Barmer is located at a distance of 224km from Jodhpur on the Luni-Munabao part of the Northern Railways. situated atop a hill as so lots of of the cities of western Rajasthan are, it houses the stays of an old fort called Garh right on its peak. The name Barmer is deduced from the ruler Bahada Rao or Bar Rao who is said to have established the town in the 13th century.
Firstly called ‘Bahada-mer’ it was later contracted to Barmer. To the instant west of the city lie the stays of Juna or Juna Barmer and to the south are the breaks of 3 Jain temples. There is a dedication dated 1295AD on one of the pillars of the hall of the major temple at Juna. This names a Maharajakula Sri Samanta Sinha Deva ruling Barmer at the time.
Being a barren wasteland, the people of Barmer have learnt the hard way that they needed to develop exceptional skills in order to survive. Thriving in this nothingness lies the town of Barmer in Rajastan state, famous for its only asset – the dexterous and creative human skill, to create art, where none was.
Dance & Music
The Thar desert of Rajasthan is nothing if not known for its soul and dance tunes. Like virtually all districts in the region, Barmer is known for its folk music and dance. As in Bikaner, the Bhopa (priest singers) are found in Barmer, who compose music in honor of the deities of the region and its war heroes.
Other popular musicians come from a community called the Muslim Dholis (drums) for most of them this is the only means of subsistence. They sing mostly at festivals and other social events accompanying the Kamayacha (a stringed instrument with a bow). The other popular musical instrument in Barmer is Algoz (two flutes played together.)
Fairs & Festivals
There are several important festivals held in Barmer, the most famous of which is a cattle fair is held every year in the village of Tilwara located along the river Luni. The fair lasts for two weeks in the months of March April. The festival is another major festival of the Barmer Thar of Rajasthan, which was created by the tourist office, which began as a practice to improve the tourism potential of this city.
This festival is also celebrated in early March each year. The largest annual religious fair is held at Khed in each Purnima (full moon) in Ranchor Rai Mandir there. One more fair is held in a town called Meva Nagar which is about eight km from the city of ballots. There is a Jain temple dedicated not to Parasvanath Jain prophet, and the fair is held every year in the elegant Badi (December-January) to celebrate his birth.
