.

Presently known as 'City of Hundred Islands', as the holy river Mahi, the 'pride of Vagad' which flows through the region and separates Banswara and Dungarpur districts, has number of islands inside.
Ribbed with streams and covered with dense forests, Banswara lies off the conventional tourist circuit. Artificial lakes and dams and the ruins of ancient temples make this an exciting place to discover. .

Administrative Setup:The district is divided into two sub-divisions, viz., Banswara and Kushalgarh. The Banswara sub-division consists of Ghatol, Pipal Khunt, Garhi and Talwara Panchayat Samitis whereas the Kushalgarh sub-division consists of Bagidora, Anandpuri, Sajjangarh and Kushalgarh Panchayat Samitis.                                                                                 

Prime Sites around Banswara

Mahi Dam (18 Km) : Under the Mahi Bajaj Sagar Project, various dams and canals have been built over the Mahi river amid beautiful surroundings. The Mahi river has a number of islands at intervals and hence Banswara is at times referred to as ‘the city of hundred islands’.  The Mahi Dam and the Kagdi Pikup have a picturesque fountain garden, surely worth a visit.

Anand Sagar Lake or Bai Talab It is an artificial lake on the eastern side of the town constructed by Lachhi Bai of Idar, the queen of Maharawal Jagmal. Beautiful chhatris of rulers of the state and an array of holy trees called ‘Kalpa Vriksha’ famous for fulfilling desires of visitors, lie close by. 

Dialab Lake :A beautiful lake covered with lotus flowers. On the bank of the lake is Badal Mahal, the summer resort of former rulers. 

Abdulla Pir : A popular shrine of a Bohra Muslim saint, attracting a large number of Bohra Muslims from all over during the annual Urs festival.

Madareshwar : A temple of Lord Shiva Mahadeo Temple. Kali Kalyani Dham and Padoli Rathore are other spiritual centers near the town which attract thousands of people from all over the country every year.

Arthuna (55 km) : The ruins of a cluster of Shaivite and Jain temples dating back to the 11th, 12th and 15th centuries are found in this village. The Mandleshwar Temple, built in 1080 A.D. by Chamunda Raja Paramara Chief, is noteworthy. Arthuna is famous for its special Shivratri and Holi celebrations. 

Talwara (15 km): It's a historic city with ruins of some ancient monuments and temples famous for their beautifully carved idols in local black stone. The famous temples of Talwara include Laxmi Narain Temple, Gokarneshwar Mahadeva Temple and Jain Temple of Sambhar Nath.

Tripura Sundari (19 km) : An ancient temple of the goddess Tripura Sundari, commonly known as Turtia Mata. The idol of the goddess riding on a tiger is a magnificent one in black stone with 18 hands, each carrying some symbol. The temple is said to be one of the Shakti Peeth of Hindus .

Parahera (22 km) :Situated in the Garhi tehsil a temple of Lord Shiva Mandaleshwar temple, built by Mandlik, stands on the banks of the Nagela Tank in the village.   

Chinch :Famous for its 12th century Brahma temple with a beautiful life-size statue of  Lord Brahma.

TOP

Major Crops and Their Production:Production:1999-00, Tonnes, Maize 1,29,977, Wheat 1,11,822, Sugarcane 47,425, Gram 38,164,Paddy 29,946 ,
Barley 2,827 Jowar 314,Groundnut 65, Sesamum 23

Minerals:Production: 1999-00) (Tonnes) Limestone 9,87,009,Masonary Stone 2,23,710, Marble Block and Luffar 1,52,423, Limestone (Burning) 96,004,Sand 14,686

Electricity : The total transformer capacity in the district is 63.1 MVA. Of the 1,431 villages 1,219 villages were electrified upto 31 March 2000.

Water: The Mahi river flows on the borders of Peepalkhoot and Ghatol and Banswara Panchayat Samitis. The Mahi project has the capacity to irrigate an area of 80,000 hectares.

Industrial Scenario:No. of Large and Medium Scale Units: 8 -No. of Small Scale Units: 5312.

Top       

Road Transport: Road transport is the only mode of goods and passengers movement from and to the district. The district head quarter has diret road connection with Ratlam, Dungarpur, Dohad and Jaipur. Total road length in the district is 1,747 kms., as on 31 March, 2000.

Rail Transport: Rail transport facility is not available in the district. However, the nearest railway station is at Dungarpur (102 kms.) which is on meter gauge.

Air Transport: The nearest airport is at Udaipur (192 kms).

