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Two disclaimers:1 - Despite my following reasoning, I don’t even believe ‘democracy’ is a fundamental end-all and be-all of what it means to be an optimal social primate. And as an American, I am looking at the word as representing the current Multi-national, neo-liberal, zero-sum trends.2 - Despite having American citizenship, I have lived over half my life in Japan … 36 years and counting, and with a permanent visa, this is probably a terminal relationship.On my answer —Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time — Winston ChurchillQuite a catchy tune … but I have no idea whether democracy is the worst, or better, or just another experiment in how to manage social primates that have bred to populations of herding / swarming size.I just see democracy as one of many tools for sustainability of the species … and if lucky, perhaps even a higher quality of life.But as any other tool, democracy can be used and misused, depending on one’s inclination and perspective. For example, anyone who has been marginalized as a minority will likely be aware of the dangers of tyranny of the majority.I don’t have the time or scope for exploring the implications of John Rawls’ original position on morality here. It leads down one heck of a rabbit hole. But I would like to make a plug for Michael J. Sandel’s definition of ‘corruption’ as — any time ‘lower level’ values displace ‘higher level’ ideals.Certainly this is a provisional social construct. But I think most of us would agree that ‘everyone has their price’ is an easy to understand euphemism for how Michael Sandel is defining corruption.For my short answer … Yes.Just follow the money — https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/27/fake-news-inquiry-data-misuse-deomcracy-at-risk-mps-conclude?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=282232&subid=10308016&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2It is not just democracy that is under threat.Family values and its institutions … adoption, weddings, birthdays, or funerals … are all under threat of being devoured by capitalism. It doesn’t take much triangulating to see the relationship between the misuse of corporate human capital in Japan Inc.’s ‘democracy’ to see the devastating effects on demographics … a falling population, but gutting the countryside for further concentration of power and opportunity in the Tokyo area.In pre-reformation Europe, the Catholic church similarly grew rich and therefore corrupt, partially due to selling special dispensations (those express train prayers to heaven) to the robber barons of that era.But here, in present day Japan, depending on the amount of donation offered to a priest performing burial rituals お布施, the deceased is given a new ‘spiritual’ name (kaimyou - Dharma name) that is ranked and correlated with the amount of money donated.I’d call that culturally sanctioned blackmail, but I guess we Americans do the same with weddings and funerals … the more money one has, the more lavish the ceremony is expected to be. I guess it comes with the package of what it means to be a social primate.But how much is ‘enough’? Where does one draw the line if it comes at the expense of others?This jives well with Sandel’s home run definition of corruption.Capitalism is devouring science.Common sense determines that neither scientific fact nor theory have been subject to the values of democracy, though lord knows it is not through lack of trying.I will leave it to the likes of Neil DeGrasse Tyson to point out the incompatibly of democracy with science in many of his excellent documentaries …or an even more scientifically capable contemporary, Steven Pinker …… but the good professors (institutionally sanctioned) are NOT making similar documentaries about how capitalism is devouring science.‘Publish or Perish’ — is NOT a scientific heuristics.It is an economic model, and an ultimately self-destructive one at that.In fact, they, among others (yeah, you too Michio) are making a tidy little sum riding off those gigs. It’s just too bad that the likes of Karl Popper or Thomas Kuhn are not so photogenic. Karl had much to say about what happens when science becomes subservient to capitalistic agendas in the Nazi form of Nationalism.And I think there is quite a bit much more than being ‘politically correct’ at stake when the whole scientific domain is being questioned as gender influenced … How Masculine and Feminine Traits Influence Science.For some examples of how capitalism is devouring of science, I modestly suggest reading Naomi Klein regarding Project MKUltra. Or Noam Chomsky on the M.I.T. - D.A.R.P.A. connection. Or for that matter Google’s true origin partly lies in CIA and NSA research grants for mass surveillance, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Agra.As I am making this edit, today’s news alone (Thursday, July 24, 2018 spells it out … Monsanto-on-trial … again.And to bring it closer to home (in Japan) … a copy of July 27-28th news … https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/27/national/crime-legal/japanese-prosecutors-raid-jaxa-facilities-connection-second-education-ministry-bribes-case/#.W1xSNygVSHoAnd to make sure the article is not ‘lost’ … another source, JapanToday.Prosecutors raid space agency over bureaucrat's bribery caseJuly 28 — 06:55 am JST TOKYOProsecutors on Friday raided locations linked to the space agency after they arrested a senior education ministry official earlier on a bribery charge in the second graft scandal to hit the ministry in a month.Kazuaki Kawabata, 57-year-old former director general for international affairs at the education ministry, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of receiving bribes in the form of being wined and dined by a consulting firm executive in return for providing a favor to his firm.Prosecutors suspect former consulting firm executive Koji Taniguchi, 47, already arrested and indicted for alleged complicity in another bribery scandal involving a different senior education ministry official, provided 1.4 million yen ($12,600) worth of meals and drinks to Kawabata between 2015 and 2017.Kawabata was on loan at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at the time and was in a position to evaluate the agency's business contracts.Kawabata allegedly helped Taniguchi invite astronaut Satoshi Furukawa to an event at Tokyo Medical University in November 2016 among other favors he offered him, according to sources close to the matter.Furukawa was allegedly asked by the former chairman of the university's board of regents, Masahiko Usui, about whether the astronaut could take part in the event, they said.Taniguchi bribed Kawabata by wining and dining him more than 10 times, the sources said, adding that Kawabata and Taniguchi have denied the allegations.Other sources said the education ministry bureaucrat is also suspected of receiving taxi vouchers from the consulting firm executive.Earlier in the month, another education ministry bureaucrat, Futoshi Sano, 59, and the former official of Tokyo Medical University were indicted for bribery.Sano, former director general of the ministry's science and technology bureau, allegedly helped the university get selected for the ministry's funding program in return for securing the enrollment of his son at the school.Taniguchi is suspected of bringing Sano and Usui together.The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology was preparing to set up a third-party committee to investigate the suspected bribery involving Sano, but the minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said the plan will be postponed in the wake of Kawabata's arrest.© KYODONo mistake, ‘greed-is-good’ capitalism is devouring science, not driving it.Education, since the dawn of the industrial revolution, has been in danger of being devoured.For one semester, even while I was an Associate Professor at Jissen Women’s College, I took a leave of absence and attended open-classes as a student at a rival institution, Showa Women’s College. Among the courses I took, one was taught by a professor and employee of the central Ministry of Education (For about 7 years, I also used to be one of 2 or 3 native English speaking informants as textbook proofreaders and cultural advisors for the Ministry 平成17年4月文部科学省教科用図書検定調査審議会専門委員（平成23年3月迄). His course was about the history of Public Education in Japan.The Japanese public education system is based on England’s Victorian era education, which in turn was based on the structure and heuristics of two other institutions at that time … the penal system and the military. A liberal arts education was largely reserved for the elite ruling class.That’s a pretty grim hint as to the traditional ways in which large populations are ‘managed’ through capitalist values.Tied up with education, racial equality is in danger of being devoured … DeVos Doesn’t Believe that Promoting Racial Diversity in Schools Is a Worthwhile Cause.That military thing of ‘corruption’ through replacing one value with a lower value can be found in the outsourcing of the U.S. government’s accountability in warfare. Blackwater Protection was and still is, a convenient excuse for the U.S. government’s plausible deniability. But I guess the ancient Roman army did the same thing with ‘barbarian’ mercenaries long before capitalism was a gleam in Adam Smith’s eye.And as hinted earlier, the penal system — in private, for-profit hands?For the CEOs … the more inmates, the merrier. And throw away the keys. There is no financial incentive for rehabilitation.As for U.S. Public Health policy? Outside of the U.S., the laughing stock of the ‘developed’ world. Inside, a crying shame.That alone is enough to make me question the distinction between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ as an arrogant conceit. A more accurate distinction between countries might better be found along a sliding scale of institutionally sanctioned, legalized corruption.Personal health care costs account for the single greatest cause of family bankruptcy in the U.S. On the the other hand, a cozy little group of insurance company executives and Big-Pharma CEOs can afford another private jet or island retreat.For the personally ambitious, there is big money to be made off of sickness, infirmity, and death.And those ‘closed-door’ international trade talks are closed for good reason.For example, one of the conditions of the TPP was that medical products banned in the U.S. could be used in countries with less economic leverage, and any claims from citizens of those countries regarding health or environmental degradation will not be subject to that country’s laws or judicial system. The multi-national corporation will have the right to regulate, judge, and penalize themselves … as they wish, or not, and citizens of those economically marginalized countries, democratic or not, will have no say in the matter.Even elected politicians are not privy to all of the information in those closed-door trade talks.Anyone here old enough to remember Perestroika or Glasnost?Evidently, ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander’ does not apply to Capitalist management.It just goes on and on.One. Horror. Show. After. Another.I would say the loss of ‘democracy’ to the corruption of money should be among the least of our worries.Yanis is brilliant, full stop.Spot-on analysis.And compared to reading Piketty’s massive tome, a lot easier to listen to.Besides, I think his barber is doing a great job.I am just weighing in because of his observations from about 1:10 of the YouTube video above — when he explains how the Chinese economic system may be more humane than the U.S. counterparts. The local governments may allow somewhat more freedom than the national government, and individuals may be arguably just as free to follow, ignore, or game the system as their American counterparts.This is the same in Japan, For now.But as we are seeing in the U.S. now, the authoritarian dynamics could change overnight, and I assume the same could be said for China.Japanese scientists are worried about the same thing — Japanese scientists call for boycott of military research. But that is already old news. Japan is well under way in following the U.S.’s model of tax funded research at M.I.T. being funneled into Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.I think it was only three or four years ago, that Tokyo University was bringing out damage control PR in denying they were involved in military related research. Things have changed in a very short time. … Scientists and defense research | The Japan Times——————————————In any country, the socially progressive left will always be less united than the right. It's like trying to herd cats ... or order a jazz musician to follow a note for note transcription of a military marching band score.IMHO, the above observation points to something fundamentally contradictory about human nature.As a social primate, we do pretty well in small communities with empathy-driven morality. Of course even small groups can be led by bullies, and many a spouse has suffered at the hand of their 'beloved'.But when we become herding primates, probably anything larger than Dunbar’s Number, and guided by a rule-driven morality (or algorithm), it is just a matter of time before we become self-destructive swarming primates ... that 'Tower of Babel' thingy.I guess part of it is because large populations necessarily become hierarchically institutionalized, and therefore dependent on a rule-driven (legal/logical based - not empathy based) morality.But when empathy is no longer the basis for morality, the 'Dark Triad' personality types are most able to take advantage of the inevitable gap between empathy and rules ... the narcissists, machiavellian opportunists, and psychopaths among us.You know … your boss.