Barmer District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in India. The town of Barmer is the district headquarters. Other notable towns in the district are Balotra, Guda Malani, Siwana , Jasol and Chohatan. Barmer district falls under the Great Indian Desert or Thar Desert. Like a typical district of the desert region, Barmer District is known for its folk music and dance. The Bhopas (priest singers), who compose music in the name of the gods and goddesses of the region and also the war heroes, are residents of Barmer. The other folk musicians belong to a society called the Muslim Dholis (drummers). For a majority of them, this is the only means to earn a living.
The Barmer District spreads over an area of 28387 square km. The district has 3 blocks, 8 tehsils and 1941 villages. The total population of the district is 1963758. Out of these, 1818517 people live in the rural areas and 145241 in the urban areas. The population density is 69 persons per square km. There are 2 municipal corporations, 8 panchayat samitis and 7065 schools in the Barmer District.
