Rajasthan is the largest state in the Union of India and has more physical variations than any other state. It has regions of rolling sand dunes in the west to lofty rocks in the middle to fertile plains in the east. The rivers of the state are rain-fed and identified by 14 major basins divided into 59 sub-basins. The Luni river system that rises from the western slopes of the Aravalli Range near Ajmer flows through the semi-arid transitional plains into the Rann of Kutch and Arabian Sea, while the Banas and other streams, rising from the eastern slopes of the Aravallis, join the Chambal.
The progress of Rajasthan is fuelled by diversified economy having agriculture , mining and tourism as the supporting engines. A sound infrastructural foundation is the key to the overall socio-economic development of a state. It acts as a magnetic power for attracting fresh investment into a state and thus provides a competitive edge to it over other states.
The installed capacity of power in the State as on December is 21, Road length has increased to 2,64, The road density in the state is Section: Infrastructure. Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, Rajasthan has a flourishing tourism industry and every third foreign tourist visiting India also travels to Rajasthan. Related: Contribution of Tourism in State Economy.
Numerous sanctuaries and wildlife parks have been established in the state. Among the most important of these are the Sariska National Park established in , near Alwar in the northeast, and the Desert National Park established in , near Jaisalmer in western Rajasthan. In terms of caste structure, the Brahmans highest caste are subdivided into many gotras lineages , while the Mahajans trading caste are subdivided into a bewildering number of groups. In the north and west the Jats peasant caste and Gujars herding caste are among the largest agricultural communities.
Aboriginal tribal peoples constitute more than one-tenth of the population of Rajasthan. In the eastern part of the state, these groups include the Mina and the related Meo , most of whom are farmers; the Banjara, who have been known as traveling tradesmen and artisans; and the Gadia Lohar, another historically itinerant tribe, who traditionally have made and repaired agricultural and household implements.
The Bhil, one of the oldest communities in India, generally inhabit southern Rajasthan and have a history of possessing great skill in archery. The Grasia and Kathodi also largely live in the south, mostly in the Mewar region. Sahariya communities are found in the southeast, and the Rabari, who traditionally are cattle breeders, live to the west of the Aravallis in west-central Rajasthan.
Hindi is the official language of the state, and to some degree it has overshadowed the local languages of Rajasthan. The four main Rajasthani language groups are Marwari in western Rajasthan, Jaipuri or Dhundhari in the east and southeast, Malvi in the southeast, and, in the northeast, Mewati, which shades off into Braj Bhasa a Hindi dialect toward the border with Uttar Pradesh.
Hinduism, the religion of the vast majority of the population, is generally practiced through the worship of Brahma, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, and other gods and goddesses. The town of Nathdwara, in southern Rajasthan, is an important religious centre for the Vallabhacharya school of Krishna worshippers.
There are also followers of Arya Samaj, a type of reformed Hinduism that stems from the late 19th century. Jainism is also important; it has not been the religion of the rulers of Rajasthan but has followers among the trading class and the wealthy section of society. The towns and temples of Mahavirji, Ranakpur, Dhulev, and Karera are the chief centres of Jaina pilgrimage.
Another important religious community is formed by the Dadupanthis, the followers of the 16th-century saint Dadu, who preached the equality of all men, strict vegetarianism, total abstinence from intoxicating liquor, and lifelong celibacy. Settlement patterns Rajasthan is one of the least densely populated states in India, with roughly three-fourths of its residents living in rural settlements.
Traditional rural houses are huts with mud walls and roofs thatched with straw. They have a single door but no windows or ventilators. The houses of more-affluent farmers and artisans in larger villages have more than one room. They are roofed with tiles and have a veranda and large courtyard, whose main door will admit a loaded bull cart.
The earthen floors are coated with mud and dung. Jaipur is by far the largest city of Rajasthan. With the exception of Jodhpur and Bikaner, all lie to the east of the Aravalli Range.
Despite scant and scattered rainfall, nearly all types of crops are grown, including pearl millet in the desert area, sorghum around Kota, and mainly corn maize around Udaipur. Wheat and barley are fairly well distributed except in the desert area , as are pulses such as peas, beans, and lentils , sugarcane, and oilseeds.
