With an area of 342,239 sq. km. Rajasthan is the largest state of India. The land of Rajasthan is basically defined as a desert but there is more to Rajasthan. What the tourists may not know is that Rajasthan is also surrounded by the Aravalli Hills runs across the state stretching from Mount Abu in the southwest to Kota and Bundi in the east.
Thus the landscape of the land is blessed with a diverse geography. On the west and north-west the state is bounded by Pakistan and Punjab; in south by Haryana; in the east by Uttar Pradesh; Madhya Pradesh in the east and south-east and Gujarat in the south and south-west.
The Aravalli ranges in Rajasthan are the oldest chain of mountains in the world. On an average basis the altitude of the state varies from 100-350 meters but in some places the height can reach over 750 meters high.
In the southern part of the state the average elevation is higher and the hilly area here is known as Mewar. The mighty Thar Desert lies in the northwest Rajasthan. The desert is famous worldwide for its shifting sand dunes. Jaisalmer and Bikaner are important settlements on routes to the west whereas Jodhpur lies on the edge of this arid zone. This zone also comprise of the northwest region of Barmer, the western part of Nagaur and Churu districts and the southern section of Ganganagar district. The neighboring state of Gujarat also lies in the Thar Desert region. |
