Hanumangarh district :

Amongst several districts of the state of Rajasthan , the name of the Hanumangarh deserves to be mentioning. As per the records of the experts , this Hanumangarh district was officially formed on 12.07.94 as the thirty first district of the same state of Indian country. It was being shaped out from the Sriganganagar district. Comprises of seven tehsils like Hanumangarh, Sangaria, Pilibanga, Rawatsar, Nohar, Bhadra and Tibbi. 

History of Hanumangarh District :

The history of this place dates back to the age of the Indus Valley civilization. The region was a part of this ancient civilization, as has been proved by the discovery of stamps, coins, statues, toys, wells, jewelry, human skeletons, streets, forts and bathrooms belonging to that period. 

Hanumangarh was originally known as Bhatner. At that time it was ruled over by the Bhatis. The emperor of Bikaner, Soorat Singh, defeated the Bhatis and captured this place in the year 1805. Since he won over this place on Tuesday, a day dedicated to god Hanuman, he changed the name of the place to Hanumangarh.

The district of Hanumangarh is quite enriched in its historical heritage is quite apparent from various evidences that are found here. . The remnants that have been found at Kalibanga [Pilibanga] in the year 1951 disclose the fact that this area was also an integral portion of Indus Valley Civilization, which is almost five thousand years old. The relics of human skeleton, unidentified scripts, stamps, coins, utensils, jewelry, toys, statues, wells, bathrooms, fort, streets, markets etc., only pointed out to the fact of its ennobled past tradition of the forefathers. Apart from the Kalibanga, there are over hundred places in every nook of the district of Hanumangarh where attests of this ancient civilization can be traced. The ruins found at these places also have been reserved National museum at Delhi and also at Museum at Kalibanga There is a story related to the Hanumangarh district is quite popular amongst the people. . In the beginning, Hanumangarh was popularly called bhatner . In year 1805, emperor Soorat Singh of Bikaner captivated bhatner after defeating Bhatis. Tuesday is the day of deity "Hanuman" and since the day of his victory was also on that very day , he called bhatner as "Hanumangarh".

Geographical location :

Hanumangarh district, is located at 29° 5' to 30° 6' North and 74° 3' to 75º 3' east. This Hanumangarh district is being enclosed by the boundaries on all its sides. In the east , Hanumangarh partakes its boundaries with Haryana state , in the western side with Sriganganagar district, the state of Punjab state in the northern side and also the district of Churu in the southern part. As a whole, the Hanumangarh district covers a geographical area of approximately 12, 650 square kilometers. If one dissects the whole district of Hanumangarh , it has rightly been found that there are seven tehsils here. These include Hanumangarh, Sangaria, Pilibanga, Rawatsar, Nohar, Bhadra and Tibbi. 

The climate of the district is semi-dry, extremely hot during the summer and extremely cold during winter. The maximum average temperature varies between 18° to 48° and minimum average temperature lies between 2° to 28° Celsius. The average rainfall of the year has a ranging from 225 to 300 mm. 

Demographics :

According to the 2011 census Hanumangarh district has a population of 1,779,650, roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia or the US state of Nebraska.This gives it a ranking of 269th in India (out of a total of 640). Hanumangarh is one of the highest per capita income earning district in India.

The district has a population density of 184 inhabitants per square kilometre (480/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 17.24%. Hanumangarh has a sex ratio of 906 females for every 1000 males and a literacy rate of 68.37%.

Economy :

Farming is the main activity that is carried out in the Hanumangarh District in Rajasthan. Crops like pearl millet, wheat, cotton and rice are grown over here. Different kinds of vegetables are also grown over here. There are almost 40 registered small scale industries in this place.

Fairs and carnivals :

Various fairs and festivals are part and parcel of the people of the Hanumangarh district. Gogameri Mela, Pallu Mela, Shila Mata Mela are quite significant. Each and every people of the Hanumangarh district get enthralled in the mood of the festivity. People from all the other states of Indian Territory give a visit to this Hanumangarh district during the time of festivals. 