(kudos to Alan Louis)Altruists become relegated to fools ... Diogenes carrying a lantern in the daylight, looking for an honest man.Diogenes … my hero, the template for ‘pro-social trolling’ … and the capitalist in me is wondering if I can get a copyright on that phrasing ;-)Compared to more egalitarian communities which are small enough for us to acknowledge and recognize each other as unique individuals, large populations and accompanying institutions simply provide too many niche opportunities for those dark-triad types to rise to the top.It might be useful to think of the ratio of dark-triads to altruists in a hierarchy as similar to the increase of surface area to volume of any structure as it increases in size.This surface area to volume ration, as biologists understand, is a salient variable which limits the size of living things.Surface Area to Volume Ratio - OBEN Science 7EAnd to extend the metaphor, as the surface area of hierarchies expand in proportion to the volume of its limited natural resources (can’t outsource costs and losses forever ya know), those dark-triad vampires, also proportionally increase to the point that those behavior traits become the dominant culture of the institution.Hmmm … the capitalist in me wondering if I should coin the above observation in the domain of social sciences as ‘Martin’s Law’. Or in the spirit of open source … ‘more like guidelines’.No matter what 'fool-proof' system is in place, those dark-triad types will suck the human capital dry, siphoning all resources into their own gated communities, until inevitably, 'too big to fail', fails, like a dinosaur collapsing under its own weight.'Housing loan crisis', 'Lehman Shock', the Great Wall Street crash of the ‘20’s ... a stinkweed by any other name would smell as rank. Alas, were it just restricted to smell.2012, what we ‘learned’ — Fukushima reactor meltdown was a man-made disaster, says official report.As a former Comparative Culture teacher, I should say a bit about how Japan Inc. parses ‘human error’ and ‘man-made’ disasters. Imagine a wide range of meanings ranging from an ‘honest mistake’ at one extreme, and getting caught doing what hierarchical social primates are primed to do … ‘gaming the system for personal advantage’ at the other extreme.Those two terms conveniently cover the gamut.Well hey, it’s the Fourth of July, 2018, and following good pedagogic practice, let’s see if, indeed we ‘learned’ anything.Just 3 stories today is enough to say it all …1 — Nuclear watchdog OKs restart of aging Ibaraki nuclear plant hit by tsunamiPhoto: REUTERS file(Read it while it’s ‘hot’ folks, to aid our short collective memories, Japan Today will typically delete the article from its archives in a week or so, so I have it copy-pasted for any future readers interested, assuming there is a future.)Yours truly, as an English teacher at the Tokai Mura nuclear power plant - before.And after?Can’t really say. Like the weather and earthquakes, that will be up to the Watchdog Committee’s official stamp of approval.2 — Japan oks ambitious nuke energy target plutonium reuse plan — Japan on Tuesday approved an energy plan that sets ambitious targets for nuclear energy use and sustains a struggling program for spent-fuel recycling despite setbacks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.(But praise the lord we have government officials and Watchdog Committees!)3 — Senior education ministry official arrested over bribery — Tokyo prosecutors on Wednesday arrested a high-ranking Japan education ministry official on a bribery charge, suspecting he granted a research subsidy to a medical school in exchange for admitting his child as a student.Oops.Might as well add another few for good measure …(edit July 7, point 4, because of the relevance to points 1 and 2)4 — 5.9-magnitude quake felt in Tokyo, no tsunami warning. I felt that one. ALL of Tokyo felt it … and for close to 30 seconds.Mother nature couldn’t give a f.f. for the government’s official approval of where and when the next temblor will be permitted. But money-driven authoritarianism and mother nature have never been on good speaking terms, much less happily wedded.5 — Fukuoka's 'guest teachers' of English outstay their welcome. — After 36 year years of studying and teaching here, I found out the hard way that Japanese work contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. And this is not restricted to lay-teachers … Cautionary tale: Bern on how no protections against harassment in Japan’s universities targets NJ regardless of Japan savviness and skill levelHaving worked in American and Japanese Universities, high schools, and volunteered at kindergartens, I know a little bit about education. Now, having resigned in protest from a tenured Associate Professor position (qualifications here … Steven Martin, I am forced to pick up odd jobs at universities, but not as a professor — though still desperately trying to hang on to my identity as an educator, following its best, subversive to authority, liberal arts tradition. Now working for a subcontractor, likely similar to those mentioned above in the Fukuoka article.I have a contract here before me, that I will not sign. It makes no mention of accountability to the students who educators should be serving.Educational content and pedagogy have been boiled down to little more than economic constraints and opportunities. Just like any other business, everything is based on the bottom-line.Now with falling demographics and numbers of Japanese students to draw on, the overabundance of ‘educational institutes’ are forced to accept anyone who can breathe, and now an increasing number of the young and restless from China and Southeast Asia. This makes for some interesting cross-cultural possibilities.But it is an extra pedagogical burden on those who speak only Japanese and English, and these outsourcing companies are choosing teachers whose main qualification is ‘they look foreign, speak English, and are desperate enough for money to just sign on the dotted line and follow orders’.I try to make do.Here is a sketch done in my English class last week, by a speaker who maybe can say ‘Hello, how are you today?’ — yet she could visualize and understand Plato’s Allegory of the Cave better than most American counterparts. Bright girl.The ‘most recent comment’ under the following YouTube link describes how I got their attention last week, kept it, built on it .., and enjoyed a blast from the past.As bad as my situation is, still can’t pay the rent, it could be worse.6 — Japan’s open to foreign workers. Just don’t call them immigrants … The latest LDP plan is to open the door to 500,000 low-skilled, kkk workers (no not Jeff Sessions and company), the 3k jobs are kienai, kitsui, and kikken (dirty, hard, and dangerous) — jobs that anyone tries to avoid, but dirt-poor immigrants see as opportunity. There are just two teensy-weensy conditions to the special 5 year visas (10 years if language skills are up to snuff).• There is no legal path beyond the expiration date of that visa allowing for immigration or naturalization. When that visa expires, the worker has no choice. They MUST return to their native country.• If the 5 year or 10 year worker has a spouse or kids, even those immediate family members will not be allowed into Japan. All human needs will be taken care of by the Japanese company they work for.‘Special work visas’? I would call that a legal euphemism for ‘human trafficking’.It appears that Japan Inc. is hell bent on using hidden labor to build the infrastructure catering to the wealthy visitors who come to ‘do’ Japan. Not so different from Qatar, the UAE, and other oil rich sultanates.(edit) Today’s morning headline in Japan Today … https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-firms-used-foreign-trainees-at-fukushima-cleanup-reportsI have saved the above to hard disc because as per policy, that website typically deletes its articles a week or two after posting it. No wonder we fail to learn from history … we are not allowed to even make a collective memory. So for anyone who wants the details of the article above (which are few — even the guilty companies were not named), I have saved the article to hard disc. And again, that title …4 firms made foreign trainees do Fukushima decontamination workYokoso (welcome to) Japan … tourists and ‘trainees’ alike.Japan’s 4th of July headlines is one for the record books … to hell in a hand basket. A big one.————————————So class, what have we learned since that 2012 official government report?Hmm. Something about a dead parrot?More like a whole menagerie — George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' in a nutshell.Credit: Carl Glover via FlickrJust a guess, but those 'dark triad' types probably make up between 1 and 5 percent of any population.But even among the remaining, more typical, members of ours species, Hannah Arendt .... and then later the behavioral psychologists Solomon Asch (conformity experiment), Stanley Milgram (experiment in obedience), and Philip Zimbardo (the malleability of identity in the Stanford Prison experiment) pointed out how easily even the average Joe Blow's behavior can be manipulated with relatively light touches of authoritarianism.Noam Chomsky in 'Manufacturing Consent', and later later Naomi Klein in 'The Shock Doctrine', shows us some blueprints. Antony Loewenstein is showing how this is playing out down under with Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe.And William Blum shows us some of the gut-ugly details in Killing Hope.A couple of yeas ago, Stephen Hawking wrote an editorial for The Guardian saying This is the most dangerous time for our planet ... implying we will either make it to Mars and exploit its resources, or destroy ourselves in a final malthusian meltdown over the remaining resources on earth.An increasing number of STEM specialists believe we may have already passed a species-ending tipping point.Chomsky, in his 2010 Chapel Hill speech, 'Human intelligence and the environment’ began that speech with a couple of paragraphs referring to the debate between Carl Sagan and Ernst Mayr regarding the probability of intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos. Predictably, and sensibly, Sagan argued for the probability, on statistical chance alone.But Mayr gave a surprisingly sensible counter-argument from an evolutionary biologist's point of view. The biological record indicates an average of about 100,000 years for the shelf life of an apex (dominant) species ... and we are at about that point.Mayr said that while there is probably life out there, it is not likely to have a human-like intelligence. He went on to further imply that human intelligence is not the apex of evolution — it is merely one of many tools for the survival of a social primate.But worse, he suspects human intelligence is more likely a fatal mutation. An evolutionary spandrel at best.The more I observe of our swarming, self-destructive nature, the more I tend to agree with Mayr.

Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र, ISO 15919: Mahārāṣṭra)[1][2]Basic StatsMaharashtra is India’s 3rd largest state by area and 2nd largest population. It is also the world’s 2nd most populous country division (sub-national entity). It is India’s largest state economy. It is also India’s 3rd most urbanised state, with 45% population living in urban areas.[3][4][5][6][7][8]Forest Cover —The state forest area is about ~20% of the state’s are but has shown slight decrease between 2015–2017. {Please note forest cover in India also includes plantations}[9]HDI —The state has 15th highest HDI among all states and UTs at 0.659 (medium HDI)[10]Crime stats —The state ranks at 13th among all states and UTs in terms of rank based on crime rate. Its rank based on % share of incidences is 3rd. [NCRB report 2016][11]In terms of crime against women, the state’s rank has been 13th according to crime rate, while its rank based on % share is 3rd. [NCRB report 2016]It recorded the 10th highest suicide rate in India at 14.2 suicides per 1 lakh people [NCRB Report 2015][12]It unfortunately ranks at 10th in terms of crime rate 4th in terms of % share of number incidences of human trafficking among states and UTs for which data was available. [NCRB Report on Human Trafficking 2016][13]Literacy and Education —As per Census 2011, the state recorded ~83% literacy which is higher than national rate, and therefore ranks at 12th among all states and UTs. It also recorded the lowest female literacy rate. [Census 2011][14]It recorded the 11th lowest Gross Enrollment Ratio (enrollment of children between 6–13 years in school) among all states and UTs. [Statistics of School Education- 2010-11 published by MHRD][15]Health —The state recorded the 4th highest life expectancy at birth (tied with Punjab and Himachal) among all states and UTs for which data was available, ~71 years which is lower than national average [HDI Report of United Nations Development Programme - 2011][16]The state ranks 12th in effective coverage of supplementary nutrition programme for children [Report on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) published by Planning Commission (GoI) in 2011][17]With regards to access to clean drinking water, it ranks 15th among the states and UTs, and the percentage of households having clean water access at ~83% is lower than the national average of 85.5%.[18]It recorded the 9th highest number of institutional deliveries among all states and UTs with ~90% children delivered in hospitals in 2015–16. [National Family Health Survey of 2015-16][19]It ranks at 20th among all states with regards to vaccination coverage. [National Family Health Survey 2015–16]It recorded among the high incidence of obesity, ranking at 9th for both males and females among all states and UTs. At the same time, it ranks at 14th and 11th for males and females respectively for number of underweight people. [National Family Health Survey 2005–06]Economy —It is India’s largest economy in terms of GSDP and 11th largest in terms of GDP per capita.[20][21][22]It recorded 9th lowest unemployment among all states and UTs with ~4.9% population unemployed as of 2017–18. [Labour Force Survey 2017–18][23]It recorded highest tax revenues among all states (with Delhi included) for 2010–15 [Report of 13th Finance Commission 2010–15]It ranked at 13th among the states and UTs for ease of doing business in 2018.Protected AreasBhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary[24]This sanctuary, situated Sahyadri, is rich in biodiversity, notably Indian Giant squirrel, the state animal of Maharashtra and one of the 3 threatened Indo-Malayan squirrel species. The sanctuary also harbors common langur, rhesus macaques and wild boars.Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Marathi: राधानगरी वन्यजीव अभयारण्य)[25]It is notable as the first declared wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra, notified in 1958, as Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary and is popularly known as the "Bison Sanctuary" since gaur (bos gaurus) is the flagship species of the sanctuary. It is a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site.Unfortunately, National Highway 116 passes through the centre of the sanctuary, which endangers wildlife to dangers of passing traffic, including death due to collisions or trampling by vehicles.Source: File:Radhanagari 1.jpg - WikipediaSanjay Gandhi National Park (formerly Borivali National Park)[26][27]SGNP is one of the most visited national parks in the world, lying near Mumbai and one the few protected areas lying in a major metropolis limit. The park is relatively small (~87km[math]^2[/math]) but still houses a small leopard population [Leopards need a large area to effectively survive] → This unfortunately means conflicts between leopards and humans are a huge issue, resulting in deaths of leopards that venture into Mumbai quite often.Source: File:Entrance of Sanjay Gandhi National Park.JPG - WikipediaEducation and LiteracyHigher Education:Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University[28][29] —The 1st liberal arts women’s university in South Asia, this university was established in 1916 by Dhondo Keshav Karve[30]. It is headquartered in Churchgate, South Mumbai, Mumbai.Source: File:SNDT Women's Uni LOGO.png - WikipediaCollege of Engineering, Pune (COEP)[31][32]COEP is the 3rd oldest engineering college in India, established in 1854. The college's study model was referred to, in the early 1950s, as "Poona Model". National Institute Ranking Framework ranked the 45th among the engineering institutes in India.