Inventory Of Monuments And Sites Of National Importance- Jaipur Circle

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Rajasthan has two distinct portions traditionally known as Marwar to the west of the Aravallis and Mewar to its east. Geographically, the Marwar area is called Marusthali (eastern portion of Thar Desert) and Mewar area is called Bagar. In the last glacial period of Pleistocene, desiccation set in the western Rajasthan. Hence Rajasthan could be divided into (1) Jaisalmer - Marusthali, (2) Barmer - Phalodi Marusthali, (3) Bikaner - Churu Marusthali, (4) Ghaggar plain, (5) Shekhawati region, (6) Marwar region, and (7) Luni basin. The entire region gets very low to scanty rainfall. Jaisalmer area is the hottest region of India.

From Early Stone Age Rajasthan has nurtured a large number of cultures, through the ages. Following the protohistoric, early Harappan and the Harappan and its related cultures, there is ample evidence of the succeeding Painted Grey Ware and Rangmahal cultures during the early historical period . The celebrated Saraswati river, now dried up, passed through the north western Rajasthan as evidenced by a number of mounds on its bank. The famous towns of Nagari, Bairat, Rairh and Sambhar flourished from circa 300 B.C. to A.D. 300. In the fourth century A.D., the region was dominated by the Western Kshatrapas. The Gurjara Pratiharas ruled in the area between the eighth and tenth centuries A.D. The rising Rajput kingdoms gave a fierce fight to the Muslim invaders from the thirteenth century onwards. Entire Rajasthan is marked by some of the finest protohistoric sites like Kalibangan, Ahar and Gilund and later sites like Bairat and Rairh, besides forts/palaces at Chittaurgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Dig and Jaisalmer; and numerous temples and sites of National Importance. Prominent amongst these are the Ghatesvara temple at Baroli, Ambikamata temple at Jagat, Kalikamata temple, Vijayastambha and Kirttistambha at Chittaurgarh, Sas Bahu temples at Nagda; wall- paintings at Kota and Bundi showing Krishna-lila scenes, besides the Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhonpra at Ajmer, being one of the earliest mosques of India. Thus, Rajasthan is seen to play a vital role also in the development of Indian art and architecture.

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