Barmer : The Thar Nagri
A tiny yet lively town in sun-drenched sands, Barmer is a miniature Rajasthan with all its color, warmth and tradition. Once called Mallani (12th century AD) the present Barmer is a district of Rajasthan state, India formed in 1949 upon the merger of Jodhpur state in the United States of Great Rajasthan, is a cluster of ancient paraganas-Mallani Shiv, Pachpadra, Siwana and the Chohatan area.
Barmer is situated at a distance of 224km from Jodhpur on the Luni-Munabao section of the Northern Railways. Located atop a hill as so many of the cities of western Rajasthan are, it houses the remains of an old fort called Garh right on its peak. According to history, the 13th century founder of the district, Bahada Rao (popularly known as a Bar Rao ) gave the town its name - Barmer i.e., the hill fort of Bar. Initially called ‘Bahada-mer’ it was later shortened to Barmer. To the immediate west of the city lie the remains of Juna or Juna Barmer and to the south are the ruins of three Jain temples. There is an inscription dated 1295AD on one of the pillars of the hall of the largest temple at Juna. This mentions a Maharajakula Sri Samanta Sinha Deva ruling Barmer at the time. Being a barren wasteland, the people of Barmer have learnt the hard way that they needed to develop exceptional skills in order to survive. Thriving in this nothingness lies the town of Barmer in Rajastan state, famous for its only asset – the dexterous and creative human skill, to create art, where none was. Although it is a stretch of barren lands with harsh climate and rough terrain, Barmer is known for its rich crafts, dances and music. One on the ancient camel trade route, the town is now the center for wood carving, pottery carpets intricate embroidery work block printed fabrics and multi-hued traditional costumes.
