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Sikar

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This article is about the municipality in Rajasthan, India. For its namesake district, see Sikar district.

Sikar
सीकर
Shekhawati
City
Country India
StateRajasthan
DistrictSikar
Area
 • Total
22.57 km2 (8.71 sq mi)
Elevation
427 m (1,401 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
237,579
 • Density11,000/km2 (27,000/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialHindi, English
 • RegionalRajasthani
 • OtherRajasthani, Hindi, English
Religion
 • Religious groupsHindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
332001
Telephone code91-1572
Vehicle registrationRJ-23
Literacy77.25%
Distance from Delhi280 kilometres (170 mi) (land)
Distance from Jaipur114 kilometres (71 mi) (land)
ClimateKöppen climate classification (Köppen)
Avg. annual temperature16-20 °C
Avg. summer temperature45-46 °C
Avg. winter temperature0-1 °C
Websitewww.sikar.rajasthan.gov.in

Sikar (Template:Lang-hi) is a city located midway between Agra and Bikaner in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan state in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sikar District. Sikar is a historical city and contains many old Havelis (large houses with Mughal-era architecture) which are a huge tourist attraction. It is 114 km away from Jaipur, 320 km from Jodhpur 215 km from Bikaner and 280 km from Delhi.

History

Sikar is as much part of Shekhawati as Jhunjhunu.[clarification needed] It was the largest Thikana (Estate) of the Jaipur State, earlier known as Nehrawati. Sikar was the capital town of the Thikana Sikar. It is surrounded by high walls with seven gates ("Pols"). These are Bawari Gate, Fatehpuri Gate, Nani Gate, Surajpole Gate, Dujod Gate Old, Dujod Gate New and Chandpole Gate. Sikar was once known as ‘Beer Bhan Ka ’.

Rao Raja Ram Pratap Singh ascended the throne after Laxman Singh built the marble palace. The golden painting on its walls is very attractive. The successive rulers of Sikar have been Rao Raja Bhairon Singh, Rao Raja Sir Madhav Singh Bahadur (1866/1922), who was granted the title of Bahadur in 1886, and Madhav Singh, who enjoys the credit of making the huge Victoria Diamond Jubilee Hall & Madhav Niwas Kothi, excellent examples of his love for architecture and paintings. He was always anxious for the welfare of the public. During the terrible famine in 1899 (Samvat 1956), he started many famine relief works for the poor and hungry people. This is evident from ‘Madhav Sagar Pond’, built in 1899, at a cost of Rs.56000: it clearly speaks the fame of his ruler. It was in the times of Madhav Singh that Sikar saw the first light of electricity. The roads were also constructed in his time. The old monuments, forts, palaces, boundary walls and temples were repaired in his time. He was very strong and courageous. He had very cordial relations with the British Government. The survey of Railway from Jaipur to Sikar was accomplished in this period. After Madhav Singh the throne of Sikar was ascended by Kalyan Singh.

Rao Raja Kalyan Singh was the last ruler of Sikar (1922/1967). Kalyan Singh had been famous for his love of magnficent buildings, palaces, temples and ponds. He ruled over Sikar for 32 years. He built the clock tower, which adds beauty to the town. For the welfare of the public he built the Kalyan Hospital & Kalyan College. To commemorate the sweet memory of his late son Kunwar Hardayal Singh.

Sikar is a very fascinating and charming place for the tourist. The fresco paintings on the ancient havelies, temples and forts captivate tourists from abroad.

Sikar was the kingdom of royal Shekhawat rajas. Today also many royal Shekhawat family members reside in Sikar. One of the great shekhawatis is Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Vice President of India, who also belongs to (Khachriyawas) Sikar. Three most prominent business houses of the country, the Bajajs, Birlas and Goenkas, also belong to the district. The famous village of Nimakidhani lies on the border of this district. Shekawats live in the nearby villages of Sahnusar, Dhakash and Garandava.

Geography and Climate

Geography

Sikar is the district headquarters of Rajasthan's Sikar district which is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is located at 27°37′N 75°09′E / 27.62°N 75.15°E / 27.62; 75.15.[1] It has an average elevation of 427 metres (1401 feet).