[33] The college is affiliated to Savitribai Phule University.Source: File:College of Engineering, Pune logo.jpg - WikipediaGovernment Polytechnic, Nagpur[34][35]It is one of the oldest polytechnic institutes in India, established in 1914.The institute was awarded World Bank assisted Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP) through competitive bidding and received ₹ 2.55 crores. It received ISTE Narsee Monjee award for overall Best Performance in 1996 and Best Polytechnic award of Government of Maharashtra in 1997.Source: File:Government polytechnic nagpur government polytechnic sadar nagpur logo.jpglogo.jpg - WikipediaDeccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune[36][37]Established on 6 October 1821 as Hindoo College, it is one of the oldest institutions of modern learning in India. It was started under Mountstuart Elphinstone (Lt. Governor of Bombay Presidency), with funds diverted from the erstwhile Peshwa's Dakshina Fund, later disbursed by Khanderao Dabhade after Territories of Peshwa were annexed in 1818.Deccan College temporarily shut down its teaching activities in 1934 due to lack of funding. It was reopened by order of Bombay High Court on 17 August 1939 as a post-graduate and research institute for promoting higher learning and research in Indology and Social Sciences. The re-opened institute originally had 4 teaching and research departments: archaeology, linguistics, history, and sociology-anthropology. The college now also has lexicography and Sanskrit departments.Source: File:Deccan College Pune seal.png - WikipediaIndian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai[38][39]The 2nd IIT to be established (in 1958) with assistance from UNESCO and funds provided by Soviet Union, it currently has a 15 academic departments, 20 centres, a school of excellence and 4 interdisciplinary programs with the institute scoring the highest on academic and employer reputation, and is widely regarded as one of the best colleges to study in India.Source: File:IIT Bombay color logo.png - Wikipedia→ Powai Lake [Source: File:Powai Lake, April 2012.JPG - Wikipedia]Research and Development:Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)[40][41] —BARC is India’s premiere atomic research centre, established in 1954 founded by Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha, the founder of India’s atomic research programme.BARC is a multi-disciplinary research centre with extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development covering the entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas. Its core mandate is to sustain peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation. It manages all facts of nuclear power generation, from theoretical design of reactors to computerised modelling and simulation, risk analysis, development and testing of new reactor fuel materials, etc. It also conducts research in spent fuel processing, and safe disposal of nuclear waste and applications for isotopes in industries, medicine, agriculture, etc. It operates many research reactors across the country.It is a constituent R&D centre under Homi Bhabha National Institute[42], a deemed university under Department of Atomic Energy.Source: File:Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.svg - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bhabha_Atomic_Research_Centre.svg)National Defence Academy[43][44]→ NDA Insignia [Source: File:NDA Insignia-1956.gif - Wikipedia] — the insignia shows the insignia of all 3 armed forces and the national emblemNDA, located in Khadakwasla, Pune, is the Joint Services academy of Indian Armed Forces, engaged in training the cadets of all 3 services before they go on to respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training. It is the 1st tri-service academy in the world. The academy offers only a full-time, residential undergraduate programme wherein the cadets are Bachelors degree after 3 years.→ A 1999 stamp dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the National Defence Academy, featuring its Sudan Block → Sudan Block was constructed from the monetary gift received from Sudan government in 1941 in light of Indian troops contribution in its liberation.[45] [Source: File:National Defence Academy 1999 stamp.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Sudan Block [Source: File:National Defence Academy Sudan Block.jpg - Wikipedia]Museums:Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar[46]It is a military museum established by Armored Corps Centre and School in February 1994. The older exhibits date to World War I vintage and served on the battlefields of Cambrian Somme and Flanders. A large number of vehicles are from World War II period.→ Rolls-Royce Armoured Car — the museum’s oldest exhibit [Source: File:Ahmednagar Cavalry Tank Museum Rolls Royce Armoured Car.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Sexton self-propelled artillery (Canadian) [Source: File:Ahmednagar Cavalry Tank Museum Sexton Haubitze.JPG - Wikipedia]Economy[47]Maharashtra is India's leading industrial state contributing 13% of national industrial output and ~46% of the GSDP is contributed by industry. Maharashtra has software parks in many cities, and is the 2nd largest exporter of software with annual exports over ₹80,000 crores.[48] Although highly industrialized, agriculture continues to be the main occupation in many regions of the state with more than half of the population being employed in agriculture and allied activities.[49]It is India’s most industrialized state and a pioneer in small scale industries. It has the largest proportion of taxpayers in India[50] and its share markets transact almost 70 per cent of the country's stocks.Mumbai has the highest share of GSDP and is also the financial capital of the country. The main commercial hubs of the state are Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade and Bandra-Kurla complex.Agriculture:Most of the cultivable land in the state in largely rain-fed and dependent on Southwest monsoon. The state has the largest number of dams in India, built to facilitate irrigation and reduce rain dependency, although the irrigated area is still ~16% of the cultivable land in the state.Food crops and Cash crops—Principal food crops include jowar (Great Millet; Sorghum bicolor), bajra (Pearl Millet; Pennisetum glaucum), finger millet, wheat, pulses, vegetables and onions. Konkan coast receives relatively high rainfall, and therefore has areas of rice cultivation.The main cash crops are cotton (tree cotton; Gossypium arboreum)[51], sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), turmeric (Curcuma longa), oilseeds like groundnut, soybean and sunflower etc.The state also has huge areas under fruit cultivation, with main fruits being mango, pomegranate, bananas, grapes and oranges.Nagpur Orange[52] is a GI tagged variety of orange grown in Nagpur.Nashik alone contributes to more than half of India’s grape production. Nashik grape[53] variety is a GI tagged product.Mahabaleshwar accounts for ~85% strawberry production in India, and Mahabaleshwar strawberry[54] is also a GI tagged product.Marine fish production —With a relatively long coastline, Maharashtra is a leading fish producer in India with major fish landing centres being New Ferry Wharf, Sassoon Dock and Versova, situated in Mumbai metropolitan area.Agricultural Cooperative Societies[55]Maharashtra was the pioneer in development of Agricultural Cooperative Societies in post-independence period. A ‘special’ status was accorded to the sugar cooperatives and the government assumed the role of a mentor by acting as a stakeholder, guarantor and regulator. Cooperatives play a crucial role in dairy, cotton, and fertilizer industries.Industries:Maharashtra contributes to ~25% of the country’s industrial output with industries being concentrated in 4 districts — Mumbai suburban, Mumbai city, Thane and Pune districts.Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation[56] provides businesses with infrastructure such as land (open plot or built-up spaces), roads, water supply, drainage facilities and street lights.→ MIDC logo [Source: File:Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (logo).jpg - Wikipedia]HeadquartersPublic Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Government Enterprises —Mumbai houses the headquarters of important financial institutions like Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is also headquartered in Mumbai and operates a refinery off its coast called Mumbai Refinery. Indian Rare Earths Limited[57], a government owned enterprise specialising in commercial exploration and mining of heavy minerals is headquartered in Mumbai, although most of its commercial activities outside Maharashtra.Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, India’s 1st public sector drug manufacturing company is headquartered in Pimpri suburb of Pune.Private Corporations —Mumbai houses headquarters of numerous Indian and multinational companies — Tata Group (the headquarters is called Bombay House[58]), Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Godrej Group, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Mahindra Group, JSW Group, RPG Group etc. Most of the subsidiaries of Tata Group are also headquartered in Mumbai — Tata Chemicals, Tata Power, Tata AIG, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Capital, Tata Motors, Tata Teleservices, Tata Starbucks (joint venture).Pune houses national headquarters of Atos corporation, Ferrero SpA, Honeywell Automation, Mercedes-Benz, LG Electronics and Volkswagen as well as global headquarters of Cybage, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Sterlite Techologies and Tech Mahindra. Bajaj Allianz, Bajaj Finserv and Bajaj Auto are also headquartered in Pune.→ Volkswagen India Plant in Pune [Source: File:Volkswagen India Private Limited Pune Office-plant 1338.jpg - Wikipedia]Manufacturing:Manufacturing is mostly concentrated in Pune and Mumbai.According to Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Pune is the single largest hub for German companies for the last 60 years. More than 225 German companies have set up their businesses in Pune.[59]Automobile Manufacturing —Bajaj Auto, the world’s largest 3-wheeler manufacturer and a leading 2-wheeler manufacturer has its headquarters Pune. It has 2 manufacturing plants in Pune - in Chakan and Akurdi, the latter being its oldest plant. Another plant is in Waluj, Aurangabad.Pune has manufacturing plants belonging to KTM Sportmotorcycles, India Kawasaki Motors, Kinetic engineering, Vespa scooters, Ssangyong Motor Company, Tata Motors, Mercedez-Benz Passenger Cars, Fiat Automobiles, Jeep India, Volkwagen India, General Motors India, Premier Automobiles Limited, Force Motors, MAN Trucks India, Piaggio Vehicles etc.Pharmaceutical Manufacturing —Serum Institute of India[60], the world’s 5th largest vaccines producer by volume has a plant as well as headquarters in Pune.Information Technology Industry:IT Industry in Maharashtra in mainly concentrated, again, in Pune and Mumbai.Pune is the location of Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjawadi, a ₹600-billion project by MIDC. It houses more than 800 IT companies. IT companies are also located in Magarpatta (a privately owned gated community) and Kharda suburb of Pune.Movie Industry:Mumbai is the core of both Hindi movie industry[61] and Marathi movie industry[62]. Marathi cinema is the oldest and one of the pioneer film industries of India. Hindi movie industry is the largest component of India’s movie industry comprising 43% of Indian net box-office revenue.India’s 1st full-length feature film - Raja Harishchandra (1913)[63] directed by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke[64] - was a part of Marathi cinema; this makes Marathi cinema India’s oldest cinema. The movie Harishchandrachi Factory (2009) shows Dhundhiraj Phalke’s struggle in making his 1913 movie.India’s 1st talkie (sound movie) was the Hindi movie Alam Ara (1931)[65]. In 1932, the 1st Marathi talkie Ayodhyecha Raja[66] was released — it was also double-versioned in Hindi, making it India’s 1st double-version talkie.Thee Marathi movie Sairandhri (1933) produced by V Shantaram was the 1st movie to have color scenes, the scenes being processed and produced in Germany. The Hindi movie Kisan Kanya (1937)[67] was India’s 1st indigenously produced color movie.→ Dhundhiraj Phalke [Source: File:Phalke.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Publicity poster of Raja Harishchandra [Source: File:Publicity poster for film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).jpg - Wikipedia]→ Theatrical release poster of Alam Ara [Source: File:Alam Ara poster, 1931.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Still from Ayodhyecha Raja [Source: File:Ayodhyecha Raja, 1932 Marathi film, India.jpg - Wikipedia]Transport[68]{See:Public transport in Mumbai - Wikipedia,Mumbai Urban Transport Project - Wikipedia,Taxis in India - Wikipedia}Roadways:Maharashtra has India’s largest road network at 267,452 km. The length of National Highways in Maharashtra is 4688 km.Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation[69][70] —MSRTC, founded in 1948 as Bombay State RTC and renamed in 1960, provides bus services to Maharashtra and to its adjoining states. It is headquartered in Mumbai. MSRTC is operating a fleet of ~18,500 buses that ferry ~6.7 million passengers daily.MSRTC has in-house workshops in Dapodi, Aurangabad and Nashik to work on Ashok-Leyland and Tata chassis to produce Ordinary, Parivartan, Asiad and City Buses — These workshops produce as many as 20,000 buses per year on average. It also has 9 tyre retreading plants and 32 divisional workshops.Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)[71][72] —It is a civic transport and electricity provider public body based in Mumbai. It uses CNG and diesel buses, operating a fleet of more than 3000 single and double-decker buses. BEST bus routes are spread citywide and to neighboring cities.→ Single decker bus made Tata [Source: File:Best cbd wad.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Double decker bus made by Ashok-Leyland [Source: Mumbai’s double-decker buses cross a milestone]Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT)[73] operates AC buses made by Volvo from Navi Mumbai to Bandra, Dadar & Borivali, Thane, Bhiwandi and non AC buses from Navi Mumbai to Mulund (East and West).Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT)[74] operates buses in Kalyan and Dombivli, Bhiwandi and to areas in Navi Mumbai.Thane Municipal Transport (TMT)[75] operates their buses from Thane to Mulund, Borivali, Kurla, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Andheri, Navi Mumbai (Panvel, Uran etc.), Bhiwandi, Kalyan Dombivli and Mira Bhayandar etc.Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT)[76] operates their buses from Mira-Bhayandar in Thane district to Jogeshwari and Borivali.Vasai-Virar Municipal Transport (VVMT)[77] operates their buses from Vasai-Virar in Palghar district to Mulund, Thane, and Bhivandi.Railways:The 1st passenger train in India ran from Mumbai to Thane on 16 April 1853.The state has a railway network spanning ~5,983 km between 5 railways —Central Railway[78] headquartered in Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, MumbaiWestern Railway[79] headquartered in Churchgate, MumbaiSouth East Central Railway[80] through its Nagpur(South East Central) divisionSouth Central Railway[81] through its Nanded divisionKonkan Railway[82] headquartered in CBD Belavadi in Navi Mumbai→ Topological map of Mumbai's public transport system [Source: File:Rapid transit map of Mumbai.jpg - Wikipedia]Metro Railways —Mumbai Metro[83][84] serves Mumbai Metropolitan Area. It is owned by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority[85].Line 1[86] of the system is operated by Metro One Operation Private Limited (MOOPL) and is completely elevated as of present. All other lines of the system are currently under construction or planned. It is being constructed to provide rapid transit capability and easing the burden of Mumbai Suburban Railway.→ Mumbai Metro Logo [Source: File:Mumbai Metro Line 1 logo.png - Wikipedia]Nagpur Metro[87][88] serves Nagpur. It is operated by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) aka MAHA-METRO. It currently has1 operational line and 1 under construction line.Currently proposed/under construction networks are Nashik Metro (Metro NEO), Pune Metro and Navi Mumbai Metro.Mumbai Suburban Railway —Mumbai Suburban Railway is Asia’s oldest passenger railway system. It is operated by Western Railways and Central Railways.UTSOnMobile app allows users to book tickets on the entire network. In July 2015, an update for the app was launched, which made e-tickets acceptable. The update also brought technical changes, like, the tickets could be booked only within a radius of 30m- 5 km of the origin station, and not from the platform.Due to its extensive reach across Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and its intensive use by the local urban population, it suffers from the most severe overcrowding in the world. Over 4,500 passengers are packed into a 12-car or 15-car rake during peak hours, as against the rated carrying capacity of around 2,000. This has resulted in what is known as Super-Dense Crush Load of 14 to 16 standing passengers/m[math]^2[/math] of floor space.[89] On average, ~2,000 people die annually on Mumbai Suburban Rail network; between 2002 and 2012, more than 36,152 people died and 36,688 people were injured.[90]→ White and purple coloured MRVC Siemens rakes on the Western Line [Source: File:Mumbai Train.JPG - Wikipedia]Mumbai Monorail[91] —→ Logo [Source: File:Mumbai MonoRail Logo.svg - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mumbai_MonoRail_Logo.svg)]Mumbai Monorail is the only currently operational monorail system in India.[92] It started operation in 2014, and as of 2019 is the 6th largest monorail system in the world. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is its owner.Currently, only Line 1[93] is operational. Further development of the monorail system is on hold, and questions have been raised as to whether the proposed monorail corridors will have sufficient capacity to meet Mumbai's requirements.→ Train arriving in station [Source: File:MumbaiMonorailInsideStation 01.jpg - Wikipedia]Waterways:Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB)[94] is tasked with the administration of ports and harbours, conservancy, licensing of crafts, levying of fees, regulation and control of traffic.In Mumbai, water transport consists of ferries, catamarans and less frequently, hovercrafts. MMB granted permission to a private operator to begin regular ferry services from Mora jetty in Uran to Gharapuri in 2017.Maharashtra has 2 major ports — Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Mumbai Port.Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva)[95][96] —The largest container port in India, it is located in Navi Mumbai on Arabian Sea’s coast. It is also the terminal of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, a broad gauge freight corridor under construction by Indian Railways. It handles more than half of the container cargo across all major ports in India. Major exports from the port are textiles, sporting goods, carpets, textile machinery, boneless meat, chemicals and pharmaceuticals while the main imports are chemicals, machinery, plastics, electrical machinery, vegetable oils, aluminium and other non-ferrous metals.→ View of JNP [Source: File:JNPT Port container handling.jpg - Wikipedia]Mumbai Port [97][98] —Mumbai Port, lying in a natural harbour in Mumbai is administered by Mumbai Port Trust autonomous corporation of Indian government. The port is primarily used for bulk cargo. It is an old port, being used by navies of Marathas, Portuguese and British, and has its 1st dock built in 1870s.Airways:Almost all major cities in Maharashtra are connected by airports.The largest of the airports are operated by Airports Authority of India (AAI)[99] — International airports include Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, Pune International Airport, Nashik International Airport and and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur. Domestic airports include Juhu Airport and Aurangabad Airport.Reliance Airports Development Private Limited (RADPL)[100] operates 5 non-metro airports on 95 year lease basis — Latur, Nanded, Baramati, Osmanabad and Yavatmal.Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC)[101] was set up in 2002 to take up development of airports in the state that are not under the AAI or the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). MADC is playing the lead role in the planning and implementation of the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN)[102] project.Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport[103][104] —The primary international airport serving Mumbai Metropolitan Area, it is the 2nd busiest airport in India and busiest in Maharashtra based on passenger traffic. It is also the 14th busiest airport in Asia and 28th busiest in the world.Along with IGI Delhi, it was adjudged the "World's Best Airport" at Airport Service Quality Awards 2017 in the highest category of airports handling more than 40 million passengers annually by Airports Council International.[105] It has also won the "Best Airport in India and Central Asia" award at the Skytrax 2016 World Airport Awards.[106] It is one of the 3 airports in India to have implemented Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) to ensure timely takeoffs and landings.[107]Juhu Aerodrome a.k.a. Mumbai-Juhu Airport[108] —Built in Juhu suburb of Mumbai, it was founded in 1928 as India's 1st civil aviation airport and witnessed JRD Tata inaugurating India's 1st scheduled commercial mail service in 1932.Juhu Aerodrome has 2 operational runways and is run by the Airports Authority of India. It is used as a heliport for private charters and to ferry Oil and Natural Gas Corporation personnel by carrier Pawan Hans to offshore oil rigs at Bombay High.Jal Hans[109], India's first seaplane service was launched here in 2010.ArchitectureTemples:Cave Temples —Maharashtra has a number of cave temples including Ellora, Ajanta, Elephanta (Gharpauri), Nasik caves, Aurangabad caves, Kanheri caves, Shivleni caves etc, of which I have covered Ellora caves.Ellora Caves[110], Ellora (Vērūḷ), Aurangabad district —Ellora caves is UNESCO World Heritage Site comprised of over 100 caves carved in basalt rock formation of Charanandri Hills during 600–1000 CE Rashtrakuta period. They are magnificent examples of Indian rock-cut architecture.→ Cave 11 — A 3-storied monastery cave having Vajrayana Buddhist iconography. [Source: File:Ellora, cave 11 (6359240593).jpg - Wikipedia]→ Carpenter’s cave (Cave 10) — Inside view having a stūpa in which Buddha is carved [Source: File:Ellora cave10 002.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Jagannatha Sabha (Cave 33) — It is a 2-storeyed cave with 12 massive pillars and elephant heads projecting towards a porch, all carved from a single rock. The hall has 2 heavy square pillars in front, 4 in the middle area, and a pillared interior square main hall with fluted shafts, all carved with capitals, ridges and brackets. [Source: Ellora-Cave 33-Jagannatha Sabha and Cave 34.]→ Ramesvara temple (cave 21) — Pillars with statues carved on them [Source: Ellora - Cave 21, The Ramesvara]→ Indra Sabha (Cave 32) —Temple Superstructure [Source: File:Indra Sabha Ellora Temple Maharashtra India.jpg - Wikipedia]Statue of an elephant near the cave [Source: http://indiathatwas.com/ellora-cave-32-the-indra-sabha/]Kailashnatha Temple (Cave 16)[111] : —Perhaps the most impressive of the temples carved in Ellora is Kailashnatha temple. It is a Rashtrakuta style chariot-plan temple that forms the world’s largest monolithic structure.→ Front view [Source: File:Kailasha.JPG - Wikipedia]Ashtavinayak (Marathi: अष्टविनायक, ISO 15919: Aṣṭavināyaka):[112]Ashtavinayak refers to a group of 8 temples in Maharashtra dedicated to 8 forms of Gaṇēśa — the eponymous Aṣṭavināyaka. The forms with their temples are as follows:Mayūrēśvara (Lord of Peacocks) —Mayureshwar Temple[113], Morgaon, Pune districtSiddhīvināyaka (vināyaka who gives success) — Siddhivinayak Temple[114], Siddhatek, Ahmednagar districtBallalēśvara (Lord of Ballala)— Ballaleshwar Temple[115], Pali, Raigad districtVaradavināyaka (vināyaka who gives boons) — Varadvinayak Temple[116], Mahad, Raigad districtCintāmaṅi (Jewel of thinking) — Chintamani Temple[117], Theur, Pune districtGirijātmaja (Son of daughter of mountain) — Girijatmaj Temple[118], Lenyadri, Pune districtVighnēśvara (Lord of obstacles) — Vighneshwar Temple[119], Ozar, Pune districtMahāgaṅapati (Great lord of [Śiva’s] troops) — Mahaganapati Temple[120], Ranjangaon, Pune district→ Mayureshwar Temple — Its tower features a triple notched disk top (a rarity). The tower is richly decorated with sculptures and paintingstemple tower [Source: File:Morgaon.jpg - Wikipedia]main gate [Source: File:Morgaon temple.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Siddhivinayak Temple [Source: File:Siddhi Vinayak at Siddhatek.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Ballaleshwar Temple’s tower — The tower is an octagonal stepped-pyramid like, with a single notched disk top with a spire [Source: File:Pali- Shri Ballaleshwar.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Chinatamani Temple — The tower is a 5-faceted (Pancaratha) type, havinga lotus shaped top covering a dome like structure that sports the finial. [Source: File:Shri Cintamani of Theur.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Cave 7 of Lenyadri that forms Girijatmaj temple — The caves have been carved in Lenyadri. [Source: File:Lenyadri cave 7 exterior.jpg - Wikipedia]Jyōtirlinga:[121]Jyōtirlinga are 12 Śiva temples located across India, of which 3 lie in Maharashtra (the largest number for any state)Bhimashankar Temple[122] in Pune district—This temple is dedicated to Bhīmāshankara form of Śiva.The temple is built in Nagara style, featuring a heterogenous sanctum superstructure with identical subsidiary structures arising from it (Śēkharī form). The sanctum is attached to a colonnaded flat roofed hall.While the shrine has been mentioned since 13th century CE literature, most of the temple’s present structure dates back to 18th century CE.Source: File:Bhimashankar.jpg - WikipediaSource: File:Bhimashankar temple, Maharashtra.JPG - WikipediaTryambakeshwar Temple[123] in Trimbak, Nashik district —The temple is dedicated to Tryambakēśvara form of Śiva.It is built in Hemadapanti style, featuring a Śēkharī form sanctum superstructure, with the sanctum attached to sloping roofed hall. The entrance porch, hall and superstructure have spires.Front view [Source: File:Trimbakeshwar nj.jpg - Wikipedia]Back view [Source: File:Trimbhakeshwar Temple.jpg - Wikipedia]Entrance [Source: File:Trimbakweshwar Temple Entrance.jpg - Wikipedia]Ghrishneshwar Temple[124] in Ellora, Aurangabad district —It is dedicated to Ghr̥ṣṇēśvara (Lord of compassion) form of Śiva.The temple is constructed in Hemādapantī style, with a tower having a cupolic dome top. The tower is a decorated stepped pyramid, somewhat similar to Kadamba style superstructure.It was constructed in 16th century CE and reconstructed in 18th century CE. It is the smallest of Jyōtirlinga temples.Source: File:Grishneshwar temple in Aurangabad district.jpg - WikipediaSource: File:Grishneshwar Shiva temple Maharashtra.jpg - WikipediaShree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir[125][126] in Prabhadevi, Mumbai —Dedicated to Siddhīvināyaka, it is one of the most famous temples of Mumbai.The original structure of the temple was a small brick structure with a dome top, built in 1801 CE by contractor Laxman Vithu Patil, funded by Deu Patil.In 1990, renovation of the temple commenced, the architect being Sharad Athale of SK Athale & Associates. It was built into a unique multiangular, 6-storeyed structure, surmounted with a main central gold plated spire. The other small crowns that surround it are made of gold and pañcadhātu (5 metals). 3 main entrances lead to the interior.The topmost storey houses a collection of 47 crowns — 33 small crowns of ~1m height, 3 crowns of ~2.5m height and the main crown of ~3.7m heightThe architectural details of the temple can be found here: Shree Siddhivinayak→ Source: File:Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai.jpg - WikipediaKhandoba Temple in Jejuri[127] —It is one the prime temples of Khaṇḍōbā in Maharashtra.The temple’s sanctum superstructure features a large dome surrounded by 4 towers on 4 sides — all 5 structures have urn shaped spires. The temple also features a separate tower having an onion-dome top and similar urn-shaped spires.→ Temple’s outside view [Source: Amazing Tales of Khandoba Temple in Jejuri]→ Lamp pillars of the temple [Source: Amazing Tales of Khandoba Temple in Jejuri]Forts:Murud-Janjira Fort[128] —Considered one of the strongest marine forts in India, the fort located and virtually comprising the entirety of an island off the western coast of India was constructed mainly during the reign of Siddi dynasty (Abyssinians) while the original structure was constructed by Kolis. The fort features 26 bastions and its outer walls measure 12m in height, being made of granite.Source: File:Murud Janjira Panoramic View.jpg - WikipediaSinhagad (Lion Fort)[129] —The site of Battle of Sinhagad[130], the fort was built on steep slopes to provide natural protection to its inhabitants. There are 2 gates to enter the fort, Kalyan Darwaza and Pune Darwaza which are positioned at south east and north-east ends respectively.→ Kalyan Darwaza [Source: File:Sinhagad pune.JPG - Wikipedia]Shivneri Fort on Shivneri hill[131], Junnar —It is a hill fort having a triangular shape and has its entrance from south-western side of the hill. Besides the main gate there is an entrance to the fort from side called locally as chain gate, where in one has to hold chains to climb up to the fort gate. The fort extends up to 1.6km with 7 spiral well-defended gates. There are mud walls all around the fort.Source: File:Shivneripic8.jpg - WikipediaKalavantin Durg[132] in Raigad district—Kalavantin Durg is a fort built on a ~680m high summit in Sahyadri in 15th century CE. The structure is mostly rock carved, with steps leading to it carved in the hill.