Bhadrakali Mela- The historical Bhadrakali is situated 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the district headquarters. The sixth emperor of Bikaner Maharaja Ram Singh is said to have constructed this temple on Emperor Akbar's desire. Though pilgrims visit the temple throughout the year but during the Mela days on Chaitra Sudi 8 and 9, thousands of pilgrims from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan visit the temple to worship Bhadrakali.

Pallu Mela- Pallu, around 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the district headquarters is surrounded by sand dunes and is where Mata Brahmani Mela takes place during Navaratras.

Shila Mata Mela- Shila Mata Mela takes place on every Thursday near Bus Stand, Hanumangarh Town. This 6' x 2.5' x 2' size stone is worshiped by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. The Hindus-Sikhs call this Shila Mata and Muslims call it Shila Peer.

Shaid Baba Sukha Singh ji, Mahitab Singh ji Yadgari Mela- Shaid Baba Sukha Singh, Mahitab Singh came to Hanumangarh where he rest under a tree where in present a big fantastic Sikh Gurudawara close to Bhatner fort and it is said that tree still exists.A fair on every '25, Bhadhon Mahina' (a Hindi month) is joined by people from all castes and religion including various political leaders.This shows harmony among various groups in society of Hanumangarh and Rajasthan.

Gogameri Mela- Gogameri Mela takes place on every year in Nohar tehsil. This fair is held to worship Gogaji, a deity of Rajasthan.

Places to visit :

Bhatner fort : Considered to be one of the oldest forts in India, the Bhatner Fort or Hanumangarh Fort is located on the banks of the river Ghaggar. The importance of the fort can be gauged from the fact that Empror Akbar mentioned it in Ain-e-Akbari. The fort was built around 1700 years ago by Bhupat, the son of Jaisalmer’s King Bhatti and has withstood the ravages of time and war extremely well. Many a fearsome ruler including Timur and Prithviraj Chauhan tried to capture the fort, but such was its strength that for centuries no one succeeded at getting their hands on it. Finally, in the year 1805, Raja Surat Singh of Bikaner vanquished the Bhattis and captured the fort. The fort is heavily fortified and has many stunning gates, it also houses temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman.

Temple of shri Gogaji : At around 120 km from the city of Hanumangarh, lies the Temple of Shri Gogaji. Legend has it that Gogaji was a warrior who possessed spiritual powers and he is also referred to as the ‘God of Snakes’. The temple was built in his honour almost 900 years ago by Bikaner’s Maharaja Shri Ganga Singh and stands on an elevated mount. What’s particularly interesting about the temple is its mix of Muslim and Hindu styles of architecture. The temple is marked with stunning engravings and houses a beautiful statue of Gogaji on horseback, with a lance in his hand and a snake around his neck. People of all faiths visit the temple especially during the Gogamedi festival.
 
Kalibangan : A spot that’s a must-visit for archaeology buffs, Kalibangan is famous for the site where relics from the Indus Valley Civilization were unearthed. The relics belong to the Harappan and pre-Harappan settlements from the year 2500 BC. Excavations at Kalibangan have revealed Harappan seals, human skeletons, unknown scripts, stamps, copper bangles, beads, coins, toys, terracotta and shells. Another place to visit here is the Archaeological Museum, which was set up in 1983 to house findings from an excavation conducted on the Harappan site during 1961-1969. The museum here houses three galleries – the pre-Harappan one, and two devoted to Harappan artefacts.

Temple of Mata Bhadrakali : The temple of Mata Bhadrakali is on the banks of the Ghaggar River. The deity the temple is dedicated to one of the many avatars of Goddess Durga. Constructed by the sixth king of Bikaner Maharaja Ram Singh, the temple houses an idol made entirely out of red stone.

                               Hanumangarh is a city best known for its temples and its historical significance given that it was once part of the Indus Valley Civilization. Recent excavations in the area have revealed some stunning artefacts belonging to an era of great significance to human history. The city is also known to be an agricultural marketplace where cotton and wool are woven on handlooms and sold. The primary tourist attraction of Hanumangarh is the Bhatner fort, a beautiful structure whose history dates back thousands of years.