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WILD LIFE SANCTUARIES:Van Vihar Ramsagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Dholpur

Location -Dholpur
Area -59.86 sq. Kms.
Recognized in -1955
Types of Animals Found -Sambhar, chital, blue bull

Rajasthan Govt. recognised Van Vihar and Ramsagar, old wild life reserves of the users of the rulers of Dholpur spread over an area of 59.86. sq. kms, in 1955 A.D.From Dholpur, Van Vihar is about 18 kms. and Ramsagar is about 36 kms. As a matter of fact these are like two separate wildlife sanctuaries. Van Vihar, located on Vindhyan plateau, supports a rather open stunted growth of Dhok and Khair trees. It is inhabited by animals like sambhar, chital, blue bull, wild boar, sloth bear, hyena and leopard. Tigers were present in the area till the end of the 1960's.It is said that Maharaj Udaibhan Singh of Dholpur had a great liking for the wild animals of Van Vihar. He used to hand feed not only the deer and antelopes in the reserve but also animals like foxes, jackals and birds. There is an old forest rest house in Van Vihar which was initially built by the rulers of Dholpur. It is now maintained by the forest department and can be booked in advance by contacting the Dy. Conservator of Forests, Dholpur.Ramsagar part of the sanctuary has Ramsagar lake. The lake is very picturesque and supports rich acquatic life including fresh water crocodiles and a number of species of fishes and snakes. Water birds like corrnorants, darter, ibis, white breasted water hen, moorhen, jacanas, stilt, river tern, ringed plover, sand piper and herons (grey, and purple) are quite common. During winter months migratory ducks and geese also visit the lake in good numbers. A four wheel vehicle is necessary if one intends to visit Ramsagar area and the lake.

TALAB SHAHI:Historic and picturesque lake, Talab Shahi, is about 40 kms. form Dholpur. The lake and the palace were built in 1617 A.D. as a shooting lodge for Prince Shahlahan. Later on it was maintained by the rulers of Dholpur. The lake attracts a large number of winter migratory fowls like pintail, shoveller, red crested pochard, comnion pochard, tufted duck, common teal, garganey teal, wigeon anti gadwall.

Major Crops and their Production:Production: 1999-00 (Tonnes) ,Paddy 1,539, Bajra 68,089, Pulses 2,11,262, Sesamum 101, Sugarcane 19,857, Guarseed 386, Red chillies 8,963, Wheat 1,39,835, Barley 1,678, Gram 3,924 .

Minerals:Mineral Production: 1999-00, Tonnes, Masonary stone 18,154, Sand stone 71,166

Infrastructure:

Electricity: The existing power position in the district is just sufficient. The district is receiving the supply of power from Hindaun and Gwalior by way of transmission through a sub-station. Out of total 551 villages in the district, 509 were electrified as on 31 March 2000.

Water: The water supply function in the district is performed by PHED, Dholpur. The major supply of water by PHED is being done from two sources viz., Chambal river and through wells.

Educational Facilities/Institutions:(Nos.), Colleges 3, Higher Secondary Schools 12, Secondary Schools 13, Higher Primary Schools 282, Primary Schools 870, ITI 1, Military schoolss 1, Adult education centres 300

Industrial Scenario:No. of large and medium scale industries: 2, No. of large and medium scale industries: 1, No. of small scale units: 1,53,060, No. of industrial areas: 3,Bari, Old Industrial Area, Dholpur, New Industrial Area, Dholpur

Main existing industries:Cattle feed, Cast iron foundry, Dal mills, Handloom cloth, Hi-tech glass manufacturing, Iron and steel fabrication, Leather footwear, Oil mills .

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Road Transport: Dholpur district is attached with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh States. All the towns of the district are well connected with State Highways. The Dholpur town itself is located at National Highway No.3. As on March 2000, the total length of different types of roads in the district was about 1,133 kms.

Rail Transport: Dholpur district is well connected with both meter guage and broad guage rail routes with Agra, Gwalior, Bharatput and Sawai Madhopur etc. The total rail length in the district is 105.15 kms.

Air Transport: The nearest airport is at Agra (60 kms).

