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 Rajasthan is the largest state in the Indian Union.
Geographically, the land of Rajasthan is more varied than any other region.
It is a region of lofty rocks, rolling sand dunes, of burning heat and
freezing cold, of fertile plains and deep wild glens and jungles. The
Aravalli range, which is the oldest folded range in the world, divides
the area into two natural divisions - North - West and South - East. North - West
area is a sandy and ill watered tract emerging gradually from a mere desert
in the west and North - West to comparatively fertile land towards
the East and North - East in the neighborhood of the Aravallis and the track
bordering Haryana. The South - Eastern division which is more elevated and
fertile than the North - West, has a very diversified character with extensive
hill ranges, pockets of woodland, several large rivers, fertile tablelands
and stretches of excellent soil. The Arid high plateau of South - Western
Rajasthan is broken by wild cliffs and hill ranges. Irrigation dams or
deep wells are the source of water for the fields in the oases lying within
the Valleys.
Cliffs
form the backdrop of Jodhpur, disappear into the endless barren plain
from which the medieval fort of Nagaur rises as a landmark. Beyond this
is the Thar desert which is a part of the great Indian desert - Burning
like a furnace even in early March, it is the 'Maru - kantar', the region
of death. Aravalli range starts from the borders of Delhi and becomes
well defined before Alwar. The forests of Alwar, Bharatpur and Sawai -
Madhopur are the home of the tiger, the panther, the wild boar, the blue
bull and the more graceful and agile animals of the deer family.
The plains here are level and flat, with rich alluvial
loam. Down south, in Kota and Bundi, in the Chittorgarh and Bhilwara districts,
wheat, maize, paddy and sugarcane fields sprawl along the river - banks.
The very opposite of its western counterpart, Eastern
Rajasthan has much that belies the notion of Rajasthan being a desert
state. The plateau on which this picturesque city stands marks the highest
elevation of the plains of North India and it is called the watershed
of India. Guru Sikhar or the Hermit's peak which is the highest point
of the range near Mount Abu may be described as the roof of this region.
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