Tourist Places in Sri Ganganagar

The northern-most city of Rajasthan, Sri Ganganagar is located near the border of the state of Punjab and also the international border of the nation of Pakistan. It is often referred to as “the food basket of Rajasthan” due to its fertile plains similar to those one would find in Punjab. The area was once barren and dry but was converted to a green town thanks to Maharaja Ganga Singh who constructed the Gang Canal to carry excess water from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the town. Today, Sri Ganganagar is famed for its produce of wheat, mustard, cotton, bajra, sugarcane and grams. Kinnow, a hybrid citrus fruit is a popular horticultural product that is grown here. Majority of the industries in the area are based on agriculture and it provides a livelihood to a majority of the residents of Sri Ganganagar.

In ancient times, two mighty rivers i.e. the Saraswati and the Drishadvati flowed through the area making it home to tribes similar to those belonging to Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. However, in due course the rivers started to dry up causing a natural calamity that wiped out the tribes and caused Sri Ganganagar to turn into a barren wasteland. During the 15th century, Rao Bika established Bikaner and the territory of Sri Ganganagar was part of the princely State of Bikaner. Finally in 1927, the overhaul of Sri Ganganagar was complete thanks to the Gang Canal constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh as the city was restored to its former glory.

History
The history of Sri Ganganagar is related with the history of Bikaner. Rao Bika, the son of Rao Jodha who was the founder of Jodhpur founded Bikaner in 1488 AD. Present Sri Ganganagar was the part of princely state of Bikaner. Later one of his descendant Maharaja GangaSingh established a well planned city and named it as Sri Ganganagar. The plan of this city was drawn during the construction of canal on Satlej River to supply water in the western part of Bikaner. Irrigated parts of Bikaner district were then incuded in Sri Ganagnagar and then sub-divided into Hanumangarh.

Bror village
Located on the Anoopgarh-Ramsinghpur road, Bror village is famed for the remnants of the Indus Valley Civilisation being unearthed here. Several artefacts, skeletal remains and buildings have been found in the vicinity of the village and they point to a period of time when the area was thriving with life.

Anupgarh Fort
Located in the town of Anupgarh close to the border of Pakistan, the Anupgarh fort is currently in ruins. However, in its heyday the fort was an imposing structure that helped keep the Bhati Rajputs at bay. The fort was built in the year 1689 by a Mughal governor who wished to keep Anupgarh under Mughal tutelage.

Buddha Johad Gurudwara
This historical Gurudwara was built to commemorate an important event when Massa Ranghar, guilty of sacrilege at Amritsar’s Golden Temple was brought to justice by Sukha Singh and Mehtab Singh back in 1740. Located by the Dabla village in Ganganagar, this place of worship also houses historical paintings and monuments.

Padampur
Padampur, a city in Ganganagar was named after Rajkumar Padam Singh of the Bikaner State royal family. It functions as an agricultural hub following the construction of the Ganges Canal. The main crops grown here are wheat bajra, sugar cane, grams, and in the recent years, Padampur has gained recognition for the kinnow (a hybrid of an orange).

How to Reach Here
By Air : Flight Icon The Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International airport in Amritsar is closest to Sri Ganganagar at 271 kms. One can also get to the city via flights to Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur.
By Road : Car Icon National Highway no. 15 runs through Sri Ganganagar and one can opt for buses from most major North Indian cities to get here.
By Train : Train Icon The Sri Ganganagar – Hanumangarh line has been converted to broad gauge making it easily accessible from most major cities including Delhi, Bathinda, Rewari, Haridwar and Nanded among others.