Sawai Madhopur is a city and

Municipal Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

(Nagar Parishad) in the Sawai Madhopur District in

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern ...

state,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District of

. Ranthambore National Park which is 7 km from the railway station and Ranthambore Fort, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

are located near Sawai Madhopur.

History

Sawai Madhopur was built as a

planned city A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

Madho Singh I of

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known a ...

(1751 1768) and is named after him. Founded in 1763, Sawai Madhopur celebrates its foundation day annually on 19 January. The Sawai Madhopur Lodge, now a hotel, survives as a relic of the days of

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...

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-storey crescent-shaped building is constructed with a long verandah.

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

visited the lodge in January 1961.

Geography

Sawai Madhopur is located in southeast Rajasthan. The city is approximately southeast of

Climate

Sawai Madhopur has a subtropical, dry climate with distinct winter, summer, and rainy seasons. The highest temperature occurs between May and June, rising up to . The lowest temperature, generally recorded between December and January, is about . The average rainfall in Sawai Madhopur is 800 mm with a

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

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

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2011, Sawai Madhopur had a population of 121,106. Females constituted 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 percent. Female literacy (67.98 percent) lags the male literacy rate (90.09 percent). In Sawai Madhopur, 12.89 percent of the population is under 6 years of age. Sawai Madhopur's communities include Gurjars and

Meenas Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the st ...

Religion

Most people in Sawai Madhopur are

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

. Just over 20 percent are

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

are a very small minority. From a

caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultur ...

standpoint, 44 percent of Sawai Madhopur's population belong to the Meena Community and 12 percent are Gurjar.

Governance

The Nagar Parishad of Sawai Madhopur is the body responsible for the town's civil works and administration. The Municipal Corporation is headed by a chairman. Each of 60 wards is represented in the Municipal Corporation by an elected member. The Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) of Sawai Madhopur is the government agency responsible for the planning and development of the town. Sawai Madhopur is one of four Assembly Constituencies within Sawai Madhopur District. The others are Gangapur, Bamanwas and Khandar. Sawai Madhopur lies in the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Parliamentary Constituency. political representative (MLA) of Sawai Madhopur is

Danish Abrar Danish Abrar is an Indian politician from Indian National Congress who is the member of 15th Rajasthan Assembly. He is the son of Abrar Ahmed (INC Politician), Abrar Ahmed. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Abrar, Danish Rajasthan MLAs 2 ...

. The

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(MP) from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Parliament

Constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...

is Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria.

Economy

The economy of Sawai Madhopur is based on 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 Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, t ...

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 of revenue. In 2015, five thousand hectares of land were dedicated to cultivating guava. Other products from the region include those used for the extraction of essential oils and traditional medicines.

Fairs and festivals

Sawai Madhopur Utsav

The Sawai Madhopur Utsav is the annual celebration held on the foundation day of the city of Sawai Madhopur on 19 January. It is the day on which the city of Sawai Madhopur was established by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I in 1763. The

Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi ( ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and ...

Fair is the largest of Sawai Madhopur's fairs. It is celebrated over three days on Bhadav Shukla Chaturthi at the

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

Temple in Ranthambore Fort. Dussera is celebrated in Sawai Madhopur for 10 days in the month of October. The Chauth Mata Mela fair is held in the month of January, at Chauth Mata Temple in Chauth Ka Barwara.

Culture

The languages commonly spoken in Sawai Madhopur are English, Hindi and

Dhundari Dhundhari (also known as Jaipuri) is a dialect of Rajasthani spoken in the Dhundhar region of northeastern Rajasthan state, India. Dhundari-speaking people are found in four districts – Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, Tonk and some parts ...

. Typical dishes in Sawai Madhopur include '' Dal Baati Churma'', ''Gatte ki sabzi'', '' Bajre ki roti'' and '' Dal bade''. The sweet dishes include '' Kharbuje ka

laddoo ''Laddu'' or ''laddoo'' (; ms, kuih laddu; id, kue laddu) is a spherical sweet originating from India and spread through the Indian subcontinent and the Malay world. Laddus are primarily made from flour, fat (ghee/butter/oil) and sugar or j ...

''. Popular dance forms in Sawai Madhopur include the ''

Ghoomar Ghoomar or ghumar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. It was the Bhil tribe who performed it to worship Goddess Sarasvati which was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities. The dance is chiefly performed by veiled women who wear fl ...

'' dance, the Sawai Madhopur dance and the ''

Kalbeliya The Kalbelia are a snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. The dance is an integral part of their culture and performed by men and women. Kalbelia tribe Kalbelias are followers of Sage Kanifnath, who drank a bowl of po ...

'' dance.

Places of interest

Ranthambore National Park

The Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in India. It is situated about from Sawai Madhopur. In 1955, it was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary. In 1973, the land became a

Project Tiger Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, prote ...

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 closely linked to that of Ranthambore Fort. The date of its construction is unknown. The fort provides an oasis in an area of arid land. In medieval times, it was a defence against forces such as those of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

and

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, 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.

