Laxmangarh

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Laxmangarh | type = city | latd = 27.8225| longd = 75.025278 | locator_position = right | state_name = Rajasthan
district = Sikar
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 222
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 47,288| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =(91)1573
postal_code =332311
vehicle_code_range =RJ-23
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Laxmangarh is a town in Sikar district of Rajasthan in India. It is situated on National Highway-11 at a distance of 30 km from Sikar in north. The town is also called Lakshmangarh.

History

Laxmangarh town came into being in the year 1862. Rao Raja Laxman Singh of Sikar constructed fort of Laxmangarh at this place.

Rao Raja Laxman Singh of Sikar Thikana planned it nearly 200 years ago under Shekhawati region of erstwhile Rajputana. The reigning kingdom of jaipur had many thikanas and Shekhwati was one of them. The jagirdars of these thikanas were called Rao Rajas and Laxman Singh happened to be the Rao Raja of Sikar and founder of Laxmangarh.

Laxmangarh Fort

The most imposing building in this town is its small fortress, which looms over the well laid out township on its west side. Laxman Singh, the Raja of Sikar,built the fort in the early 19th century after Kan Singh Saledhi besieged the prosperous town. The fort of Laxmangarh is a unique piece of fort architecture in the whole world because the structure is built upon scattered pieces of huge rocks.

The fort is private property - owned by a local businessmen and is closed to the public. You can however climb up the ramp to a temple which is open to the public, and the view from the ramp can be quite fascinating too. Of course, seeing the town from this height tempts you to go further higher, but a guard effectively keeps the public out.my add. aniljadiwalnear psv schoollaxman garh

Places to See

Other than the Laxmangarh fort, the Ghanta ghar (Clock Tower) and various havelis with famous Shekhawati fresco paintings and Chhatris are the hallmark of the town.

One get to Laxmangarh by bus, or you could take a small gauge train from Sikar. About 50 m north of the bus stand through the busy bazaar, a wide cobblestone path wends its way up the east side of the fort. There's a sign advising that the fort is private property, but there's a good view from the top of the ramp before the main entrance. From here you can see the layout of the double Char Chowk Haveli, below and to the north-east. Head for this haveli when you descend the ramp.

Beneath the cave on the northern external wall of the "Char Chowk Haveli" is a picture of a bird standing on an elephant with another elephant in its beak. The large paintings on the facade of the northern face have mostly faded, and the paintings in the outer downstairs courtyard are covered by blue wash. The paintings in the inner courtyard are fairly well preserved. The wails and ceiling of a small upstairs room on the east side of the northern haveli are completely covered with paintings. It has some explicit erotic images, but is very badly illuminated, so although they're well preserved you'll need a flashlight to examine them properly.

In the same building, a room in the northwest corner retains floral swirls and motifs on the ceiling with scenes from the Krishna legends interspersed with inlaid mirrors. The black and white rectangular designs on the lower walls create a marbled effect. No one lives in the haveli now, but there may be someone around who will open it for you (for a small fee). The front facade is in very poor condition at the lower levels, with the plaster crumbling and the bricks exposed. The southern haveli is still inhabited.

About 50 m east of this haveli is the large "Radhi Murlimanohar Temple", which dates from 1845. It retains a few paintings beneath the eaves and some sculptures of deities around the external walls. To the south of this temple is the busy bazaar, flanked by a series of uniform shops whose overhanging balconies have three scalloped open arches flanked by two blank arches with lattice friezes. The shops were constructed in the mid-l9th century by a branch of the Poddar family known as Ganeriwala, who hailed from the village of Ganeri.

If you turn left at the first intersection south of the temple, on the corner of the first laneway on the left is the "Chetram Sanganeeria Haveli". The lower paintings on the west wall are badly damaged: the plaster has peeled away and concrete rendering has been applied. Paintings on this wall include a woman in a swing suspended from a tree; a woman spinning; a man dancing on a pole balancing knives; people enjoying a ride on a Ferris wheel; a man ploughing fields with oxen; and men sawing timber.

On the north-east corner of the clock tower square, which is about 100 m south of the temple via the busy bazaar, is the "Rathi Family Haveli". On the west wall, a European woman in a smart red frock sews on a treadle machine. The European influence is very much in evidence here, with painted roses and a Grecian column effect. On the south side of this haveli are ostentatious flourishes and the British crown flanked by unicorns. On the east side is depicted a railway station (a painted sign reads 'A Railway Station', in case you weren't sure!), and some blue eyed British soldiers. There is a busy set of chai (tea) stalls on the west side of the haveli, and this is a good place to sit and admire these extraordinarily over-the-top paintings.

Behind this haveli, a short distance to the east, is the "Shyonarayan Kyal Haveli", which dates from around 1900. Under the eaves on the east wall, a man and woman engage in an intimate tryst while a maidservant stands by with a glass of wine at the ready. Other pictures include those of a woman admiring herself in a mirror and Europeans being drawn by horses with a tiny coachman at the reins.

Geography

Laxmangarh is located at coord|27.8225|N|75.025278|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/24/Laxmangarh.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Laxmangarh] ] It has an average elevation of 222 metres (728 ft). Nearby or possibly in the Thar (Great Indian Desert)

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Laxmangarh had a population of 47,288. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Laxmangarh has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 47%. In Laxmangarh, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Laxmangarh is also known for the Mody Institute of Education and Research (M.I.E.R) located on the west of city just on the National Highway-11.

References