Barmer is situated at a distance of 224km from Jodhpur on the Luni-Munabao section of the Northern Railways. Located atop a hill as so many of the cities of western Rajasthan are, it houses the remains of an old fort called Garh right on its peak. The name Barmer is derived from the ruler Bahada Rao or Bar Rao who is said to have founded the town in the 13th century. Initially called ‘Bahada-mer’ it was later shortened to Barmer. To the immediate west of the city lie the remains of Juna or Juna Barmer and to the south are the ruins of three Jain temples. There is an inscription dated 1295AD on one of the pillars of the hall of the largest temple at Juna. This mentions 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 Rajastan is nothing if not known for its soulful melodies and dance. Like virtually all other districts in the region, Barmer is known for its folk music and dance. Like in Bikaner, the Bhopas (priest singers) are found in Barmer, who compose music in honour of the deities of the region and its war heroes. The other folk musicians come from a community called the Muslim Dholis (drummers) for most of whom this is the only means of livelihood. They sing mainly at festivals and other social occasions to the accompaniment of the Kamayacha (a stringed instrument played with a bow). The other musical instrument popular in Barmer is the algoza (two flutes played together).


Fairs & Festivals

There are several major festivals held in Barmer, the most famous of which is a cattle fair held every year at Tilwara village situated on the banks of the Luni river. The fair goes on for a fortnight in the months of March April. The other major festival is the Barmer Thar Festival of Rajastan, which was a creation of the tourist office, started as a practice to enhance the tourism potential of this town. This festival too is held in early March every year. A major yearly religious fair is held at Khed on every Poornima (full moon) at the Ranchor Rai Mandir there. Another fair is held at a village called Nagar Meva which is about 8km from the town of Balotara. There is a Jain temple there dedicated to the Jain prophet Parasvanath, and the fair is held every year on Posh Badi (Dec-Jan) to celebrate his birth.