→Top view showing the fort [Source: File:Kalavantin Durg.jpg - Wikipedia]Rock-cut steps leading to the fort [Source: File:Kalavantin Durg (6780448549).jpg - Wikipedia]Vijayadurg[133] (Victory Fort) in Sindhudurg district —Vijayadurg was constructed during the reign of Bhoja Shilahar II and restructured during the reign of Shivaji Bhonsle I. It is surrounded by water on all the 4 sides but connected to land through a narrow road.→ Bastions of the fort [Source: File:Bastions of vijaydurg.jpg - Wikipedia]Other monuments:Gateway of India —[134]Gateway of India is an triumphal arch type[135] monument built in 20th century CE (1915-1924) in Mughal-Gothic[136] revivalist architecture style to commemorate the visit of British monarch George V and his consort Mary of Teck earlier in 1911.The First Battalion of Somerset Light Infantry passed through this place with a 21-gun salute on 28th February 1948, signalling the end of British rule in India, being the last British troops to leave India.Front View [Source: File:Mumbai 03-2016 30 Gateway of India.jpg - Wikipedia]Aerial View [Source: File:Gateway of India aerial view.jpg - Wikipedia]Lattice work on the arches [Source: File:India Mumbai Victor Grigas 2011-7.jpg - Wikipedia]Floral motifs [Source: File:Gateway of India - 11 (Friar's Balsam Flickr).jpg - Wikipedia]Internal view of the dome [Source: File:Arch of Gateway of India.jpg - Wikipedia]Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai[137][138] —Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai refers to a collection of buildings comprising 2 types of architectural phases — Victorian Neo-Gothic buildings in late-19th century CE, and Indo-Deco (Art Deco unique to India) in early-20th century CE. These buildings were constructed around Oval Maidan (oval ground).2 waves of urban development of Mumbai in 19th and 20th centuries CE transformed the city from a fortified trading outpost to the beginning of a modern city. The 1st expansion included the construction in the 1880s of a group of Victorian Gothic public buildings and the creation of Oval Maidan. The 2nd expansion was Backbay Reclamation Scheme in early 20th century CE, which offered a new opportunity for Bombay to expand to the west with Art Deco residential, commercial and entertainment buildings and the creation of the Marine Drive sea front. Today Oval Maidan offers a spectacular ensemble of Victorian Gothic buildings on its eastern side, and another impressive ensemble of Art Deco buildings on its western side.→ Bombay High Court (बॉम्बे उच्च न्यायालय)[139] — Victorian Neo-Gothic [Source: File:Mumbai 03-2016 41 Bombay High Court.jpg - Wikipedia]→ A building of Mumbai University[140]: Victorian Neo-Gothic [Source: File:Mumbai 03-2016 37 University.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Eros Cinema Building in Churchgate: Art Deco [Source: File:ErosTheater.jpg - Wikipedia]Footnotes[1] https://www.maharashtra.gov.in/[2] Maharashtra - Wikipedia[3] List of country subdivisions by population - Wikipedia[4] Maharashtra Population 2019- Current Population in Maharashtra[5] List of states and union territories of India by population - Wikipedia[6] List of states and union territories of India by area - Wikipedia[7] http://planningcommission.gov.in/data/datatable/data_2312/DatabookDec2014%20307.pdf[8] List of Indian states and union territories by GDP - Wikipedia[9] http://fsi.nic.in/isfr2017/isfr-forest-cover-2017.pdf[10] Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab[11] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/CII/CII2016/pdfs/Table%201A.1.pdf[12] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/ADSI/ADSI2015/chapter-2%20suicides-v1.pdf[13] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/CII/CII2016/pdfs/Table%2014.1.pdf[14] http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/india/Final_PPT_2011_chapter6.pdf[15] http://indiabudget.nic.in/budget2013-2014/es2012-13/estat1.pdf[16] http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/inequality_adjusted_human_development_index_for_indias_state1.pdf[17] data.gov.in[18] data.gov.in[19] National Family Health Survey[20] List of Indian states and union territories by GDP per capita - Wikipedia[21] https://mahades.maharashtra.gov.in/files/publication/ESM_17_18_eng.pdf[22] http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/press_release/Press%20Note%20PE%202018-19-31.5.2019-Final.pdf[23] http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/Annual%20Report%2C%20PLFS%202017-18_31052019.pdf[24] Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary - Wikipedia[25] Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary - Wikipedia[26] Sanjay Gandhi National Park - Wikipedia[27] Official Website of Sanjay Gandhi National Park[28] SNDT Women's University - Wikipedia[29] Home | SNDT Women's University[30] Dhondo Keshav Karve - Wikipedia[31] College of Engineering, Pune - Wikipedia[32] Welcome to College of Engineering, Pune[33] MHRD, National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF)[34] Government Polytechnic, Nagpur - Wikipedia[35] Welcome To Government Polytechnic, Nagpur[36] Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute - Wikipedia[37] Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed University)[38] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institute_of_Technology_Bombayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institute_of_Technology_Bombay[39] IIT Bombay | IIT Bombay[40] Bhabha Atomic Research Centre - Wikipedia[41] Bhabha Atomic Research Centre ( BARC )[42] Homi Bhabha National Institute - Wikipedia[43] National Defence Academy (India) - Wikipedia[44] http://nda.nic.in/[45] East African campaign (World War II) - Wikipedia[46] Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar - Wikipedia[47] Economy of Maharashtra - Wikipedia[48] http://www.ibef.org/download/Maharashtra_060710.pdf[49] Agricultural Growth and Productivity in Maharashtra[50] More than 12.77 lakh taxpayers filed e-returns in Maharashtra[51] Gossypium arboreum - Wikipedia[52] Nagpur orange - Wikipedia[53] Nashik grape - Wikipedia[54] Mahabaleshwar strawberry - Wikipedia[55] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagpur_orangehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_Cooperative[56] Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation - Wikipedia[57] Indian Rare Earths - Wikipedia[58] Bombay House - Wikipedia[59] Pune becomes hot spot for German companies[60] Serum Institute of India - Wikipedia[61] Bollywood - Wikipedia[62] Marathi cinema - Wikipedia[63] Raja Harishchandra - Wikipedia[64] Dadasaheb Phalke - Wikipedia[65] Alam Ara - Wikipedia[66] Ayodhyecha Raja - Wikipedia[67] Kisan Kanya - Wikipedia[68] Transport in Maharashtra - Wikipedia[69] Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation - Wikipedia[70] Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation[71] Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport - Wikipedia[72] BEST[73] Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport - Wikipedia[74] Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport - Wikipedia[75] Thane Municipal Transport - Wikipedia[76] Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport - Wikipedia[77] Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport - Wikipedia[78] Central Railway zone - Wikipedia[79] Western Railway zone - Wikipedia[80] South East Central Railway zone - Wikipedia[81] South Central Railway zone - Wikipedia[82] Konkan Railway - Wikipedia[83] Mumbai Metro - Wikipedia[84] MMRC[85] Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority - Wikipedia[86] Line 1 (Mumbai Metro) - Wikipedia[87] Nagpur Metro - Wikipedia[88] Official site of Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited[89] Loan to relieve world's most overcrowded trains[90] http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/mumbai/31373302_1_lifeline-poles-accidents[91] Mumbai Monorail - Wikipedia[92] Mumbai monorail to run in two years | Mumbai News - Times of India[93] Line 1 (Mumbai Monorail) - Wikipedia[94] Maharashtra Maritime Board - Wikipedia[95] Jawaharlal Nehru Port - Wikipedia[96] jnpt[97] Mumbai Port Trust - Wikipedia[98] http://mumbaiport.gov.in/[99] Airports Authority of India - Wikipedia[100] Reliance Infrastructure - Wikipedia[101] Maharashtra Airport Development Company - Wikipedia[102] Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur - Wikipedia[103] Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport - Wikipedia[104] Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai[105] CSIA voted Best Airport in India and Central Asia[106] CSIA voted Best Airport in India and Central Asia[107] Only 2 AAI airports are making profits[108] Juhu Aerodrome - Wikipedia[109] Jal Hans - Wikipedia[110] Ellora Caves - Wikipedia[111] Kailasa temple, Ellora - Wikipedia[112] Ashtavinayaka - Wikipedia[113] Ganesha Temple, Morgaon - Wikipedia[114] http://1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhivinayak_Temple,_Siddhatek[115] Ballaleshwar Pali - Wikipedia[116] Varadvinayak - Wikipedia[117] Chintamani Temple, Theur - Wikipedia[118] Lenyadri - Wikipedia[119] Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar - Wikipedia[120] Ranjangaon Ganpati - Wikipedia[121] Jyotirlinga - Wikipedia[122] Bhimashankar Temple - Wikipedia[123] Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple - Wikipedia[124] Grishneshwar Temple - Wikipedia[125] Official site of Shree SiddhiVinayak Temple, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, INDIA ::.[126] Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai - Wikipedia[127] Jejuri - Wikipedia[128] Murud-Janjira - Wikipedia[129] Sinhagad - Wikipedia[130] Battle of Sinhagad - Wikipedia[131] Shivneri - Wikipedia[132] Kalavantin Durg - Wikipedia[133] Vijaydurg Fort - Wikipedia[134] Gateway of India - Wikipedia[135] Triumphal arch - Wikipedia[136] Indo-Saracenic architecture - Wikipedia[137] The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai - Wikipedia[138] Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai[139] Bombay High Court - Wikipedia[140] University of Mumbai - Wikipedia

Rajasthan (Hindi: राजस्थान​​, ISO 15919: Rājasthāna; land of kings)Basic StatsRajsthan is the largest state by area and 7th largest state by population.Forest Cover — Only ~4.8% of the state is covered in forests, the 3rd lowest in India among all states and UTs. The state has shown a slight increase of 0.14% since 2015 [Forest Survey of India Report - 2017]{Please note forest cover in India also includes plantations}[1]HDI — Rajasthan ranks quite low at 29th among all states and UTs, having medium HDI at 0.621 in 2017.[2][3][4]Crime stats —Rajasthan ranks at 8th amongst all states and UTs in terms of rank based on crime rate. Its rank based on % share of incidences is 6th. [NCRB report 2016][5]In terms of crime against women, the state’s rank has been 5th according to crime rate, while its rank based on % share is 4th. [NCRB report 2016][6]It recorded the 9th lowest suicide rate in India at 2.5 suicides per 1 lakh people [NCRB Report 2015][7]It unfortunately ranks at 4th in terms of crime rate 2nd in terms of % share of number incidences of human trafficking among states and UTs for which data was available. [NCRB Report on Human Trafficking 2016][8]Literacy and Education —As per Census 2011, Rajasthan recorded ~67% literacy which is lower than national rate, and therefore ranks at 33rd among all states and UTs. It also recorded the lowest female literacy rate. [Census 2011][9]It recorded the 10th lowest Gross Enrollment Ratio (enrollment of children between 6–13 years in school) among all states and UTs. [Statistics of School Education- 2010-11 published by MHRD][10][11]Health —Rajasthan recorded the 7th lowest life expectancy at birth among all states and UTs for which data was available, ~63 years which is lower than national average [HDI Report of United Nations Development Programme - 2011][12]The state ranks 21st in effective coverage of supplementary nutrition programme for children [Report on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) published by Planning Commission (GoI) in 2011][13]With regards to access to clean drinking water, it ranks 17th among the states and UTs, and the percentage of households having clean water access at ~78% is lower than the national average of 85.5%.It recorded the 13th highest number of institutional deliveries among all states and UTs with ~84% children delivered in hospitals in 2015–16. [National Family Health Survey of 2015-16][14]It ranks at 22nd among all states with regards to vaccination coverage. [National Family Health Survey 2015–16][15]It recorded among the low incidence of obesity, ranking at 20th for both males and females among all states and UTs. At the same time, it shows high incidence of underweight people, ranking at 3rd and 10th for males and females respectively. [National Family Health Survey 2005–06][16]Census 2011 recorded 97% households having toilet availability in the state [Census 2011][17][18][19]Economy —It is India’s 9th largest economy in terms of GSDP.[20]It recorded 10th lowest unemployment among all states and UTs with ~5% population unemployed as of 2017–18. [Labour Force Survey 2017–18][21]It recorded 15th highest tax revenues among all states (with Delhi included) for 2010–15 [Report of 13th Finance Commission 2010–15]It ranked at 9th among the states and UTs for ease of doing business in 2018.[22][23]With regards to vehicle ownership, it ranked at 16th among all states and UTs with 130 vehicles per 1000 people [ Road Transport Yearbook 2011-2012 published by MRTH][24]The state, as of 2014, recorded the 2nd longest National Highway coverage (7806 km) and 7th longest State Highway coverage (~10,450 km).[25]Major Cities —Jaipur[26] — capital, largest city and most populous city → Pink CityJodhpur[27] — 2nd largest cityMy answers on Rajasthan can be found here: Aditya Garg’s answers on RajasthanNatureIt features among the states with the least forest cover, albeit showing a slight increase in the forest coverage. The natural vegetation is classed as Northern Desert Thorn Forest. These occur in small clumps scattered in a more or less open form.Concerns are present for the over-exploitation of Aravalli range, including unorganized urbanization and illegal mining — the range is a major geographical feature of the state.Protected Areas:Ranthambore National Park (Hindi: रणथम्भौर राष्ट्रीय उद्यान) in Sawai Madhopur[28] —This national park was established as Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary by Indian government in 1955, and became part of Project Tiger in 1973. It became a national park in 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary, and in 1991 the tiger reserve was enlarged to include Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries.Economic valuation of the tiger reserve estimated that its flow benefits are worth 8.3 billion rupees (0.56 lakh/hectare) annually. Gene-pool protection services (7.11 billion), provisioning of water to the neighbouring region (115 million) and provisioning of habitat and refugia for wildlife (182 million) were some of the important services that emanated from the tiger reserve. Other services included nutrient cycling (34 million) and sequestration of carbon (69 million).Unfortunately, the park’s main attraction, its tiger population is showing a decline due to poaching.