Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Nagaur Village In Rajasthan

Nagaur was bestowed upon Balban as a jagir (ancestral property) in 1242। After that, the Sultans of Delhi, Guajarat and Marwar continuously exploited the city for possession.

About 247 kms from Jaipur, Nagaur is centrally situated in Rajasthan. It shares its border with several other districts in the state. Bikaner and Churu in the north, Sikar and Jaipur in the east, Ajmer and Pali in the south and Jodhpur in the west are Nagaur's neighbors.

Nagaur was bestowed upon Balban as a jagir in 1242. After that, the Sultans of Delhi, Guajarat and Marwar continuously exploited the city for possession. It was in great demand because of its strategic location. Sher Shah captured it in 1542. Later on, it was included in the Mughal empire and became a division under Ajmer Subah. During those days, the province yielded revenue of Rs. 10 lakhs annually.

An old fort in the heart of the town contains old palaces, water cisterns and a few other partially ruined buildings. The fort has some real high value paintings on its walls, making it a must-see for art lovers.

There are quite a few historically important monuments in the town. There is a shrine dedicated to the disciple of the Khwaja of Ajmer. It is the Dargah of Khwaja Hamiduddin Nagauri who was also known as Sultan-ul-Tarkeen.

Nagaur is also renowned for its marble industry. The famous Makarana marble - used in the Taj Mahal (Agra) and Victoria Memorial (Kolkata) - is found in plenty here. This industry generates big revenue for the town.

Nagaur is known to be the land of fairs. For the rural habitants of the town, these fairs are big social events and are eagerly awaited. They actually help in binding the state together and facilitate harmony.

The biggest fair in Nagaur is the Ramdeo Cattle Fair. It is also the third largest cattle fair in the state of Rajasthan. King Umed Singh of the Jodhpur Dynasty found this fair in the honor of Shri Ramdeo. For the last 56 years, this fair is being held annually in the month of Magh (January/February). Various breeds of goats, cows, sheep, camels, horses, bullocks, etc are put up for display and sale by the villagers.

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