Ganganagar

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Sri Ganganagar
—  city  —
Sri Ganganagar Location of Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan and India
Coordinates	29°55′N 73°53′E / 29.92°N 73.88°E / 29.92; 73.88Coordinates: 29°55′N 73°53′E / 29.92°N 73.88°E / 29.92; 73.88
Country	India
State	Rajasthan
District(s)	Ganganagar
Population • Density	210,788 (2001[update]) • 163 /km2 (422 /sq mi)
Sex ratio	873 ♂/♀
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	11,154.66 square kilometres (4,306.84 sq mi) • 164 metres (538 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 335001 • Telephone • +0154 • Vehicle • RJ 13

Sri Ganganagar, also called Ganganagar, is sometimes referred as the Punjab of Rajasthan because this area is dominated by Hindu Punjabi and Sikhs and is the northernmost city of Rajasthan in western India, situated on the border of India and Pakistan and the state border of the states of Haryana and Punjab. It is the administrative headquarters of Ganganagar District.^[1] It is named after Maharaja Sri Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, and is known as "the food basket of Rajasthan" and "Green district of Rajasthan".

History

Ganga Singh with his son in 1914

Sri Ganganagar was established by Maharaja Ganga Singh, near to Ramnagar which was named after Ram Singh Ji Saharan and known as 'Purana Gaam' these days. It is situated at the point where the Sutlej waters enter Rajasthan or the erstwhile Bikaner State.

In 1899-1900, the Bikaner State was affected by the worst famine. In order to resolve this issue permanently, Ganga Singh obtained the services of A. W. E. Standley, Chief Engineer, who demonstrated the feasibility of the western area of the Bikaner State being brought under irrigation from the Satlej waters. The plan of the Satlej Valley Project was drawn by then Chief Engineer of Punjab Mr. R. G. Kennedy according to which the vast area of erstwhile Bikaner State could be brought under irrigation. But because of objections by the erstwhile State of Bahawalpur, the project got delayed.

Finally, with intervention of then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, in 1906, a Tripartite Conference was held and an agreement was reached and signed on 4 September 1920. The foundation stone of the Canal Head Works at Ferozepur was laid on 5 December 1925 and the work completed in 1927 by constructing 89 miles of lined canal. The opening ceremony was performed on 26 October 1927 by Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India. The plan for the city of Sri Ganganagar was drawn at this time. Irrigated parts of Bikaner State were brought under Sri Ganganagar district and later sub-divided into Hanumangarh district.

Climate

The climate of Sri Ganganagar varies to extreme limits. The Summer Temperature reaches up to 50° Celsius and Winter Temperature dips just around 0° Celsius.^[2] The average annual rainfall is only 20 cms.^[3]

Economy

Desert land was converted to a green town by the efforts of Maharaja Ganga Singh, who brought the Gang canal. which carries the excess waters of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the region, making Ganganagar district known as "the food basket of Rajasthan".^[4] The economy of the city is based on agriculture, its main crops are Wheat, Mustard and Cotton. Other crops are Guar, Bajra, Sugar Cane and Grams. In recent years farmers are also diverting towards Horticulture, and Kinnu (A Citrus fruit from the "Orange" breed) has become a major crop of the area. The industries in the city are mostly based on agriculture. The city has Cotton Ginning and Pressing factories, Mustard Oil mills and Wheat Flour mills and of course the famous Rajasthan State Ganganagar Sugar Mills Ltd., which is known for its Royal Heritage Liqueurs.^[5][6] It also has spinning and textile factories such as J C T Mills.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] Indian census,^[7][8] Ganganagar had a population of 210,788. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Ganganagar has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 64%. In Ganganagar, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Majority in population are Sikhs and Hindus while only a few people constituting other sects stay here. The main languages spoken in the town are Hindi,Punjabi,Saraiki, Bagri or Marwari.

Tourism

Tourist attractions include Kalibangan which is a famous archaeological site for the Indus Valley Civilization. Anupgarh, a small village in this district is famous for the grave or "Mazar" of Laila-Majnu. Suratgarh, located 70 KM away is famous for its radio station, thermal power plant and lift canal project. Other popular sightseeing attractions of the district include Hindumalkot Border, Anupgarh ka Qila and Dada Pamparam Samadi. In addition to this, religious centres such as Gurudwara Sri Budha Johar Shaheb, Ram Mandir, Gauri Shankar Mandir and Shivpuri Kagad are common tourist destinations. The school for blind, Shri Jagdamba Andh Vidyalaya is also a place worth visiting.

Notable people

• Jagjit Singh
• Avtar Singh Cheema

Rocky Mangat (www.handyappliances.ca)

References