Swai Madhopur District :

Sawai Madhopur is a city and Municipal Corporation (Nagar Parishad) in the Sawai Madhopur District in Rajasthan state, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan.Sawai Madhopur District comes under BharatpurDivisional Commissionerate. Near to Sawai Madhopur is the Ranthambore National Park which is 7 km from the railway station and Ranthambore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Sawai Madhopur is the Trinetra Ganesh temple. Guavas are grown in the 40 Km region around the City.

Location :

Sawai Madhopur is located in southeast Rajasthan. It lies on the northern extension of the Vindhyan Plateau in an area of complex geology. The city is approximately 121 kilometres (75 mi) southeast of Jaipur. To the north of the town is the Banas River.To the east, across the Parbati River, is the large Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh.

History :

Sawai Madhopur was built as a planned city by Maharaja Madho Singh I of Jaipur (1751 – 1768) and is named after him. Construction began on 19 January 1763 and Sawai Madhopur celebrates its foundation day annually.

The Sawai Madhopur Lodge, now a hotel, survives as a relic of the days of tiger hunting. The lodge was built in 1936 by Maharaja Man Singh II (1912 – 1971) and used as a hunting lodge until his death. The two story building is constructed in a crescent shape with a long verandah. Queen Elizabeth of England visited the lodge in January 1961.

Climate :

Sawai Madhopur has a subtropical, dry climate with distinct winter, summer and rainy seasons. The highest temperature occurs between May and June up to 49 °C (120 °F). The lowest temperature occurs between December and January, down to 2 °C (36 °F) The average rainfall in Sawai Madhopur is 800 mm with a monsoon season from July to October when Ranthambore National Park is closed. In summer, the average humidity is 10 to 15 percent and 60 percent in the rainy season. The ideal tourist season is from November to May.

Demographics :

In the India census of 2011,  Sawai Madhopur had a population of 121,106. Females counted 47 percent of the population and males 53 percent. Sawai Madhopur has an average literacy rate of 79.44 percent which is greater than the national rate of 74.04%. Female literacy (67.98 percent) is less than the male literacy rate (90.09 percent). In Sawai Madhopur, 12.89 percent of the population is under 6 years of age. Sawai Madhopur includes Gurjar and Meena population.

Religion :

Most people in Sawai Madhopur are Hindu. Just over 20 percent are Muslim. Christians are very small minority.

Economy :

The economy of Sawai Madhopur is based in agriculture and hospitality. Factors affecting the economy have included the closure of a cement factory and the instituting of regulations protecting forests and the ecosystem. There are no large scale manufacturing plants in the town.

Guava is grown around Sawai Madhopur. In 1985, the first guava in the area was grown on a farm of five hectares in Karmoda Village. In 2015, the retail and the wholesale markets of Guava generated more than 5 billion rupees. In 2015, five thousand hectares of land were dedicated to cultivating guava. 

Other products from the region include those used for extraction of essential oils and traditional medicines.

Places of interest :

Ranthambore National Park : Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in India. It is situated about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Sawai Madhopur. In 1955, it was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary. In 1973, the land became a Project Tiger reserve. The area was renamed the Ranthambore National Park in 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary, and in 1991 the tiger reserve was enlarged to include Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries.

Ranthambore Fort : The history of Sawai Madhopur is associated with the Ranthambore Fort. The date of its construction is unknown. The fort provides an oasisin an area of arid land. In medieval times, it was a defence against the forces such as those of Delhi and Agra. In 1296 CE, Rao Hamir held the fort. Notable features of the fort include the Toran Dwar, Mahadeo Chhatri, Sameton Ki Haveli, the 32 pillared Chhatri, Mosque and Ganesh Temple.

Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History : On 23 December 2007, the foundation stone laying ceremony of Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History in Sawai Madhopur, was officiated by Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India. The museum focusses on the environment of the western arid region of India.

Shilpgram : Shilpgram is Sawai Madhopur's rural artsand crafts complex. It is a living ethnographic museum of the West Zone of India which includes five federal states. Special emphasis is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music.

Galta mandir : The Galta temple is an historic Shri Ram-Sita temple situated in the old city.

 Balas at Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary:   The Balas at Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary is approximately 10 Kilometers away from Sawai Madhopur City, in the beautiful vicinity of the Aravalli knolls. This sanctuary has rocky hillsides, striking landscape, birds and wildlife. This place is one of the finest habitats in the region for several wild animals like the Indian Coarser, Honey Buzzard and the Leopard. 

Ranthambore Ganesh Temple:  The Ranthambore Ganesha Temple is the key magnetism of the Sawai Madhopur. Thousands of people arrive at this place from all parts of India to seek the blessings from Lord Ganesha for contentment and wealth. A fascinating part is the letter that is sent to Lord Ganesha. The mails include the wedding invitations primarily. A special fair is conducted on the "Bhadrapad Sudi Chaturthi" at this temple. 

Amareshwar Mahadeo Temple: Just around the corner of Ranthambore National Park, cuddled up in the middle of the elevated hills is the holy Amareshwar Mahadeo temple. This is a very popular excursion spot in Sawai Madhopur town. 

The Rameshwaram Dham: 60 kms from Sawai Madhopur on the confluence of Banas River and Chambal River is Rameshwaram Dham. It has a beautiful Shiva temple where a fair is held annually on the occasion of Shiv Ratri. 

Chamatkar Temple: The temple is situated only at a distance of about 2 km from the city center. Devotees from all over are drawn to the Chamatkar Temple because of their staunch faith in the powers of worship that can fulfil all their desires and aspirations. Every year, a grand fair is conducted at this temple on "Sarad Purnima". 

The Kala-Gaura Bhairava Temple: The Kala-Gaura Bhairava Temple is a unique temple of Sawai Madhopur is located in the heart of the city, established by wedging out a hillock. This is one of the few temples that still practices ‘Tantric Kriyas’. The Kala-Gaura Bhairava Temple is considered to be a holy place of worship where the wishes and dreams of the worshippers come true. 

The Khandar Fort: Khandar fort is the Fort of Taragarh of medieval times; it is located at around 40 kms from Sawai Madhopur. There are no evidences regarding the construction of the fort. By virtue of its position on the vertical high hill it was difficult for the enemy to attack the fort, so it has been termed as an "unconquerable fort". 

The Chauth Mata Temple: The Chauth Mata temple is situated 25kms from the city of Sawai Madhopur. This temple is located on a knoll in the vicinity of the "Chauth Ka Barwara" city which is well-known a powerful temple of the Goddess Devi. 

The Shiwad Temple: The Shiwad Temple is famous for the "Ghushmeshwar Mahadeo" temple devoted to the powerful Lord Shiva. Thousands of people from various part of the country arrive at this temple to ask for the blessings of Lord Shiva. An impressive fort that is suspended on a petite knoll is one more lure of this temple.