Communication Facilities: (Nos.), Post offices 188, Telegraph offices 31, Telephone exchanges 13, Local call offices 340, STD and PCOs 8

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CLIMATE

Climate and Rainfall:Dholpur town is one of the hottest place in Rajasthan., Maximum temperature raises upto 49 degree celsius., Minimum temperature reaches one degree celsius., The average annual rainfall in the district is about 67 cms.

Summer :Maximum reaches 49.0°

Winter :Minimum reaches 1.0°C

Rainfall :60 to 70 cms.

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Area:3034 sq.kms. (0.89 per cent of the State)

Location:Dholpur is a newly formed district of Rajasthan, carved out of Bharatpur district. It is bound on the north-east by Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, on the south by Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, on the west by Sawai Madhopur district and on the north by Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

Latitude : 26.42 N

Longitude :77.53 E

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A native state of India, in the Rajputana agency, with an area of 1155 sq. m. It is a crop-producing country, without any special manufactures. All along the bank of the river Chambal the country is deeply intersected by ravines; low ranges of hills in the western portion of the state supply inexhaustible quarries of fine-grained and easily-worked red sandstone. The present town, which dates from the 16th century, stands somewhat to the north of the site of the older Hindu town built, it is supposed, in the 11th century by the Tonwar Rajput Raja Dholan (or Dhawal) Deo, and named after him Dholdera or Dhawalpuri. Among the objects of interest in the town may be mentioned the fortified sarai built in the reign of Akbar, within which is the fine tomb of Sadik Mahommed Khan (d. 1595), one of his generals.Little is known of the early history of the country forming the state of Dholpur. Local tradition affirms that it was ruled by the Tonwar Rajputs, who had their seat at Delhi from the 8th to the 12th century. I-n 1450 it had a raja of its own; but in 1501 the fort of Dholpur was taken by the Mahommedans under Sikandar Lodi and in 1504 was transferred to a Mussulman governor. In 1527, after a strenuous resistance, the fort was captured by Baber and with the surrounding ccuntry passed under the sway of the Moguls, being included by Akhar in the province of Agra. During the dissensions which followed the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Raja Kalyan Singh Bhadauria obtained possession of Dholpur, and his family retained it till 1761, after which it was taken successively by the Jat raja, Suraj Mal of Bharatpur, by Mirza Najaf Khan in 1775, by Sindhia in 1782, and in 1803 by the British. It was restored to Sindhia by the treaty of Sarji Anjangaon, but in consequence of new arrangements was again occupied by the British. Finally, in 1806, the territories of Dholpur, Ban and Rajakhera were handed over to the maharaj rana Kirat Singh, ancestor of the present chiefs of Dholpur, in exchange for his state of Gohad, which was ceded to Sindhia. The maharaj rana of Dholpur belongs to the clan of Bamraolia Jats, who are believed to have formed a portion of the IndoScythian wave of invasion which swept over northern India about AD. 100. An ancestor of the family appears to have held certain territories at Bamraoli near Agra C. 1195. His descendant in 1505, Singhan Deo, having distinguished himself in an expedition against the freebooters of the Deccan, was rewarded by the sovereignty of the small territory of Gohad, with the title of rana. In 1779 the rana of Gohad joined the British forces against Sindhia, under a treaty which stipulated that, at the conclusion of peace between the English and Mahrattas, all the territories then in his possession should be guaranteed to him, and protected from invasion by Sindhia. This protection was subsequently withdrawn, the rana having been guilty of treachery, and in 1783 Sindhia succeeded in recapturing the fortress of Gwalior, and crushed his Jat opponent by seizing the whole of Gohad. In 1804, however, the family were restored to Gohad by the British government; but, owing to the opposition of Sindhia, the rana agreed in 1805 to exchange Gohad for his present territory of Dholpur, which was taken under British protection, the chief binding himself to act in subordinate co-operation with the paramount power, and to refer all disputes with neighbouring princes to the British government. Kirat Singh, the first maharaj rana of Dholpur, was succeeded in 1836 by his son Bhagwant Singh, who showed great loyalty during the Mutiny of 1857, was created a K.C.S.I., and G.C.S.I. in 1869. He was succeeded in 1873 by his grandson Nihal Singh, who received the C.B. and frontier medal for services in the Tirah campaign. He died in 1901, and was succeeded by his eldest son Ram Singh (b. 1883).

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