[29]The park’s tigress Machli (T16)[30] became the longest living wild tigress recorded, living to the age of 20 years. She played a key role in the regeneration of the tiger population in the park in the early 2000s, and was celebrated with titles such as Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, Lady of the Lakes, and Crocodile Killer.→ Machli [Source: File:Machli (tigress)2.jpg - Wikipedia]→ A panoramic view of Ranthambhore NP from Ranthambhore Fort. [Source: File:Ranthanbore panaroma.JPG - Wikipedia]Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar[31] —The erstwhile hunting area of Alwar state was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. It was made a tiger reserve in 1978. The wildlife sanctuary was declared a national park in 1990.In 2004, poaching led to complete disappearance of tigers from the reserve, prompting CBI investigations, and subsequent relocation of tigers from Ranthambore through cooperation between state & central governments and Wildlife Institute of India.[32] The problems were exacerbated due to poisoning and subsequent death of Dara, the first relocated tiger.→ Tiger with collar for tracking and monitoring [Source: File:The Last Hunter 2.jpg - Wikipedia]Desert National Park near Jaisalmer and Barmer[33] —Desert National Park exhibits desert ecosystem, with plenty of sand dunes. It has a collection of fossils of animals and plants of 180 million years old. Some fossils of dinosaurs of 6 million years old have been found in the area→ Gadsisar [Source: File:Gadsisar Lake Sunset.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Sams Sand Dunes [Source: File:A view on Sams sand dunes.JPG - Wikipedia]Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Bharatpur[34] —A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Convention Site, it is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in India. The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods and provides grazing grounds for village cattle.Named after the local Śiva temple called Keoladeo, it was the hunting grounds of Bharatpur royals. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. It was declared a national park in 1982, and in the same year, grazing was also banned in the park.Local observers have noted the shrinking of habitat for aquatic plant species in the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, northern India, after a number of years of drought and upstream water abstraction. The park is in danger of being removed as a Ramsar Site as well as UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to severe drought and abandoning of the park midway by nesting birds in the year 2007.[35]Rivers:Rivers in Rajasthan are almost all endorheic i.e. they disappear into the ground instead of meeting the sea/ocean.Banas River system[36] —Banas (hope of forests) is a seasonal river that drains into Chambal river. It rises in Veron ka Math situated in Khamnor Hills of Aravalli. Its tributaries include Menali, Berach, Kothari, Khari, Dai, Dheel, Sohadara, Morel and Kalisil.Source: File:Banas River Near Kota 2.jpg - WikipediaWest Banas River[37] —Rising in Sirohi district section of Aravalli, the river drains the valley between Mount Abu and eastern Aravalli. It empties into Little Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat.Source: File:West banas.JPG - WikipediaLuni (also known as Lonari, Lavanavari, Lavanavati; Salty river)[38] —Rising as Sagarmati in Pushkar valley, the river is called Luni after the tributary Sarasvati (rising from Pushkar lake) is met with in Govindgarh.An artificial lake, Jaswant Sagar is located on the river, commissioned in 1982 by king Jaswant Singh.[39]Thar Desert:[40]Source: File:Thar desert Rajasthan India.jpg - WikipediaThar, at 200,000 km[math]^2[/math], is the 19th largest desert and 9th largest subtropical desert in the world. ~85% of it lies in India, and rest in Pakistan. As well, ~60% of it lies in Rajasthan alone. The desert comprises a very dry part, the Marusthali region in the west, and a semi-desert region in the east with fewer sand dunes and slightly more precipitation.There are multiple salt water lakes in the desert — they collect rainwater, while the salt comes from weathering of rocks by the same rainwater and by wind erosion. The salt lakes include Sambhar, Pachpadra and Lunkaransar.→ Below: Huts in the desert [Source: File:House in the Thar.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Khejri tree [Source: File:Khejri.jpg - Wikipedia]Sambhar Lake:[41]Sambhar is India’s largest inland salt lake. It surrounds Sambhar lake town[42]. The lake receives rainwater, and is also riverfed by Medtha, Samaod, Mantha, Roopangarh, Khari and Khandela rivers.Sambhar Salt Limited produces salt from the lake through brine evaporation. The lake is a major contributor of Rajasthan’s salt production.Source: File:Lake Sambhar.jpg - WikipediaAravalli:[43]Source: File:Aravalli.jpg - WikipediaAravalli stretch from Delhi and Haryana in north to Rajasthan and Gujarat in south, with a major portion lying in Rajasthan. They’re India’s oldest fold mountains[44]. They were formed due to crumpling and rising of continental shelf of Indian Plate as part of Aravalli-Delhi Orogen[45].Aravalli are rich in biodiversity, and as such, in May 1992, some parts of the range in Rajasthan and Haryana were protected from mining through Ecologically Sensitive Areas clauses of Indian laws. In 2003, central government of India prohibited mining operations in these areas. In 2004, India's Supreme Court banned mining in the notified areas of Aravalli.Despite these steps, the range is largely unprotected physically, and is bisected by urban areas and roads.Arbudanchal a.k.a. Mount Abu[46][47]:—Mount Abu is a hill station as well a range of mountains; the range is more specifically referred to as Arbudanchal or Arbuda range. Mount Abu is Rajasthan’s only hill station, and the site of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as Achalgarh fort, Dilwara Jain temples and Datta temple.The mountains are the location of Guru Shikhar[48], the highest point of Aravalli, at 1772m height. On this peak, lie cave temples dedicated to Datta (variously described as incarnation of Viṣṇu or as combined incarnation of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva) and his mother Anusūyā. Mt. Abu InfraRed Observatory[49], operated by Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad is also located on Guru Shikhar.Mount Abu is believed to be the original abode of Gurjars and Agnivanshi Rajputs.→ View of Aravalli as seen from Guru Shikhar [Source: File:Arbuda Mountains.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Panoramic view of Nakki Lake[50] in Arbudanchal. [Source: File:Nakki Lake(Suresh Godara).JPG - Wikipedia]Education and LiteracyThe state has made tremendous efforts in improving literacy, and has seen the highest improvement in literacy rate over the decade from 1991 to 2001. In 1991, the state's literacy rate was only 38.55% (54.99% male and 20.44% female). In 2001, the literacy rate increased to 60.41% (75.70% male and 43.85% female).Higher Education:Arid Forest Research Institute (शुष्क वन अनुसंधान संस्थान), Jodhpur[51][52] —AFRI is one of the institutes of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE)[53] working under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India. The objective of the institute is to carry out scientific research in forestry in order to provide technologies to increase the vegetative cover and to conserve the biodiversity in the hot arid and semi arid regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Dadara & Nagar Haveli. It was established in 1988.Source: Arid Forest Research InstituteCentral Arid Zone Research Institute (केन्द्रीय शुष्क क्षेत्र अनुसन्धान संस्थान), Jodhpur[54] —CAZRI is one of the largest research institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous organization working under the aegis of Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of Government of India. It was established in 1959.The institute conducts multi-disciplinary research to seek solutions to the problems of farming in arid regions of the country. The hot arid zone covers about 32 million ha area in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, while the cold arid zone, covering about 7 million ha area, is located in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.Several need-based, cost effective technologies like sand dune stabilization, wind erosion control, water management, grassland improvement, watershed development, rehabilitation of wastelands, arid land farming systems, arid horticulture, alternate land use strategies, pest management, solar devices, etc. have been developed and transferred to farmers and other stakeholders.This institute has the rare distinction in having a full-fledged section on renewable energy and has developed many solar energy based gadgets/devices, like animal feed cooker, dryers, water heaters, candle making device, cool chambers, etc., which are finding place in rural households. Agro-voltaic system of 105 kW capacity has been developed at Jodhpur integrating crop production, photovoltaic-based electricity generation and rainwater harvesting. The institute has evolved technologies and strategies for combating drought and desertification.→ Sand dune stabilization — prevents the spread of desert. [Source: File:Sand dune stabilization.jpg - Wikipedia]Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani[55][56] —Perhaps the most famous educational institute in Rajasthan, the institute is located in Pilani town in Jhunjhunu district. The institute is one among the 6 Indian 'Institutes of Eminence' recognized by the Government of India in 2018.[57]The institute was established in its present form in 1964. During this period, the institute's transformation from a regional engineering college to a national university was backed by Ghanshyam Das Birla.Source: File:BITS Pilani-Logo.svg - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BITS_Pilani-Logo.svg)Kota:[58]The 3rd most populous city of the state and 46th most populous of the country, Kota is most famous for being a coaching hub for engineering and medical entrance exams, most notably JEE and NEET.The city in unfortunately also infamous for student suicides, recording 45 suicides in 2014 and 17 in 2017.{See: List of institutions of higher education in Rajasthan - Wikipedia}Observatories:Jantar Mantar at Jaipur[59] —Jantar Mantar is a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Jai Singh II[60], the founder of Jaipur. The monument was completed in 1734. It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located near City Palace and Hawa Mahal. The instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The observatory is an example of the Ptolemaic positional astronomy which was shared by many civilizations.The monument features instruments operating in each of the 3 main classical celestial coordinate systems: the horizon-zenith local system, the equatorial system, and the ecliptic system. Kapala Yantraprakara is one that works in 2 systems and allows transformation of the coordinates directly from one system to the other.→ Laghu Samrat Yantra — the smaller sundial at the monument, inclined at 27 degrees, to measure time, less accurate than Vrihat Samrat Yantra, the larger sundial [Source: File:Laghu samrat yantra.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Unnatamsa Yantra — a metal ring divided into 4 segments by horizontal and vertical lines, with a hole in the middle; the position and orientation of the instrument allows measurement of the altitude of celestial bodies.[Source: File:Unnatamsa Yantra.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Yantra Raj — a 2.43m bronze astrolabe, one of the largest in the world, used only once a year, calculates the Hindu calendar [Source: File:Yantra Raj.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Jai Prakash Yantra — 2 hemispherical bowl-based sundial with marked marble slabs that map inverted image of sky and allows the observer to move inside the instrument, measures altitudes, azimuths, hour angles, and declinations [Source: File:JaiPrakashYantraJaipur20080213-3.jpg - Wikipedia]Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO)[61] —It is located on an island in Fateh Sagar. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. Since the observatory is situated amidst a large mass of water, air turbulence which occurs due to ground heating by sun's rays is decreased. This improves the image quality and accuracy (average between 1-2 arc seconds).It is managed by Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.Source: File:Udaipur observatory.jpg - WikipediaMount Abu InfraRed Observatory (MIRO)[62] —MIRO sits at 1680m height and adjacent to Guru Shikhar in Arbudanchal. The 1.2m infrared telescope called PARAS[63] is the 1st major facility in India specifically designed for ground-based, infrared observations of celestial objects. Further the low amount of precipitable water vapour (1–2 mm during winter) at Guru Shikhar makes it a good site for the infrared telescope observations.Source: File:Mount Abu Observatory.JPG - WikipediaMuseums:Jaisalmer Government Museum, Jaisalmer —Established by Department of Archaeology and Museums of, it is a prime attraction for tourists visiting Jaisalmer. The most striking display is the trophy of Rajasthan's state bird Godawan (great Indian bustard). Traditional household items, rock-cut crockery, jewellery and statues from 7th-9th century CE displayed here are remnants of the city’s rich cultural heritage.→ The museum building [Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan Tourism]Jaisalmer War Museum, Jaisalmer[64] —War Museum was conceived by Lieutenant General Bobby Mathews, General Officer Commanding, Desert Corps and constructed by Desert Corps of Indian Army. It displays war exhibits which include vehicles and equipment captured during the course of operations in 1965 and 1971. It has an Honour Wall engraved with names of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra gallantry award winners, 2 large Information Display Halls - Indian Army Hall and Laungewala Hall, an Audio Visual Room, a souvenir shop and a cafeteria. A Hunter Aircraft of Indian Air Force, which destroyed enemy tank columns during Battle of Laungewala is also displayed.Kamra Khas in Bharatpur Palace, Bharatpur —Kamra Khas in contains a vast number of antiques, over 581 stone sculptures, 861 local art and craft wares and ancient scriptures that depict the art and culture typical of Bharatpur.