Rajasthan Geography Questions

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh

• Rajasthan is located in the northwestern part of the subcontinent.
• Rajasthan covers 10.4% of India, an area of 342,239 square kilometers.
• It is bordered-
  • On its west and northwest by Pakistan (1070 kilometers​).
  • On its north and northeast by the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
  • On its east and southeast by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and
  • On its southwest by the state of Gujarat.
  • It shares the longest border with Madhya Pradesh.

​Additional Information

• ​Bikaner district has the shortest international boundary.

The correct answer is Dhaulpur

• Due to the drainage of the Chambal river in Dhaulpur, maximum beehad land is found here because the Chambal river valley is part of the Vindhyan system which consists of massive sandstone, slate, and limestones.

Additional Information

• Jammu & Kashmir had the largest area of wastelands in the country, which was more than double of wastelands in Rajasthan, the state with the second-largest area of wastelands in the country.

The correct answer is Bundi.

• Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan.
• The city lies near a narrow gorge and is surrounded on three sides by hills of the Aravalli Range.

​Additional Information

• The meaning of Aravalli Range is 'line of peaks'.
• It is the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world which stretches about 300 miles from the northeast to the southwest. The length of the Aravalis is about 1100 km which extends from Delhi to Ahmadabad.
• It gives rise to several rivers, including the Banas, Luni, Sakhi, and Sabarmati.
• The highest point in the Aravalli Range is called as Guru Shikhar, which is located in Mount Abu.

The correct answer is Kanwar Sen

• Kanwar Sen was an eminent civil engineer from Rajasthan.
• He was the Chief Engineer in the Bikaner state who came up with the idea of the Rajasthan Canal. He successfully implemented the Ganga canal project too.
• The idea of bringing the waters from the Himalayan Rivers flowing through Punjab and into Pakistan was conceived by him in the late 1940s.
• He proposed that 2,000,000 ha (20,000 km²) of desert land in Bikaner and the northwest corner of Jaisalmer could be brought under irrigation from the waters of Punjab rivers. 

Key Points

• The Indira Gandhi Canal is the longest canal in India.
• This project is previously known as the Rajasthan Canal Project.
• The canal is one of the projects of the Green revolution in India.
• It starts from the Harike Barrage at Harike, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in the Indian state of Punjab, and terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the northwest of Rajasthan state.
• Indira Gandhi Canal is 649 km long and consists of the Rajasthan feeder canal and Rajasthan main canal and runs through 167 km in Punjab and Haryana and remaining 492 km in Rajasthan.
• The canal traverses 7 districts of Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sriganganagar.

The correct answer is 27 days.

Key Points

• The annual number of hailstorm in Rajasthan that is caused in Sri Ganganagar district is 27days.

Additional Information

• Ganganagar 
  • Sri Ganganagar district is located between
    • Latitude 28.4 to 30.6 and
    • Longitude 72.2 to 75.3.
  • The total area of Sri Ganganagar is 11,154.66 km² or 1,115,466 hectares.
  • It is surrounded on the east by Hanumangarh district, (Hanumangarh district was carved out of it on 12 July 1994) on the south by Bikaner district, and on the west by Bahawalnagar district of the Pakistani Punjab, and on the north by Punjab.
• ​Industries in Sri Ganganagar District are based on agriculture.
• Major industries are cotton ginning and pressing factories, mustard oil mills, wheat flour mills, Rajasthan State Ganganagar Sugar Mills, which is known for its Royal Heritage Liqueurs.

'City of Hundred Islands'

• Banswara is a city in Banswara District in south Rajasthan in India and City is known as the cherrapunji of rajasthan.
• It receives the highest rain In Rajasthan and it is the greenest City in the Rajasthan
• It is also known as 'City of Hundred Islands'
• Numerous islands on the Mahi River are named "Chachakota" where the islands are located, which flows through Banswara.
• Banswara gets its name from the ‘bans’ or bamboo trees that once grew here in abundance.
• The district was formerly a princely state ruled by the Maharavals.
• It is said that a Bhil ruler Bansia ruled over it and Banswara was named after his name.
• Bansia was defeated and killed by Jagmal Singh who became the first Maharaval of the princely state.