Communication Facilities:(No.) Post offices 276- Telegraph offices 58 -Telephone exchanges 34- Public call offices 815

Medical and Public Health Service(No.) Hospitals 5- Dispensaries 3- Primary Health Centres 34- T.B. Hospitals 1- Sub-health Centres 208

Educational Facilities/Institutions:(No.) Colleges, 4 Higher Secondary and Secondary Schools, 128 Primary and Middle Schools 1,995, ITI 2 ,Others 3

TOP

Among the Hindus, the principal festivals are Holi, Dussehra, Ram Navami, Diwali and Basant Panchmi and the Moharram and two Eids are main festivals of the Muslims

The Bhils lead a very hard life and it is only at the time of fairs and festivals that they have little diversion and entertainment. The Bhils worship several dieties, the main ones being Kharo Dhain, Moto dharm and Bhalodaharam.

Holi is celebrated as an important festival. Tribals perform Ghair dances in the city. Different groups of tribals with swords, sticks and colourful dresses gather in the city and play the dance of Ghair.

Deevo
It falls on the first day of the bright half of Shravan. Bullocks are washed on this day, worshiped and Arti is offered to them. People enjoy, relax and make merry.

Amil Egyaras
It is celebrated on the 11th day of the bright half of Phalgun. Unmarried boys and girls keep fast on this day. They go to a pond in the afternoon, wash themselves and bring small branch of the tamarind tree. The Bhils attend fairs armed with bows and arrows and swords

A big fair is held on Chaitra Sudi Amavasya sometime in the month of March. Every year Bhils gather here to worship and they take holy bath in the tank near the temple. There a temple, which houses the idols of Pandavas, who, its believed spent some time here during their exile.Tribal weapons, especially arrows and swords are sold here during the festival.

Fair at Mangarh (76 kms.)
Vitthaldio fairs (15 kms.) on Sharad Purnima and kartik Purnima are held, which are popular among the tribals.

TOP  

CLIMATE

Climate and Rainfall:The district has a climate which is very much milder than that in the desert regions in further north and north-west.,Maximum temperature is 33 degrees Celsius to 46 degrees celsius., Minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees celsius ,Normal annual rainfall is 92.24 cms.

TOP

Area:5,037 sq.kms. (1.47 per cent of the State)

Location:The Banswara district lies in the southern most part of Rajasthan. It is surrounded by Udaipur and Chittaurgarh in the North, Dungarpur in the west, Ratlam and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh in the east and south respectively.

Distance from major cities:Jaipur- 601 kms., Delhi-827 kms,. Ahmedabad-265 kms,. Mumbai-816 kms.

TOP

Presently known as 'City of Hundred Islands', as the holy river Mahi, the 'pride of Vagad' which flows through the region and separates Banswara and Dungarpur districts, has number of islands inside. Mainly tribal, among which Bhils from 39% of the tribal population inhabit the area.The central and western portions of district are cultivable plains. There are scattered ranges of Aravalis in the eastern half of the district. The old town is surrounded by a stone wall, which is in a dilapidated periphery of the wall.Overlooking the town stands the palace of the former rulers of Banswara. Still owned by Royal family the palace spreads in a big area on the top in between the city. It can be visited only on invitation.Home to the tribals with Bhils constituting half of the total populations Banswara has its name derived from ‘Bans’ or bamboo trees, which once grew here in abundance.  The erstwhile state was founded by Maharawal Jamal Singh. With Udaipur and Chittaurgarh, forming its boundaries, the district presently comprises of the territories of former Banswara State and the Chieftainship of Kushalgarh. While the central and western portion of the district are fertile plains, the scattered ranges of the Aravallis form the eastern region.  The ancient town is surrounded by a stone wall, now in ruins. A palace of a former ruler of Banswara stands overlooking the town.The teak forests are found on the slopes of the Aravalli hills. Mango, Khajur and Mahua trees are also a part of the vegetation of the district. Banswara has rich wildlife including squirrels, lizards, snakes, chinkara, ronj and four horned antelope. Panthers can be seen rarely. The avian variety includes the black drongo, grey shirke, green bee-eater, parrot, jungle crow, wood pecker and common myna. Grey jungle fowl and grey partridge are generally spotted in the remote parts of the forests.  Dungarpur and Banswara are the two important cities of the Vagad region. This region is so different from the rest of Rajasthan that it is like being in a different state.Also not being on the tourist circuit, the facilities are a little limited here, but you will find enough to make your trip comfortable.In fact, it is just the place to explore if you're looking for the unexpected.

TOP