# Sikar

Sikar is a city and municipal council in the Sikar district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Sikar district. It is largest city of the Shekhawati region, which consists of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu. After Kota, Sikar is one of the major hubs for private coaching in the country for competitive public examination preparations and has a number of engineering and medical coaching institutes.It is also known as Rajasthan's 'Mini Kota'.
Sikar is also a major hub for agricultural trade, given it is surrounded by large plains areas west of the Aravalli range. It is also a major rail and road junction.
Sikar is a historical city and contains many old havelis. It is 115 km (71 mi) away from Jaipur, 320 km (200 mi) from Jodhpur, 215 km (134 mi) from Bikaner, and 280 km (170 mi) from New Delhi.
Sikar district is also popular for Khatu Shyam Temple, situated in the town of Khatoo, 16 km from Reengus town and 45 km from Sikar city.
Another place for which Sikar is famous is the Harsh Parvat, part of Aravalli Range. Mainly, Harsh Parvat is known for the Harsh Temple, which is historical temple. Moreover, it is a tourist place where people come to enjoy the mansoon season and greenery of mountains.

## History

Sikar had been the biggest Thikana (Estate) of the Jaipur state. Previously Sikar was known as Shekhawati Pradesh. It was the capital of Thikana Sikar. Sikar is surrounded by fortified walls consisting of seven "Pols" (gates). These historic gates are named: Bawari Gate, Fatehpuri Gate, Nani Gate, Surajpole Gate, Dujod Gate Old, Dujod Gate New, and Chandpole Gate. Previously Gaur dynasty ruled this estate but after defeated by Shekhawat Rajputs, shekhawat rajputs becomes rulers of this region.

## Geography and climate
### Geography

Sikar city is the district headquarters of Rajasthan's Sikar district, which is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is the sixth most populous city of Rajasthan. It is located at27°37′N 75°09′E﻿ / ﻿27.62°N 75.15°E﻿ / 27.62; 75.15. It has an average elevation of 427 metres (1,401 ft).

### Climate

Climate data for Sikar (1991–2020, extremes 1946–2009) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.4 (88.5) | 37.4 (99.3) | 45.0 (113.0) | 45.5 (113.9) | 49.0 (120.2) | 49.7 (121.5) | 44.4 (111.9) | 41.1 (106.0) | 40.0 (104.0) | 41.0 (105.8) | 37.8 (100.0) | 32.5 (90.5) | 49.7 (121.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.8 (71.2) | 24.7 (76.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 36.5 (97.7) | 39.5 (103.1) | 39.9 (103.8) | 35.0 (95.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 31.5 (88.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 5.9 (42.6) | 9.1 (48.4) | 15.2 (59.4) | 20.3 (68.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.0 (80.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 23.5 (74.3) | 18.3 (64.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 6.9 (44.4) | 17.8 (64.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.0 (26.6) | −4.2 (24.4) | 1.3 (34.3) | 7.0 (44.6) | 10.1 (50.2) | 11.9 (53.4) | 15.1 (59.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 13.1 (55.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | −4.9 (23.2) | −4.9 (23.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 3.6 (0.14) | 4.8 (0.19) | 1.7 (0.07) | 4.2 (0.17) | 10.4 (0.41) | 54.4 (2.14) | 102.8 (4.05) | 85.8 (3.38) | 29.7 (1.17) | 10.7 (0.42) | 2.1 (0.08) | 1.4 (0.06) | 311.6 (12.27) |
| Average rainy days | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 16.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 52 | 42 | 37 | 34 | 35 | 42 | 56 | 59 | 53 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 44 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Religion in Sikar city (2011) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 56.26% | 56.26% |
| Islam | Islam | 42.43% | 42.43% |
Sikar City had a population of about 237,579 people according to the census of 2011. As per provisional reports of Census India, the population of Sikar in 2011 is 237,579; of which there are approximately 123,156 males and 114,423 females. The sex ratio of Sikar City is 929 females per 1000 males. Regarding education, total literates in Sikar city are 158,413 of which 91,403 are males while 67,010 are females. The average literacy rate of Sikar City is 77.13, male and female literacy status is 86.29 and 67.37, respectively. The total population of children (0–6) in Sikar City is about 32,189, consisting of 17,236 boys and 14,953 girls. The child sex ratio of girls is 868 per 1000 boys.

