Barmer, Rajasthan

Barmer is a miniature Rajasthan with all its color, warmth and tradition. Once called Mallani (12th century AD) the present Barmer is a district of Rajasthan state, India formed in 1949 upon the merger of Jodhpur state in Rajasthan, is a cluster of ancient paraganas-Mallani Shiv, Pachpadra, Siwana and the Chohatan area.

Barmer is situated at a distance of 224km from Jodhpur on the Luni-Munabao section of the Northern Railways. Located atop a hill as so many of the cities of western Rajasthan are, it houses the remains of an old fort called Garh right on its peak.

Places to see:

Chintamani Parasnath Jain Temple

Located in west Barmer, the temple presents a picturesque sight situated atop a small hillock. Dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara Parasvanath, it was built sometime in the 12th century.

Juna Jain Temple

About 42 Km from Barmer, perched on a rocky hill, the town has ruins of an old fort which encompasses an area of about 15 sq km. Of interest are a temple dedicated to Balark (the Sun) and the ancient ruins of Juna Barmer. The fort is surrounded by a series of hills, adjacent to which lies a small lake.

Rani Bhatiani Temple

Situated on the Nakoda-Balotara road, Jasol was once ruled by the Mallani clan of Rajputs, who held sway over Barmer for a long time. Jasol was their capital, and from the 12th century onwards to the 16thcentury a number of exquisite Jain temples were built in Jasol, most of which are in a state of disrepair now.

Khed Ranchorrai Mandir

A few hundred years ago Khed was the capital of the Rathores of western Rajasthan, whose influence extended over the entire region. It was at the beginning of the 13th century that the Rathore king Rao Sihaji the founder of the Rathore clan alongwith his son (Asthanji) conquered Khed from the Guhil Rajputs and planted the standard of the Rathores.

Devka-Sun Temple         

About 62 km from Barmer and12 km north of Shiv is a tiny hamlet by the name of Devka, also situated on the Jaisalmer-Barmer road. Established in the 12th or the 13th century the major tourist spot in this little village is the Vishnu Temple, famour for its temple architecture.

Siwana Fort

Nearby lies the Siwana Fort, which is not quite comparable to Jaisalmer fort, but well worth a look if you are in the vicinity. This famous fort was built by a famous Panwar ruler Raja Bhoj’s son Veernarayan, who at one stage controlled much of Barmer and had close ties with the Solanki dynasty of Gujarat.

Kiradu Ancient Temples

Kiradu Ancient Temples lie at a distance of 39km from Barmer city in Hathma village.You find an inscription here dating back to 1161AD indicating that the place was once called Kiratkoop and had once been the capital of the Panwara dynasty.

Nakoda Temple

Parshvanath Temple of Nakoda is one among the main Jain teerth centres in India. Nakoda pilgrimage, built in the desert land of Rajasthan, bears a gloriously pious dignity. Because of the importance given to adhisthayak in India, teerth is always full of pilgrims.

Meva Nagar

Once called Viranipur, this 12trh century village lies on the slope of a hill called Nagar - Ki - Bhakarian, 9km away from Baltra. The village has three Jain temples. The biggest of these is the one dedicated to Nakoda Parsvanath. A Vishnu Temple is also worth visiting.

Mahaveer Park

Mahaveer Park is a beautifully laid out park with a tiny museum housing ancient stone carved statues.

Safed Akhara

Safed Akhara (Sidheswara Mahadev Temple Complex) is a tiny yet pretty garden near Barmer. Temporary accommodation and cooking facilities are available.

Neemari

Neemari is another picturesque garden on Chohatan route, 23 km away from Barmer. An old swimming pool is an attraction............
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