Nagaur district is situated in the heart of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a part of the great Indian Thar desert. The district has a long historical legacy, going back to the time of the Mahabharata. It is believed that Nagaur was once a part of Ahichhatrapur which Arjun had offered to his Guru Dronacharya. The climate of the district of Nagaur is dry and hot, with agriculture being the chief source of livelihood of the people. There are a number of places of tourist interest located in the district of Nagaur of both religious as well as historical significance, such as forts and temples. A brief glimpse into the life, structure and functioning of Nagaur district is provided below.

Location of Nagaur District
Nagaur District is situated between 26 degrees 25 minutes and 27 degrees 40 minutes North Latitude and 73 degrees 10 minutes and 75 degrees 15 minutes East Longitude. It is situated amidst seven districts namely Bikaner, Churu, Sikar, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pali and Jodhpur. Nagaur is the fifth largest district in the state of Rajasthan with a vast terrain spreading over 17,718 Sq.Kms. Its geographical spread is a combination of plains, hills, sand mounds and as such it is a part of the great Thar Desert in India. The present district of Nagaur finds a place in the heart of the Rajasthan state.

History of Nagaur District
Glorified by the bards, the history of Nagaur finds mention even in the Mahabharata. The kingdom of Ahichhatrapur which Arjun is said to have conquered and subsequently offered to his Guru Dronacharya, was perhaps some of the area of the Nagaur district. The birth place of Meera and Abul Fazl, Nagaur district has a charbhuja and Parsawanath Temple at Merta and the Dargah of Sufi Saint Tarkin at Nagaur city. Nagaur also witnessed the valour of the Great Rao Amar Singh Rathor who challenged the rulers of the mighty Mughal dynasty. The large old Fort has many glorious tales of bravery of the erstwhile rulers of the states.

Geography of Nagaur District
Nagaur has a dry climate with a hot summer. Sand storms are common in summer. The climate of the district is marked by extreme dryness, large variations of temperature and highly variable rainfall. The mercury keeps on rising intensely from March till June. These are the hottest months. The average temperature of the district is 23.5 degrees Celsius. The winter season extends from mid November till the beginning of March. Rainy season is of a short duration, from July to mid September. The average rainfall in the district is 36.16 cm and the humidity stands at 51.5 percent.

Demography of Nagaur District
The district comprises of 1596 Revenue Estates (Villages), out of which Merta, Deedwana, Makarana, Parbatsar and Kuchaman are the major towns of the district. The total area of the district is 17,718 Sq.Kms, out of which 17,448.5 Sq.Kms is rural and 269.5 Sq. Kms is urban. As per the 2001 census, the population of the district is 27,75,058 (4,77,337 urban and 22,97,721 rural population) which is 4.91 percent of the total population of the state. The density of population in the district is 157, as against 165 of Rajasthan as a whole. 12, 87,921 persons of the district are literate, out of which 10, 21,314 are rural and 2,66,607 are urban, which makes it 58.26 percent of the total population. Out of this literate population 75.33 percent are males and 40.45 percent are females.

Tourism in Nagaur District
There are a number of places of tourist interest located in the district of Nagaur. Most of these places have a great history behind them, and date back to ancient times of dynastic rule. Noted among them are Harsolav, Khinvsar Fort, Nagaur Fort, Kharnal, Khatu village etc. Apart from places of historical interest, there are a number of places of pilgrimage tourism located in the district of Nagaur in Rajasthan. Most of these temples themselves are of immense historical value as they have been constructed in ancient times. For instance the Dadhimati Temple built in the 4th century, or the 400 year old Meerabai temple. Other places of pilgrimage in the district include the Panchla Sidha, Bhanwal Matta Temple, Pashupati Nath Temple and Phulabai Temple at Manjhwas etc.