Banswara
Banswara is a city in Banswara District in south Rajasthan in India. Banswara princely state was founded by Maharawal Jagmal Singh. It is named for the "bans" or bamboo forests in the area. It is also known as 'City of Hundred Islands', due to presence of numerous islands in the Mahi River, which flows through Banswara.
Geography
Banswara is located at 23°33′N 74°27′E / 23.55°N 74.45°E / 23.55; 74.45.[1] It has an average elevation of 302 metres (990 ft).
[edit] History
Princely flag of Banswara
Banswara (literally "the forest country"), was a Rajput feudatory state in Rajputana during British India. It borders on Gujarat and is bounded on the north by the native states of Dungarpur and Udaipur or Mewar; on the north-east and east by Partabgarh; on the south by the dominions of Holkar and the state of Jabua; and on the west by the state of Rewa Kantha.
Banswara state is about 45 miles (72 km) in length from N. to S., and 33 miles (53 km) in breadth from E. to W., and has an area of 1946 m². The population in 1901 was 165,350.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[2] Banswara had a population of 85,638. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Banswara has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 56% of the males and 44% of females literate. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Banswara, it is likely, derived its name from bans or bamboo shoots, which once grew in abundance around the places. It was a part of the territory known as Vaagad during the reign of Udai Singh (who succeeded to the throne sometime between 1496 and 1498 AD) and is said to have been founded by Jagmal, the younger son of Udai Singh who, being much devoted to his queen, the mother of Jagmal and wanting to see him installed as a ruler of a separate State, had partitioned the country between his sons. The town remained the capital of this State of the same name for about four centuries thereafter. The crumbling stone wall enclosing the old town is still visible, overlooked by the palace of the former rulers of the principality. Bai Tal - an artificial tank - believed to have been constructed by Lachhi Bai of Idar, the Rani of Maharawal Jagmal, lies on the eastern side of the town. About a kilometre away, are the chhatris or cenotaphs of the royalty. The town has some Jain and Hindu temples and old mosques.
[edit] Area
5,037 km² (1.47 per cent of the State)
[edit] 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 and Dahod district Gujarat to the south.
[edit] Distance from major cities
* Jaipur-525 km (via Chittorgadh)
* Delhi-827 km
* Noida-857 km
* Ahmedabad-265 km
* Mumbai-816 km
* Indore-210 km
* Udaipur-165 km
* Sagwara-61 km
* Bagidora-27 KM
[edit] 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 45 degrees Celsius to 46 degrees Celsius.
* Minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius
* Normal annual rainfall is 922.4 mm
* Population: 15,00,420
* Density of population: 298/km²
* Literacy: 48.22 %
* Total working population: 32.46 %
* Percentage distribution of work force
* Cultivators: 75.58 %
* Agricultural labourers: 9.36 %
* Household industry, manufacturing
* Processing servicing and repairs: 1.25 %
* Other workers: 13.80 %