Chauth Mata Temple

The largest Chauth Mata Temple is located in Chauth Ka Barwara, Sawai Madhopur. Chauth Mata is the

Kuldevi A kuladevatā (), also known as a kuladaivaṃ, is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism. Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion ('' bhakti''), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (''kula''), gotra, family, and chi ...

of the Meena community. The Chauth Mata Mandir is located on a hilltop of Chauth Ka Barwada, 35 km from Sawai Madhopur district.

Meen Bhagwan

This temple, dedicated to Lord Meenesh i.e. Matsyavatar, is located in the town of Chauth Ka Barwara of Sawai Madhopur district. This grand temple built with the support of Meena Samaj of Barwara area of Chauth is equipped with modern facilities. The entire temple is built with white marble. The 108 feet high dome of this temple of Lord Meenesh remains the main attraction for visitors. The temple also houses a dharmshala of the Meena community. The construction of the temple, built without government aid, was financed by donations of 7 Crore rupees by the Meena community.

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 focuses on the environment of the western arid region of India. SWM 3

Chamatkarji Jain temple

Chamatkarji Jain temple is located in Alanpur village. The temple dates back to the early medieval period. It is built in the

Pancharatha A Hindu temple is a ''pancharatha'' when there are five ''ratha'' (on plan) or ''paga'' (on elevation) on the tower of the temple (generally a ''shikhara''). The rathas are vertical offset projection or facets. The name comes from the sanskrit ...

style with main shrine housing the idol of

Rishabhanatha Rishabhanatha, also ( sa, ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku is the first (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain c ...

Shilpgram

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

Temples

The Galta temple is a historic Shri Ram-

Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

temple in the old city.

s are grown in the 40 km region around the city. Another popular temple close by is the Balaji temple of Itawa village, dedicated to

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

Education

Institute of Hotel Management

On 1 September 2015, the Government of India inaugurated an Institute of Hotel Management at Sawai Madhopur to develop the hospitality sector and promote tourism.

Colleges

* Institute of Hospitality Management * Sawai Madhopur College of Engineering and Technology * Government PG College * Government Polytechnic College * Gulshan College of Nursing * Vinayak international school

Organizations and NGOs

* Gramin Shiksha Kendra * Dastkar Ranthambhore * Princess Diya Kumari Foundation * Prakritik Society * Access Development Services - works with local farmers and women artisans. * 2nd Inning Naya Savera old age home

Transportation

Air

Sawai Madhopur has an airstrip used by private jets. Supreme Airlines has started regular flight operations between Sawai Madhopur and Delhi from 11 April 2018. The nearest large airport is the Jaipur International Airport, away.

Rail

Sawai Madhopur Junction Sawai Madhopur Junction Railway Station (Code: SWM) is a major railway station on New Delhi–Mumbai main line and Jaipur–Mumbai rail line of the West Central Railway zone network. It is very well connected to Gangapur city, Bayana junction ...

is located on the

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

trunk route. The city is a stop for many trains, including Jaipur - Indore Super-Fast, Dayodaya Express (Ajmer - Jabalpur Express), Jodhpur - Indore Intercity, Hazrat Nizamuddin - Indore Express, Marusagar Express (Ajmer - Ernakulam Express / Ernakulam Express), Jaipur - Mysore Express, Jaipur - Chennai Express, Jaipur - Coimbatore Express, Jodhpur - Puri Express, Jodhpur - Bhopal Express, Jodhpur - Indore Intercity, and the August Kranti Rajdhani Express. The Jaipur - Indore Super-Fast connects Sawai Madhopur to

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...

, a major city in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

. There is also a Jan Shatabdi Express train from Sawai Madhopur to the national capital,

. The Kota - Patna Express connects Sawai Madhopur and Patna cities via Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Varanasi. Other trains include the Kota - Hanumangarh Express, the Sawai Madhopur-Mathura Passenger and the Jaipur-Bayana Passenger. The Mumbai-Nizamuddin

August Kranti Rajdhani Express The 12953 / 12954 August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani is a train that connects to in India. It is named after the August Kranti Maidan formerly known as the Gowalia Tank Maidan from where the Quit India Movement was launched in August 1942. On 12 ...

halts at Sawai Madhopur for 2 minutes.

Luxury trains Luxury trains are a premium travel option designed to offer a comfortable ride and evoke an association with history and heritage. Some luxury trains promote tourism in destinations across a region, while others (such as the Maharajas' Express ...

include the Palace on Wheels, the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, and the Indian Maharaja which makes a stop at Sawai Madhopur on an eight-day round trip to tourist destinations.

Roads

The National Highway 552 (Tonk-Sawai Madhopur) and the Kota-Lalsot Mega Highway pass through the city.

Media

The largest circulated daily newspapers in Sawai Madhopur are the

Rajasthan Patrika ''Rajasthan Patrika'' is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper. It was founded by Karpoor Chandra Kulish in 1956 and published as ''Rajasthan Patrika'' in Delhi and Rajasthan, and as ''Patrika'' in 9 other states. As per Indian Readership ...

and

Dainik Bhaskar ''Dainik Bhaskar ''is India's largest Hindi-language daily newspaper owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. According to Audit Bureau of Circulations, it is ranked 3rd in the world by circulation and is the largest newspaper in India by circu ...