Sri Ganganagar

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Sri Ganganagar | type = city | latd = 29.92 | longd = 73.88
locator_position = right | state_name = Rajasthan
district = Ganganagar
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 164
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 210,788| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total = |5,00,000area_telephone = |0154postal_code = |335001vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
footnotes =

Ganganagar, also called Sri Ganganagar, (in Hindi: गंगानगर or श्री गंगानगर ) is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ganganagar District.

History

It is named after the Maharaja of Bikaner Maharaja Ganga Singh who established it. It is said that the Maharaja wanted a city based on the design of Paris to be established and hence the map of the Old Ganganagar city will give you a glimpse of the map of Paris.

Settlement

The town is divided into small blocks. The town is well maintained and offers many Parks and Grounds for rejuvenation and Enjoyment. They also provide space for playing Cricket, Football, Badminton etc. Main Parks Include Nehru Park, Indravatika Park. In the town, one will find one or two Parks for every BLOCK. Most of the people are simple and one can find elder males wearing Kurta - Pyjama (Traditional Dress) and the elder females wearing punjabi suits & Sari while the youngsters are cool and can be seen in sporting Jeans and T-Shirt. Since the last two-three years, there has been a rapid increase in the population of the town, mainly due to migration of people from neighbouring small towns and villages. This has led to the expansion of the town and has led to the formation of many showrooms of international brands of shoes and clothing such as Reebok, Nike, Adidas, Monte Carlo, John Players, Peter England, Cotton County, Sony etc.

Economy

It's a testimony to land transformation: Desert land was converted to a lush green town credited to the efforts of the Maharaja who brought the Gang canal which carries the excess waters of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the region, making Ganganagar known as "the food basket of Rajasthan" Citation| title="Suicide woes fill the 'food basket'" | publisher="The Times of India" | date = 27 July 2003 | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/97303.cms.

Climate

The climate of Sri Ganganagar is of extreme type. This means that this region is very hot in summer where the temperatures almost reach 50 degree Celsius. This region is the hottest in India. The temperature in winter are also quite low. The temperatures almost dip below 0 degree Celsius.Citation| title="Temperature Regimes" | publisher="Water Resource Department - Government Of Rajasthan" | date = | url = http://www.rajirrigation.gov.in/1temper.htm.

Agriculture

Main crops of this area are cotton,wheat and mustard. One thing this area is very famous for is Kinnu(a variant of orange).For the past 10-15 years, farmers of this region are facing tough times. Their main cash crop, cotton has almost collapsed. Although still you can see the long queues of tractor-trollies in the city in winter, but the overall production of food grains has dropped considerably. The decline in the crops is mainly due to a very small insect, "Heliothis"(in local language - sundy)Citation| title="The Helix" | publisher="CSIRO" | date = | url = http://www.publish.csiro.au/helix/cf/issues/th61a2.cfm. This worm has affected the cotton crops very badly. There are other factors as well like the rates of crops. Rates of cotton are still the same where they were in 1992-1993. Although the other crop wheat has got a hike in rates and has helped people recover to some extent, but still, the overall sale result is not as desired by the farmers .Another problem which affects the farmers of this region is the continuous water tussle with Punjab(the neighbouring state).

Geography

Ganganagar is located at coord|29.92|N|73.88|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/24/Ganganagar.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Ganganagar] ] . It has an average elevation of 164 metres (538 feet).

Demographics

As per 2001census [GR|India] by the GOVT of India , 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 Bagri, Marwadi, Punjabi and Hindi.

Educational Institutes

The city has been a center of learning since its early ages. This is one of the city for which most of the prportion of land is dedicated to educational institutes. Many notable education institutes include: (alumni of these institutes can be reached at a community on orkut named "Sriganganagar".)

Schools:
#Saint Soldier Public School (7A, outskirts of the city)
#Guru Harkrishan Public School
#Sri Guru Nanak Khalsa Higher Sen. Sec. School (Since 1939)
#Bhopal Wala Arya Higher Sen. Sec. School
#B.S.F Senior Secondary School
#Good Shepherd Public School
#Bihani Children's Academy
#Nosegay Public School
#Sacred Heart Convent School
#Blooming Dales International School
#Invention Public School
#Education Point Computer Centre, Near Bank Colony
#Tiny Tots Public School
#Saraswati Public School
#Seth G. L. bihani S.D. Sen. Sec. School
#Arorvansh Public School
#S.R.Public Senior Secondary School

Colleges:
#Sri Guru Nanak Khalsa College
#Seth G.L.Bihani S.D.(P.G.) College
#Sri Guru Nanak Khalsa Law College
#Govt. Law College
#Maharshi Dayanand (PG) College
#CH. Ballu Ram Godara Girls College
#Many upcoming medical, agriculture & engineering institutes will be listed soon.

Attractions

This town is famous for its many farms and fields. Main attractions include Gol Bazaar, Birbal chowk, Sukharia Circle, Indira vatika and the Hindumal Kot Border(Indo-Pak). There are many big and famous temples and Gurdwara's here like The Durga mandir, Hanuman temple, Balajee dham. A very well known and visited Gurudwara Shri Budha Johad (See: Massa Ranghar history)is located about 50 KM from Ganganagar. Adlabs cinema hall for entertainment. There are many hotels in the town. You will notice that all of them are located near the Railway Station because a tired traveller finds it easy if the Hotel is near the Station.

Some interesting facts:1- Indian legendary Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh is Ganganagar born.2- Pinjar movie was being shot at locations around the city.

References