Mandela, Rajasthan

View of the Village from Top of a Sand Dune in the outskirts of Mandela

Mandela is a village in Rajasthan, India. The population size is about 2000.

Location

It is on the Fatehpur-Salasar road 6 km from Fatehpur Shekhawati and 55 km from Sikar. Its Coordinates are 27°56'42"N 74°55'31"E [1]. Connectivity to nearby towns is good and transportation means are adequate.

Demographics

The Village Overlooking the Mosque

Population of the village is around 2000 comprising two religions, Hindus and Muslims, with almost half population of each. There is remarkable level of religious harmony between the two religious groups and it is quite common that these two groups celebrate festivals with each other. The village boasts a Temple and a Mosque, representing a rich religious life.Hindu families belong to mostly Jat community with different gotras such as Budania, Dhayal, Godara and Theterwal.

Occupation

Villagers are mostly farmers but lately they are shifting to service and trade related occupations. A large segment of working people work in Arab countries and the village receives large remittances there. The decreasing reliance on agriculture and inflow of remittances has helped prosper the village.

Education

The village has two Government primary schools, a private upper primary school and a government senior secondary school. Literacy rate is about 70% and is increasing rapidly due to rising awareness about education and its importance.

Climate

A Man Enjoying a Pleasant Evening After a Scorching Day in Summer

Here summers are hot and arid with temperatures reaching as high as 50°C . In these times, sand storms and hot dry winds, called Loo, are common phenomena. In months of May and June, Loo becomes unbearable and may cause heatstroke. The place receives rainfall mostly in the months of July, August and September. Winters are severe and chilly with minimum temperature falling to 0°C in January.

Geography

As the place is located in semi-desert region of the Thar, the landscape consists of sand dunes with scanty bushes. The main trees are Khejri, Neem, Peepal and Rohida.

Children Trekking Through the Sand Dunes

Agriculture

Being in the semi-desert part of Rajasthan, the farming land cano grow crops which need less water. The crops grown are mainly pearl millet (Bajra), moong, moth, til and gawar. Famines occur frequently. The rabi crop is almost non-existent and irrigation is rarely used.

Children Playing on a Sand Dune

Coordinates: 28°19′N 75°26′E / 28.317°N 75.433°E / 28.317; 75.433