→ A view of the palace [Source: Bharatpur Tourism: Places to Visit in Bharatpur | Tourist Places- Rajasthan Tourism]Central Museum (Albert Museum) in Jaipur, Jaipur district —The building gets its name from Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the inspiration for its design. The exquisitely built Albert Hall is housed in the centre of Ram Niwas Garden. Swinton Jacob (the mastermind behind many other palaces in Rajasthan) conceptualised and designed it using styles from Mughal-Gothic and Rajasthani architecture and the then Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of the building in 1876.The museum displays a wide range of metal objects, wood crafts, carpets, stone and metal sculptures, arms and weapons, natural stones and ivory goods. It also houses a large collection of miniatures from Bundi, Kota, Kishangarh, Udaipur and Jaipur schools of art.→ [Source: Jaipur Tourism: Places to Visit, Sightseeing, Trip to Jaipur- Rajasthan Tourism]Economy[65]Rajasthan in the 7th largest economy by GSDP, with most of its labor force finding occupation in services and agriculture.It is a mineral-rich state and has a diversified economy having agriculture, mining and tourism as its main engines of growth. The state mines produce gold, silver, sandstone, limestone, marble, rock phosphate, copper and lignite.Agriculture:Rajasthan is largest producer of rapeseed, bajra, mustard and wool, 2nd largest producer of oilseeds, spices and milk and 3rd largest producer of soya bean and coarse cereals in India.Saras milk product brand of Rajasthan Co-operative Milk Producer Union has its outlets in Jaipur and New Delhi.→ Bajra field [Source: File:Grain millet, early grain fill, Tifton, 7-3-02.jpg - Wikipedia]Indira Gandhi Canal[66] —It is the longest canal in India, and is fed from Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers. The idea of bringing the waters from Himalayan Rivers flowing through Punjab and into Pakistan was conceived by an hydraulic engineer, Kanwar Sain in the late 1940s who proposed that 20,000km[math]^2[/math] of desert land in Bikaner and the northwest corner of Jaisalmer could be brought under irrigation from the stored waters of Punjab rivers. In 1960, Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan which gave India the right to use waters of three rivers – Satluj, Beas and Ravi. The proposed Rajasthan Canal envisaged use of 7.6 million acre feet of water.Indira Gandhi Canal is a major step in reclaiming the Thar Desert and checking desertification of fertile areas. There is a planting programme for greening the desert in areas near the which was started in 1965. This consists of the planting of shelter belts along roads and canals, blocks of plantations and sand dune stabilization.Downfalls :—Unfortunately, the canal does have its downfalls. The excessive irrigation and intensification of agriculture over the years has caused environmental degradation and creation of new wastelands. There are problems with water-logging caused by excessive irrigation, seepage from canals and poor drainage. These factors produce a rise in the water table, increased salinity and finally submergence of the land. These problems are exacerbated by the cultivation of water intensive crops.Mining:Mining has been a major occupation in the state for a long time.The state contributes almost complete share of national production of wollastonite, jasper and zinc. As well, it is the largest producer of fluorite, gypsum, marble, asbestos, soapstone, lead concentrate, phosphates, ball clay, calcite, sandstone, limestone and feldspar. It is also the largest cement producer in India. The state also contributes to 1/10th of the country’s total salt production.Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL)[67][68] —HZL is an integrated zinc, lead, cadmium and silver mining and production company. It is headquartered in Udaipur. A subsidiary of Vedanta PLC, it is the world’s 2nd largest zinc producer and operated the world’s 3rd largest open pit mine - Rampura Agucha[69] in Bhilwara district.Makrana Marble[70] —Makrana Marble is a high quality white marble mined in Makrana town. Makrana marble was given the geographical indication status in 2015 by the Geographical Indication Registry, Chennai.[71]Makrana marble was used in construction of various famous buildings including Dilwara Jain Temples, Birla Temple of Jaipur, Victoria Memorial of Kolkata, Taj Mahal of Agra, Dukhnivaran Sahib Gurdwara of Ludhiana, Moti Masjid of Lahore, Sheikh Zayed Mosque of Abu Dhabi, UAE etc.The present rate of marble production from Makrana is 19.20 million tonnes per year with an annual revenue of rupees (INR) 20036 crore. Per capita income is INR 50,000, which is much higher than national average of INR 46,000. It is the richest municipality in Rajasthan. Makrana is source of employment to more than 100,000 people from about 200 surrounding villages.TransportationAirways:Jaipur International Airport[72][73] —The 11th busiest airport in India, it has been declared as World's Best Airport in the category of 2 to 5 million passengers per annum for 2015 & 2016 according to Airports Council International.[74] One terminal handles solely cargo, while the other handles domestic and international civilian flights.Other airports of Rajasthan are Jodhpur Airport, Maharana Pratap Airport at Udaipur, Kishangarh Airport at Ajmer, Nal Air Force Station (Bikaner)’s civil enclave and Jaisalmer Airport.Railways:Palace on Wheels[75] —Logo [Source: File:Palace on Wheels logo.gif - Wikipedia]Source: File:Palace on Wheels Jaipur.jpg - WikipediaPalace on Wheels is luxury tourist train started on 1982 by Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote and develop tourism in Rajasthan. The train is India’s 1st luxury tourist train.The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.[76]Royal Rajasthan on Wheels[77] —Logo [Source: File:Royal Rajasthan on Wheels logo.jpg - Wikipedia]Modeled on the aforementioned Palace on Wheels, this luxury tourist train was launched in 2009. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan.[78]Thar Link Express[79] —Thar Link Express is the Indian operated portion of Thar Express international railway line. Thar Express runs to and from Jodhpur and Karachi, of which the the Indian part operates to and from Jodhpur and Munabao.It is a weekly train operated by Jodhpur railways division of North-Western Railways Zone of Indian Railways.DancesGhoomar:[80]Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance originating with Bhil tribals and subsequently adopted by other Rajasthani communities. It involved veiled women in flowing dresses called ghaghara pirouetting while moving in and out of a wide circle.Kalbeliya:[81]Kalbeliya is a traditional folk dance performed by the eponymous tribe. The dancers are women in flowing black skirts who dance and swirl, replicating the movements of a serpent. The upper body cloth is called Angrakhi and a piece of cloth worn on head known as Odhani similarly the lower body cloth is called Lengha. All these clothes are mixed in red and black hues and embroidered in such a way that when these dancers perform these clothes represent a combination of colours soothing to eyes as well as to the atmosphere.ArchitectureRajasthan is abound with magnificent architectural marvels.→ Forts of Rajasthan ←See:Aditya Garg (आदित्य गर्ग)'s answer to How many total forts are present in Rajasthan?Aditya Garg (आदित्य गर्ग)'s answer to How many forts are there in Jaipur?Hill Forts of Rajasthan:[82]The 6 hill forts of Rajasthan, built by various rulers between 5th and 18th centuries CE collectively form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The forts comprise the following:Chittorgarh[83][84] in the eponymous cityKumbhalgarh[85] in the eponymous cityRanthambore Fort[86] in Ranthambore National Park, Sawai MadhopurGagron Fort[87] in JhalawarAmer Fort[88] in JaipurJaisalmer Fort[89] in JaisalmerChittorgarh —Chittorgarh (Chittor Fort) is one the largest forts in India, and formed the capital of Mewar kingdom[90]. The original fortification is variously attributed to a local ruler Chitrangada Maurya or the legendary hero Bhīma of Mahābhārata.The name of the place derives from Citrakūta + gr̥ha, where ‘Citrakūta’, meaning beautiful place became Chittor, while ‘gr̥ha’ meaning home became garh and assumed the meaning of fort.→ A view of Chittorgarh. Gaumukh (Cow’s face) reservoir and Vijaya Stambha (Pillar of victory) are visible [Source: File:Chittorgarh fort.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Jain Kirti Stambha — a 22m high tower built by Jija Bakarwala for glory of Jain tradition. [Source: File:Kirti stambha.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Vijaya Stambha — a 37m high tower built to commemorate king Kumbhakarna Singh Sisodia’s victory over Mahmud Khilji [Source: File:Victory tower.jpg - Wikipedia]See: Sieges of Chittorgarh - Siege of Chittorgarh (1303) - Wikipedia, Siege of Chittorgarh (1535) - Wikipedia, Siege of Chittorgarh (1567–1568) - WikipediaKumbhalgarh —Kumbhalgarh or Kumbhal Fort was built by king Kumbhakarna Singh Sisodia of Mewar in 15th century CE, although the origin of the base fortifications in uncertain. The fort is surrounded by Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.The fortification forms the 3rd longest fortification in the world at 38km (after Great Wall of China (~21000km) and Great Wall of Gorgon, Iran (~195km).→ Aerial view of Kumbhalgarh [Source: File:Aerial view of Kumbhalgarh.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Ram Pol (Rāma Gate) of the fort [Source: File:Ram Pol.jpg - Wikipedia]→ 52 Chhatri Jain temple in the fort [Source: File:Jain Temple Kumbhalgarh.jpg - Wikipedia]Ranthambore Fort —The fort lies in Ranthambore National Park. Its name derives from Raṇastambhapura (रणस्तम्भपुर​). The place used to be an important Jain site.→ The fort [Source: File:Ranthambhore Fort.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Ranthambore Jain Temple [Source: File:Ranthambore Fort Jain Temple.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Rock art [Source: File:Fine rock art at Ranthambhore Fort.jpg - Wikipedia]Gagron Fort —Gagron Fort is a type of hill fort and fort fort combination. It is situated on a hill near a river. A mausoleum of Sufi Saint Mitthe Shah just outside the fort is the venue for an annual colourful fair held during the month of Moharram. There is also a monastery of Saint Pipaji across the confluence.Source: Jhalawar Tourism: Tourist Places in Jhalawar - Rajasthan TourismAmer Fort —The original fortification was built by king Alan Singh Mīṇā in ~10th century CE, and over its remains was built the fortification by king Māna Singh Kacavāhā. It was later expanded by his descendant Jaya Singh Kacavāhā I. The fort is located on Cheel ka Teela (Kite hill) in Aravalli.→ Amer Fort overlooking Maota Lake[91] , its main water supply [Source: File:Amber Fort (आमेर का किला ).jpg - Wikipedia]→ Amer Fort — panoramic view [Source: File:Amerpalace.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Maota Lake and Kesar Kyari island within [Source: File:Maota Lake.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Ganesh Pol [Source: File:Amer Fort Entrance.jpg - Wikipedia]Jaisalmer Fort —Jaisalmer Fort is one the very few inhabited forts in the world; ~ 1/4th of the city’s population resides in the fort. It is situated on Trikuta Hill and takes its name from after king Jayasal Bhāṭī[92] . {Jaisalmer means Jayasal’s hill} It is the 2nd oldest fort in Rajasthan.→ Jaisalmer Fort [Source: File:Jaisalmer forteresse.jpg - Wikipedia]Mehrangarh:[93]Source: File:Mehrangarh Fort.jpg - WikipediaMehrangarh was built in 1459 by Jodha Rathore[94], the ruler of Mandore[95] and the founder of Jodhpur, and lies 125m above Jodhpur. The original fortifications date to the reign of Jaswant Singh Rathore of Marwar. Mehrangarh houses one the most well-stocked museum in Rajasthan.Within the fort are several brilliantly crafted and decorated palaces. These include, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana. The museum houses a collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes, and furniture. The ramparts of the fort house preserved old cannon (including the famous Kilkila), and provided a breath-taking view of the city.→ Kilkila cannon [Source: File:Kilkila cannon.jpg - Wikipedia]Turban Gallery —Turban gallery in Mehrangarh Museum seeks to preserve, document and display the many different types of turbans once prevalent in Rajasthan; every community, region, and festival having had its own head-gear.Jhalawar Fort:Jhalawar Fort is situated in centre of Jhalawar, Jhalawar district. It was built by the then king Madan Singh, and his successors added beautiful paintings inside the rooms.→ [Source: Jhalawar Tourism: Tourist Places in Jhalawar - Rajasthan Tourism]Jhalawar Government MuseumJhalawar Government Museum is one of the oldest museums in Rajasthan established in 1915, and has a fine collection of rare paintings, manuscripts and idols. The museum is in the middle of the city and is a part of Jhalawar Fort.{See: List of forts in India#Rajasthan - Wikipedia}→ Palaces ←City Palace of Udaipur:[96]City Palace was constructed during the reign of several rulers of Mewar, starting in 1553 CE with the reign of Udai Singh Sisodia II[97], the founder of Udaipur. The palace is located on east bank of Lake Pichola[98], an artificial fresh water lake, created in the year 1362 CE, named after the nearby Picholi village.→ City Palace facade [Source: File:City Palace Udaipur Front.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Lake Pichola. The lake has 4 islands — Jag Niwas, Jag Mandir, Mohan Mandir and Arsi Vilas [Source: File:Udaipur Lake India.JPG - Wikipedia]→ Lily Pond in Jag Niwas (Taj Lake palace) [Source: File:Lily Pond at the Lake Palace, Udaipur.jpg - Wikipedia]Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur:[99]The largest palace in Rajasthan and one the largest residences in the world, it was built to provide employment to local population during the severe famine affecting the region during the reign of king Umaid Singh Rathore. Its architect was Henry Vaughan Lanchester[100]. Lanchester patterned the Umaid Palace on the lines of the New Delhi building complex by adopting the theme of domes and columns.The then owner of the palace Gaj Singh Rathore II[101] converted part of the palace to a hotel in 1971, now managed by Taj Hotels.[102]→ Panoramic view [Source: File:Umaid Bhawan Palace.jpg - Wikipedia]{See: List of palaces in Rajasthan - Wikipedia}→ Temples ←Jagdish Temple, Udaipur:[103]Jagdish temple is dedicated to Jagannātha (Lord of the universe) form of Viṣṇu. The presiding deity’s icon is a monolithic statue made of black stone.The temple has a 3-storied hall attached to a 2-storied sanctum in a multi-spired sanctum tower. The lower 2 stories have windows, while uppermost story is tucked in bellroof. The sanctum tower has 2 non-functional stories above the sanctum stories as well.