## Popular places

Sikar, a city rich in cultural heritage, offers several fascinating places to visit:
* Khatu Shyam Temple: A renowned pilgrimage site, this temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna’s incarnation, Khatu Shyam Ji. It attracts devotees from all parts of the country.
* Harshnath Temple: Located about 11 kilo-meters from Sikar, this ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva dates back to 973 CE. It offers a hilly area scene with historical significance.
* Lachhmangarh Fort: built by Rao Raja Laxman Singh in 1805.
* Nehru Park: One of the largest parks in Sikar.
* Bheruji Temple, Reengus: A renowned pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Bhairava.

## Administration

Sikar city is governed by a Municipal Council, which comes under the Sikar Urban Agglomeration. The new municipal council building is built in Shekhawati style like a mahal or haveli. Sikar city is divided into 60 wards. Although Sikar city has a population of 237,579 (in 2011), its urban/metropolitan population is 244,563 (in 2011). The Sikar metropolitan area includes Chandrapura (Rural), Radhakrishnpura, Samarthpura, Shivsinghpura and Sikar city.

## Education

Sikar is quickly gaining recognition as a leading education hub, like Kota. Known for its rich cultural heritage, Sikar attracts students from rural areas and neighbouring states such as Haryana. This city is home to several prestigious coaching institutes which provide extensive coaching for competitive exams like IIT-JEE and NEET. Unlike Kota, Sikar’s coaching centers frequently combine study and living facilities, fostering a more controlled and supportive environment for students. This approach has resulted in fewer stress-related issues, making Sikar a preferred choice for students and parents. As Sikar continues to expand, it is set to become a significant contributor to the education sector, enhancing the academic landscape of Rajasthan.

## Notable persons
### Politicians

* Narayan Singh Burdak - RPCC Chief and former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Govind Singh Dotasra - RPCC Chief and former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Mahadeo Singh Khandela - former union minister in Government of India
* Gopal Singh Khandela - former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Banshidhar Bajiya - former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Bhairon Singh Shekhawat - 11th vice president of India
* Ramdev Singh Maharia - former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Subhash Maharia - former union minister in Government of India
* Amra Ram - MP from Sikar
* Harlal Singh Kharra - former minister in Government of Rajasthan
* Jhabhar Singh Kharra - minister in Government of Rajasthan

### Businessmans

* Jamnalal Bajaj - founder of the Bajaj Group

### Sport persons

* Bajrang Lal Takhar - Indian rower
* Radhey Shyam - Indian basketball player
* Aditya Garhwal - Indian Cricketer

### Others

* Swami Keshwanand - Indian freedom fighter and social reformer
* Digendra Kumar - Mahavir Chakra recipient for bravery in Kargil War
* Himani Shah - Princess of Sikar (now Former Crown Princess of Nepal)
* Priyan Sain - Indian beauty pageant titleholder
* Jamnalal Bajaj- He was an industrialist and freedom fighter
* Lothoo Nitharwal - freedom fighter
* Anjana Devi Chaudhary - first woman from Rajasthan state to be arrested during freedom struggle and wife of Ram Narayan Chaudhary
* Roop Kanwar - victim of sati practice
* Sobhagya Singh Shekhawat - Rajasthani language writer

## Modes of transportation
### Rail

Sikar Junction railway station comes within the territory of the North Western Railway. Sikar City is connected to Jhunjhunu, Rewari, Delhi, Churu, Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Hisar, Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Udaipur, Abu Road, Indore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Mathura, PrayagrajAlwar. New lines proposed since 2010 are Sikar to Nokha via Sujangarh and Sikar to Neem-Ka-Thana via Udaipurwati.

### Road

Sikar is well connected by roads from all the major cities of Rajasthan and nearby states. A four-lane national highway NH-52 passes through the city. NH-52 connects Sikar with Jaipur and Bikaner. The western freight corridor also pass through Ringas of Sikar, as a main project of the central government. Kotputali Kuchaman Mega Highway also passes through Sikar. Jhunjhunu-Jaipur state highway is also passes through Sikar.

### Airport

The nearest airport to Sikar City is Jaipur International Airport, which operates daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Guwahati, Kolkata, Udaipur, Dubai, Sharjah, and Muscat. A new airport is proposed at Shahpura (a town in Jaipur district) that is very close to Sikar. A small air strip at Tarpura village is also available for the landing of small private planes against payment.