Hence, the Banswara district is known as the 'City of Hundred Islands'.

Explanation:

Patod:

• On the outskirts of the pink city of Jaipur, one often comes across these stone slab houses.
• These homes known as Patod are entirely made using slabs of the pink sandstone known as Jodpuri patti.
• The basic framework remains the same throughout, the infill to cover this frame can be made using any natural building technique suitable to the region.
• These natural buildings could be an excellent solution for disaster management and emergency housing due to their ease and speed of construction.
• These are also cost-effective.
• These unique sensibilities in design and construction can only be found in the deepest hearts of our villages.

Thus, Patod houses found in Rajasthan are made up of pink sandstone.

Construction:

• The stone slabs to be used are cut and shaped beforehand and brought to the site to be assembled.
• The columns go 2’ below the ground and are erected perfectly vertical and packed well in the ground.
• The grooves on the top of the column are meant to accommodate the rafters.
• The stone slabs for the roofing are laid on top of the rafters overlapping each other.
•  These are also adjusted by placing a few small stones between the gaps of the rafters and the roofing slabs to give a better hold.
• These roofs, being monolith stone slabs do not require a steep 45° slope saving on the usage of more materials.
• There may be a few small gaps in between these roofing slabs.
• To prevent leakages, the joints between the two slabs are sealed with lime ‘bagra’.
• Sometimes these slabs are covered with a thatch of kuncha reeds (saccharum munja) 

The correct answer is Nachana.

Key Points

• Camel in Rajasthan-
  • In the 19th Livestock census (2012 AD) - 3.26 lakh
  • In the 20th Livestock census (2019 AD) - 2.13 lakh
  • Decrease in percentage - 34.69%
  • Camel is also known as the ship of the desert.
  • Rajasthan has the first rank in terms of camel numbers in India.
  • Most camels are found in Jaisalmer and Bikaner.
  • Pratapgarh has the least number of cows in the Rajasthan.
  • Some of the major breeds of camel are following -
    • Jaisalmeri - famous for riding in the desert
    • Bikaneri - the heaviest breed of camel
    • Gomath - famous for riding
    • Nachana - famous for its beauty and fast running.

Additional Information

• Murrah breed is associated with the buffalo.
• Chokla is associated with the sheep.
• Barbari is associated with the goat.

The correct answer is 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Key Points

•  Lakes in Rajasthan:
  • Rajasthan is the aridest state of India with an average yearly rainfall of less than 100 cm.
  • However, Rajasthan has a large number of lakes mostly artificial as well as historical, signifying a tradition of conserving natural resources and respecting nature.
  • The lakes in Rajasthan can be divided into types Saline and Freshwater lakes.
  • Types of Lakes in Rajasthan:
    • Saline (Salt) Water lakes
    • These are considered as remains of Tethys Sea.
    • Deedwana, Lunkaransar, Sambhar, Panchpadra, etc.
    • Fresh (Sweet) Water lakes
    • They have either developed naturally or artificially and get replenished by rainwater.
    • Pichhola, Jaisamand, Rajsamand, Ana Sagar etc.
  • A contentious decision of the Udaipur Urban Improvement Trust to redefine and protect the boundaries of the famous Pichola and Fateh Sagar lakes at their full tank level has led to 30% shrinkage in their size and reduced their submergence area to 4.5 sq. km and 2.5 sq. km, respectively.
  • The subsequent construction activities on the lakefront land have changed the ecological character of the once beautiful lakes.
  • The increasing threat to the lake ecosystem in the City of Lakes, which is a globally renowned tourist destination.
  • The entire lake system, comprising Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Badi, and Udai Sagar, should be restored to the maximum water level with the erection of pillars, and the lakefront is left undisturbed for nesting and breeding activities of local and migratory birds. Hence, statements 1, 2, 3 and 4 is correct.

​ 

• It is one of the important spices grown in Rajasthan.
• Its leaves have protein, vitamin c, and minerals in great amounts.
• It is popularly used as spices and medicine.
• It is mainly grown during the winter season.
• Rajasthan is the largest producer of fenugreek in India.

Key Points

• Nagaur’s ‘Kasoori methi’ is famous for its fragrance and flavor.
• It is also known as Pan methi.