Various kinds of medicinal plants are found in the park
• Sariska Tiger Reserve
o The Sariska National Park is home to
India's largest population of peafowl,
and harbors quail, sand grouse, golden-
backed woodpeckers, and crested serpent
eagles, among other species.
o Also the Siliserh Lake on the edge of the
park has a large number of crocodiles.
o The Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary houses
the ruins of medieval temples of Garh-
Rajor that date back to the 10th and 11th
centuries.
o Sariska shock: It refers to an event in 2005 when it was found that there was no tiger in the
Sariska even after spending a huge amount of resources. This led to the establishment of the
Tiger Task Force and the establishment of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• Ranthambore National Park
o Located in Sawai Madhopur district
o Trinetra Ganesh Temple: It is located inside the Ranthambhor fort. It is the only temple in
the world in which Lord Ganesha has been depicted with three eyes.

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 oRaj Bagh ruins: The Raj Bagh Ruins are situated between Padam Talo & Raj Bagh Talo in
Ranthambore National Park.
• Ramgarh Vishdhari WLS:
o Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary is located mostly in the Bundi district and part of the
Bhilwara and Kota districts in Rajasthan.
o It is a buffer for Ranthambore National Park.
o Recently it was designated as a Tiger Reserve.
o It is India’s 52nd Tiger reserve and 4th of Rajasthan.

Sambhar Lake
● According to the Bijoliya Rock edict, the lake was constructed by Vasudev Chouhan.
● The wedding of Akbar and Jodha Bai took place on Sambhar Lake in 1562.
● It is India's largest inland saltwater lake and 2nd largest saltwater lake.
● Sambhar Lake is part of an endorheic basin i.e. a closed drainage basin that has no outflow of water.
● The Salt obtained from the lake is called Kyar.
● A large lake fed by four streams (Khandela, Mentha River, Khari River, and Rupangarh) set in
a shallow wetland and subject to seasonal fluctuations.
● The site is important for a variety of wintering waterbirds, including the second-largest breeding
ground for flamingos in India.
● Dadu Dayal ki Chattri (Cenotaph) lies in the middle of Sambhar Lake where lots of pink flamingos
can be seen in the winter.

CURRENT VALUE ADDITION

IMPORTANT SCHEMES AND PORTAL
1. Rajasthan Kamdhenu Pashu Bima Yojana
• Objective: To provide livestock insurance for farmers and cattle owners.
• Target: Livestock owners across rural and semi-urban regions.
• Key Features:
o Insurance coverage for milch animals (cows and buffaloes).
o Compensation of ₹40,000 per animal in case of accidental death.
o Premium is subsidized, with the government bearing a significant cost.
• Impact:
o Supports farmers by reducing financial losses due to livestock mortality.
o Enhances livestock-based livelihoods, which are crucial for Rajasthan's economy.

2. Jan Soochna Portal

• Objective: To promote transparency and accountability by providing citizens easy access to
government schemes and services.
• Key Features:

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 o A single digital platform for accessing real-time information on over 100 government
schemes.
o Ensures compliance with the Right to Information (RTI) Act proactively.
o Citizens can view eligibility, application status, and beneficiary lists without filing formal
RTI requests.
• Impact: Empowers citizens by bridging the information gap and promoting e-governance in
Rajasthan.

3. Nirman Shramik Siksha Kaushal Vikas Yojana (NSKKVY)

• NSKKVY is a scheme launched to provide financial assistance for education and skill development
to the children of registered construction workers in the state.
• Under the scheme, scholarships for education will be provided to the workers' children. According
to the scheme format, children studying from the 6th class to higher class (ITI, Diploma,
Graduation, Post Graduation) can avail of the scheme's benefits by applying for the scholarship.
• Eligibility:
o The beneficiary must be a registered construction worker in the board.
o Only the son/daughter/wife of the beneficiary will be eligible for the education assistance
(scholarship) scheme.
o The age of the beneficiary's wife should not be more than 35 years

4. Young Interns Program (YIP)

• The Young Interns Program (YIP), launched by the Government of Rajasthan, is designed to
provide talented and progressive youth with opportunities to enhance their skills through practical
experience by actively contributing to government programs, schemes, and projects.
• Objectives:
o To empower youth with knowledge of government programs, services, and their
interactions with service providers, recipients, media, and civil society.
o To strengthen their research and evaluation skills in the field of public administration and
development [Link] generate interest amongst the youth towards the entire service
delivery ecosystem of the public services.
• Stipend: ₹ 30,000/- per month.
• Laptop Connectivity and Mobility Support: ₹ 2500/- shall be paid to each intern per month.

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