[Source: File:Jagdish Temple Udaipur.jpg - Wikipedia]Dilwara Jain Temples:Dilwara Jain Temples are located near Mount Abu, in Sirohi. They’re 5 temples, having intricate marble carvings, and are dedicated to various Jain tirthankaras.Vimal Vasahi, dedicated to the 1st Jain Tirthankara, R̥ṣabha (ऋषभ​) — carved entirely out of white marble in 1031 CE. It was designed by Vimal Shah, minister of king Bhima Chalukya I of GujaratPittalhar temple, also dedicated to R̥ṣabha — built by Bhāma Shah, a minister of king Mahmud Shah I of Ahmedabad. The statue of R̥ṣabha is casted from 5 metals with main metal being brass (pittal) hence the name.Luna Vasahi, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tīrthaṅkara, Nēmī (नेमी) — built in 1230 by two Porwad brothers - Vastupal and Tejpal - both ministers of king Virdhaval Vaghela of Gujarat. It was designed after Vimal Vasahi, an named after the ministers’ late brother Luna.Parshvanath temple, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tīrthaṅkara, Pārśva (पार्श्व​) — consists of a 3-story building, the tallest of all the shrines at Dilwara. On all the 4 faces of the sanctum on the ground floor are four big halls. It was built by Mandlik and his family in 1458-59 CE.Mahavir Swami temple, dedicated to last Jain Tīrthaṅkara, Mahāvīra (महावीर​) — a small structure constructed in 1582 CE. It has marvellous carvings on its walls.→ Pittalhar Temple [Source: File:Dilwara Pittalhar Temple.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Parshvanath Temple [Source: File:Dilwara Prashvantha Temple (2).jpg - Wikipedia]→ Interior of Luna Vasahi [Source: File:Dilwara Temple - Luna Vasahi.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Kalpavr̥kṣa image [Source: File:Kalpavruksha page.jpg - Wikipedia]Damages and Repairs —In 1311 CE, the temples were extensively damaged by Alā-ud-dīn Khaljī. Following this, the first repairs were done in 1321 CE by Bijag and Lalag of Mandore. In 1906 CE, Lallubhai Jaichand of Patan had the temples repaired and reconsecrated, under the supervision of a monk named Hemasagar.Anandji Kalyanji Trust[104] funded extensive repairs during 1950–1965, the work being undertaken by Amritlal Mulshankar Trivedi firm.Ranakpur Jain temple complex:[105][106]Ranakpur Jain temple complex comprises of following temples:Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara — The largest temple of the group, dedicated to R̥ṣabha. Darna Shah, a local Jain businessperson, started construction of the temple in 15th century. It is built using white marble. The presiding deity’s icon, a ~2m tall statue of R̥ṣabha has 4 faces in 4 directions.Suparshvanath temple — dedicated to Suparśva the 7th Jain Tīrthaṅkara.Surya temple — dedicated to Sūrya, the deity of sun, it dates back to 13th century CE. After its destruction, it was rebuilt in 15th century CE.Sethi ki Badi Mandir — temple belonging to Śvētāmbara sect of Jainism.Chougan ka mandir→ Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara [Source: File:Jain Temple Ranakpur.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Suparshvanath Temple [Source: File:Ranakpur-Suparshavanath Temple-20131012.jpg - Wikipedia]Baroli Temples Complex:[107]Baroli Temple Complex is a collection of 9 temples built during Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty ~10th century CE. They are situated in Rawatbhata in Chittorgarh district.→ Ghateshvar Mahadev temple — The largest of the temples. The hall called Shringar Chauri is a later addition, while the main entrance hall and sanctum tower comprise the original structure. [Source: File:Baroli temple.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Shiv Temple in temple tank [Source: File:Boroli Temple Complex7.jpg - Wikipedia]→ Stepwells ←Chand Baori:[108]Chand Baori is a stepwell in Abhaneri village. Its oldest parts date back to 8th century CE, while upper stories were built in 18th century CE. It consists of 3,500 narrow steps over 13 stories. It extends approximately 30m into the ground, making it one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India. At the bottom of the well, the air remains 5-6 degrees cooler than at the surface, hence, Chand Baori was used as a community gathering place for locals during periods of intense heat. One side of the well has a pavilion and resting room for the royals.Source: File:Abhaneri (Chand Baori).jpg - WikipediaSource: File:Aabhaneri.jpg - WikipediaNeemrana Baori in Neemrana, Alwar district:Neemrana Baori consists of 9 stories, each with a height of ~6m. It is built more like a fortress and has no carvings. The ground floor has collonaded opening from which there are steps to descend to lower stories.→ [Source: Alwar Tourism: Places to Visit in Alwar, Neemrana Fort, Tijara Fort Palace - Rajasthan Tourism]→ Mansion ←Many beautiful mansion, commonly known as Haveli, can be found in Rajasthan.Nathmal Ji ki Haveli:2 architect brothers built Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli in 19th century CE. They worked on the mansion from 2 sides and the outcome is a beautiful blend of the symmetrical construction. Miniature style paintings and male elephants carved out of yellow sandstone are used for decoration.Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan TourismSalim Singh ki Haveli:This mansion was built in early-18th century CE and a part of it is still occupied by descendants of the original residents. The high arched roof is supported by carved brackets designed in the shape of peacocks.Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan TourismPatwon ki Haveli:Among the largest and the most elaborately carved mansions in Jaisalmer, this 5-storied structure sits in a narrow street. While it has lost some of its early glory, a few paintings and mirror work art can still be seen on the inside walls.Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan Tourism→ Other places ←Bada Bagh/Bara Bagh[109] in Jaisalmer —Bada Bagh (Big Garden) refers the place where the cenotaphs of kings of Jaisalmer lie, including Jai Singh II.→ A view of Bada Bagh [Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan Tourism]Fateh Jung Gumbad in Alwar —Fateh Jung Gumbad is a domed building dedicated to minister Fateh Jung of Mughal emperor Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram. The structure is constructed in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture.→ [Source: Alwar Tourism: Places to Visit in Alwar, Neemrana Fort, Tijara Fort Palace - Rajasthan Tourism]Artificial Water ReservoirsRajasthan, on account of its aridity and water scarcity, saw the development of a lot of water conservation structures.The high aridity and consequent lack of water prompted the adoption of rainwater harvesting and groundwater harvesting structures. One such type of structure, stepwells, later developed into examples of exquisite architecture instead just serving a water retention function. [An example being Chand Baori is described above]Taanka:[110]Taanka is a cylindrical underground rainwater storage cistern usually 3.05 m × 3.05m in size, wherein rainwater from rooftops, a courtyard or natural or artificially prepared catchment flows into the paved pit, through filtered inlets made on the external wall of the structure, where it is stored and can be used by one family during the dry season. Once fully filled, the water is sufficient for a family of 5-6 members for a period of 5–6 months, and saves it from everyday’s water-fetching-drudgery.The technique was largely abandoned in later 20th century CE as pipes lines or hand pumps were laid to transport water from Indira Gandhi Canal to their houses, though some houses still maintain the tanks since they do not like the taste of tap water, it was when faced with drought-like situations, inadequate supplies of piped water on the account of growing population, which also resulted in depleted or contaminated ground water, this traditional method was revived, along with other traditional rainwater harvesting structures like Naadi, a village pond and Beri, a small rainwater-collecting wells, especially for supplying drinking waterSource: File:Rainwater harvesting tank, India.jpg - WikipediaDam reservoirs:Jaisamand/Dhebar Lake[111] —It is a marble dam built across Gomati river by king Jaya Singh Sisōdiā of Udaipur in 17th century CE. At 87km[math]^2[/math] area when full, it forms the 2nd largest artificial lake in India (after Gobind Vallabh Pant Sagar in UP). It is surrounded by Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary.There are 3 islands in Jaisamand, and the tribe of Bhil Minas inhabits all. The two bigger islands are known as Baba ka Magra and the smaller island is called Piari.Source: File:Jaisamandlake.jpg - WikipediaGadsisar —Constructed in 14th century CE by Gadsi Singh and named after him (Gadsisar means Gadsi’s lake), it was constructed keeping the view the needs of the arid lands ruled by him.Considering its importance, many small temples and shrines were constructed around it, transforming it into a pilgrimage centre and a tourist attraction.→ A view of the lake [Source: Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan Tourism]Sethani Ka Johara —It was built in 1899 by the widow of Bhagwan Das Bagla as part of the famine relief projects that the merchants financed in those terrible years of the close of the century. It is perhaps the finest johara (reservoir) in the area in that it is not only attractive but also efficient, holding a store of water, often from one monsoon to the next.→ [Source: Shekhawati Tourism: Places to visit in Shekhawati - Rajasthan Tourism]Stepwells:Birkha Bawari:A much recent addition to stepwells of Rajasthan, the well was constructed by Essgee real estate group and designed by Anu Mridu, being completed in 2009. The stepwell is built of red sandstone, and is capable of holding 17.5 million liters of rainwater. It currently provides water for Umaid Heritage Housing Township, a housing development built by Essgee Group.Source: File:Birkha Bawari2, Jodhpur.jpg - WikipediaFootnotes[1] http://fsi.nic.in/isfr2017/isfr-forest-cover-2017.pdf[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20160305055724/https://www.iamrindia.gov.in/ihdr_book.pdf[3] https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200644/http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_new/upload/sel_socio_eco_stats_ind_2001_28oct11.pdf[4] Human Development Reports[5] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/CII/CII2016/pdfs/Table%201A.1.pdf[6] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/CII/CII2016/pdfs/Table%203A.1.pdf[7] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/ADSI/ADSI2015/chapter-2%20suicides-v1.pdf[8] http://ncrb.gov.in/StatPublications/CII/CII2016/pdfs/Table%2014.1.pdf[9] http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/india/Final_PPT_2011_chapter6.pdf[10] http://indiabudget.nic.in/budget2013-2014/es2012-13/echap-13.pdf[11] http://indiabudget.nic.in/budget2013-2014/es2012-13/estat1.pdf[12] http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/inequality_adjusted_human_development_index_for_indias_state1.pdf[13] data.gov.in[14] National Family Health Survey[15] National Family Health Survey[16] India DHS, 2005-06 - Final Report (English)[17] http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/hlo/Data_sheet/India/Latrine.pdf[18] ​India is on the greatest toilet-building spree in human history[19] World’s Biggest Toilet-Building Spree Is Under Way in India[20] List of Indian states and union territories by GDP - Wikipedia[21] http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/Annual%20Report%2C%20PLFS%202017-18_31052019.pdf[22] Andhra Pradesh, Telengana set to top the charts for ease of doing business[23] Centre to announce ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking for states[24] http://morth.nic.in/showfile.asp?lid=1131[25] http://morth.nic.in/index3.asp?sslid=1284&subsublinkid=590&lang=1[26] Jaipur - Wikipedia[27] Jodhpur - Wikipedia[28] Ranthambore National Park - Wikipedia[29] https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-017-0025-y[30] Machali (tigress) - Wikipedia[31] Sariska Tiger Reserve - Wikipedia[32] http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/archive_full_story.php?content_id=63280[33] Desert National Park - Wikipedia[34] Keoladeo National Park - Wikipedia[35] http://www.thebagh.com/Bharatpur%20Springs%20back%20to%20life.pdf[36] Banas River - Wikipedia[37] West Banas River - Wikipedia[38] Luni River - Wikipedia[39] "Jaswant Sagar Dam"[40] Thar Desert - Wikipedia[41] Sambhar Salt Lake - Wikipedia[42] Sambhar Lake Town - Wikipedia[43] Aravalli Range - Wikipedia[44] Fold mountains - Wikipedia[45] Tectonic evolution of the Aravalli Mountains - Wikipedia[46] Mount Abu - Wikipedia[47] Arbuda Mountains - Wikipedia[48] Guru Shikhar - Wikipedia[49] Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory - Wikipedia[50] Nakki Lake - Wikipedia[51] Arid Forest Research Institute - Wikipedia[52] Arid Forest Research Institute[53] Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education - Wikipedia[54] Central Arid Zone Research Institute - Wikipedia[55] Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Wikipedia[56] Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani)[57] BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi, Bombay, Jio Institute are now among six Institutes of Eminence[58] Kota, Rajasthan - Wikipedia[59] Jantar Mantar, Jaipur - Wikipedia[60] Jai Singh II - Wikipedia[61] Udaipur Solar Observatory - Wikipedia[62] Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory - Wikipedia[63] PRL Advanced Radial-velocity All-sky Search - Wikipedia[64] Jaisalmer War Museum - Wikipedia[65] Economy of Rajasthan - Wikipedia[66] Indira Gandhi Canal - Wikipedia[67] Hindustan Zinc - Wikipedia[68] HZL[69] Rampura Agucha - Wikipedia[70] Makrana marble - Wikipedia[71] India's GI List Gets Longer with 20 New Products[72] Jaipur International Airport - Wikipedia[73] https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/jaipur[74] Jaipur, Srinagar top ranked airports in small aerodrome category[75] Palace on Wheels - Wikipedia[76] New-look Palace on Wheels set to chug off on Aug 5 | Jaipur News - Times of India[77] Royal Rajasthan on Wheels - Wikipedia[78] Super luxury train 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' flagged off from New Delhi[79] Thar Link Express - Wikipedia[80] Ghoomar - Wikipedia[81] Kalbelia - Wikipedia[82] Hill Forts of Rajasthan - Wikipedia[83] Chittor Fort - Wikipedia[84] Chittaurgarh Fort " Archaeological Survey of India[85] Kumbhalgarh - Wikipedia[86] Ranthambore Fort - Wikipedia[87] Gagron Fort - Wikipedia[88] Amer Fort - Wikipedia[89] Jaisalmer Fort - Wikipedia[90] Udaipur State - Wikipedia[91] Maota Lake - Wikipedia[92] Rawal Jaisal - Wikipedia[93] Mehrangarh - Wikipedia[94] Jodha of Mandore - Wikipedia[95] Mandore - Wikipedia[96] City Palace, Udaipur - Wikipedia[97] Udai Singh II - Wikipedia[98] Lake Pichola - Wikipedia[99] Umaid Bhawan Palace - Wikipedia[100] Henry Vaughan Lanchester - Wikipedia[101] Gaj Singh - Wikipedia[102] Umaid Bhawan Palace[103] Jagdish Temple, Udaipur - Wikipedia[104] Anandji Kalyanji Trust - Wikipedia[105] Ranakpur Jain temple - Wikipedia[106] ranakpur mandir, ranakpur temple, ranakpur jain temple, ranakpur aadinath jain temple, ranakpur temple images, history[107] Baroli Temples - Wikipedia[108] Chand Baori - Wikipedia[109] Jaisalmer Tourism, Places to Visit in Jaisalmer, Fort Rajwada, Brys Fort - Rajasthan Tourism[110] Taanka - Wikipedia[111] Dhebar Lake - Wikipedia