Rice is grown in the irrigated areas of both the southeast and the northwest. Cotton and tobacco are important cash crops. Rajasthan has a large livestock population and is a major wool-producing state. It also is a source of camels and draft animals of various breeds.
Rajasthan needs extensive irrigation to be agriculturally productive. Desert land in northwestern and western Rajasthan is irrigated by the Indira Gandhi Canal formerly called the Rajasthan Canal , which carries water some miles km from the Beas and Sutlej rivers in Punjab. Rajasthan shares the Bhakra Nangal project with Punjab and Haryana and the Chambal Valley project with Madhya Pradesh; both are used to supply water for irrigation and for drinking purposes.
Resources and power Rajasthan is an important producer of lead and zinc concentrates, emeralds, and garnets. Electricity supplies are obtained mostly from neighbouring states and from the Chambal Valley project. Power is generated primarily from hydroelectric stations and gas-fired thermal plants. The state also draws a portion of its energy from wind farms and from a nuclear power plant at Rawatbhata, near Kota.
Manufacturing Textiles, vegetable oil, wool, minerals, and chemicals are among the major manufactures of Rajasthan. The Luni River and its tributaries are the major river system of Godwar and Marwar regions, draining the western slopes of the Aravallis and emptying southwest into the great Rann of Kutch wetland in neighbouring Gujarat.
This river is saline in the lower reaches and remains potable only up to Balotara in Barmer district. The Ghaggar River , which originates in Haryana , is an intermittent stream that disappears into the sands of the Thar Desert in the northern corner of the state and is seen as a remnant of the primitive Sarasvati river.
The Aravalli Range and the lands to the east and southeast of the range are generally more fertile and better watered. This region is home to the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion, with tropical dry broadleaf forests that include teak , Acacia , and other trees.
The hilly Vagad region, home to the cities of Dungarpur and Banswara lies in southernmost Rajasthan, on the border with Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. With the exception of Mount Abu, Vagad is the wettest region in Rajasthan, and the most heavily forested. North of Vagad lies the Mewar region, home to the cities of Udaipur and Chittaurgarh. The Hadoti region lies to the southeast, on the border with Madhya Pradesh. North of Hadoti and Mewar lies the Dhundhar region, home to the state capital of Jaipur.
Mewat, the easternmost region of Rajasthan, borders Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Eastern and southeastern Rajasthan is drained by the Banas and Chambal rivers, tributaries of the Ganges. The Aravalli Range runs across the state from the southwest peak Guru Shikhar Mount Abu , which is 1, metres 5, ft in height, to Khetri in the northeast. 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 to m above sea level and more fertile, has a very diversified topography. In the southeast, a large area within the districts of Kota and Bundi forms a tableland.
To the northeast of these districts is a rugged region badlands following the line of the Chambal River. Farther north the country levels out; the flat plains of the northeastern Bharatpur district are part of an alluvial basin. Merta City lies in the geographical centre of Rajasthan.
Though a large percentage of the total area is desert with little forest cover, Rajasthan has a rich and varied flora and fauna. These occur in small clumps scattered in a more or less open form. The density and size of patches increase from west to east following the increase in rainfall. The Desert National Park in Jaisalmer is spread over an area of 3, square kilometres 1, sq mi , is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert and its diverse fauna.
Seashells and massive fossilised 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 , kestrels and vultures. Short-toed snake eagles Circaetus gallicus , tawny eagles Aquila rapax , spotted eagles Aquila clanga , laggar falcons Falco jugger and kestrels are the commonest of these.
The Ranthambore National Park located in Sawai Madhopur, one of the well known tiger reserves in the country, became a part of Project Tiger in The Dhosi Hill located in the district of Jhunjunu, known as 'Chayvan Rishi's Ashram', where 'Chyawanprash' was formulated for the first time, has unique and rare herbs growing.
The Sariska Tiger Reserve located in Alwar district, kilometres mi from Delhi and kilometres 66 mi from Jaipur, covers an area of approximately square kilometres sq mi. The area was declared a national park in Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is a very small sanctuary in Sujangarh, Churu District, kilometres mi from Jaipur in the Shekhawati region.
This sanctuary is home to a large population of blackbuck.
0コメント