Climate

Sikar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) climate, rains occur in the monsoon months between June and September. Temperatures remain relatively high throughout the year, with the summer months of April to July having average daily temperatures of around 30 °C (86 °F). The maximum temperatures during the months of May & June can reach close to 50 °C (122 °F) with little to no humidity. During the monsoon there are frequent, heavy rains and thunderstorms, but flooding is not common. The winter months of November to February are mild and pleasant, with average temperatures ranging from 15–18 °C (59–64 °F) and with little or no humidity. There are however occasional cold fronts that lead to temperatures near freezing.

Sikar
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: YR
Imperial conversion
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Demographics

Sikar city has a population of about 237,579[2] people according to the census of 2011. As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Sikar in 2011 is 237579; of which male and female are 123156 and 114423 respectively. The sex ratio of Sikar city is 929 per 1000 males. In education section, total literates in Sikar city are 158413 of which 91403 are males while 67010 are females. Average literacy rate of Sikar city is 77.13 percent of which male and female literacy was 86.29 and 67.37 percent respectively. Total children age group (0-6) in Sikar city are 32189 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There were 17236 boys while 14953 are girls. Child sex ratio of girls is 868 per 1000 boys.

Place of Interest

Bawdi at Fatehpur
Harshnath Temple,Sikar, made in 973 AD
Laxmangarh Fort, Rajasthan, built in 1862 AD

• Shakambhari Mata Mandir • Shyam Mandir Khatu • Samolai balaji Temple

Administration

Sikar city is governed by a Municipal Corporation, which comes under the Sikar Urban Agglomeration. Sikar city is divided into 45 wards. Although Sikar city has a population of 237,579, its urban/metropolitan population is 244,563, of which 126,964 are males and 117,599 are females. The Sikar metropolitan area includes Chandrapura (Rural), Radhakrishnpura, Samarthpura, Shivsinghpura and Sikar city. At present, the Member of Parliament from Sikar is Swami Sumedhanand Sarsawati (May 2014).

Transport

Kilometre sign
"Sikar 16 km“

Rail

Sikar comes within the territory of the North Western Railway. Sikar city is connected through a meter gauge railway line section to Jaipur, Churu and a broadgauge line to Jhunjhunu, Rewari, and Dehli. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 1 September 2015 (Tuesday) flagged off two trains to mark the completion of Rs. 260 crore gauge conversion of the 122 km Loharu-Sikar railway line in Rajasthan. Both trains were flagged off by Prabhu through remote control by organising video conferencing between Rail Bhawan (New Delhi) and Sikar, Rajasthan. Prabhu pointed out that sufficient funds have been provided in 2015-16 to complete this project, i.e., Jaipur-Ringas-Churu, by March, 2017.[3] Rail service between Sikar and Dehli (14811/14812 Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Sikar Express (bi-weekly) began 2 September 2015. This train was inaugurated by Suresh Prabhu.

Road

Sikar is well connected by roads from all the major cities of Rajasthan and nearby states. A four-lane national highway NH-11 passes through the center of the city. NH-11 connects Sikar with Jaipur and Bikaner. The western freight corridor will also pass through Sikar, as a main project of the central government. Kotputali Kuchaman Mega Highway also passes through Sikar.

Air

The nearest airport to Sikar city is Jaipur International Airport, which operates daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Guwahati, Kolkata, Udaipur, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat. A new airport is proposed at Shahpura (a town in Jaipur district) that is very near to Sikar. A small air strip at Tarpura village is also available for the landing of small private planes (against payment).

Education

Sikar has become a major education hub of Rajasthan these days. Along with numerous government colleges providing arts, sciences, and commerce education, a number of private educational institutes have also opened up. Shri Kalyan Government College is the largest college of Rajasthan University. Shekhawati University has been opened in 2013 by Rajasthan Govt. In the last few years many coaching institutes have become establshed in the city for the preparation of JEE, PMT, AIIMS and other competitive exams. The coaching class movement started in the early 'nineties but grew modestly because of a lack of quality providers. However, in recent years, the city has become a force to reckon with due to multiple high quality institutions for IIT JEE and PMT preparation. Those students who follow coaching institutes no longer migrate to other major cities, like Kota and Jaipur.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Sikar". Fallingrain.com. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Census 2011 data – Sikar city". census2011.co.in. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Railway Minister flags off new Train on newly build Loharu-Sikar broad gauge line", Rail News (Sept. 1 2015)

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