Kota, Rajasthan

Kota(/ˈkoʊtə/), previously known asKotah, is thethird-largestcity of the north-westernIndian stateofRajasthan.It is located about 240 kilometres (149 mi) south of the state capital,Jaipur, on the banks ofChambal River. As of 2024, with a population of over 1.5 million, it is the third most populous city in Rajasthan, after Jaipur andJodhpur.It serves as the administrative headquarters forKota districtandKota division. It was founded as a walled city in the 14th century in the erstwhileBundi stateand became the capital of theprincely state of Kotain 1625, following the separation of the Bundi and the Kota state.Kota is known for its coaching institutes forengineeringandmedicalentrance exams, such asJEEandNEET. Each year, over 200,000 students move to Kota to prepare for these competitive exams, earning it the nicknameCoaching Capital of India.
In addition to several monuments, Kota is known for its palaces and gardens.The city was included among 98 Indian cities forSmart Cities Missioninitiated by theIndian Prime MinisterNarendra Modiin 2015and was listed at 67th place after results of first round were released following which top 20 cities were further selected for funding in the immediate financial year.
The history of the city dates back to the 12th century CE when Rao Deva, aChauhanRajput chieftain belonging to theHadaclan conquered the territory and foundedBundiandHadoti. Later, in the early 17th century, during the reign of the Mughal EmperorJahangir, the ruler of Bundi – Rao Ratan Singh, gave the smaller principality of Kota to his son, Madho Singh. Since then Kota became a hallmark of the Rajput gallantry and culture.
Kota became an independent state in 1631 when Rao Madho Singh, the second son of Rao Ratan of [Bundi] was made the ruler, by the Mughal EmperorJahangir.Soon Kota outgrew its parent state to become bigger in area, richer in revenue and more powerful. Maharao Bhim Singh played a pivotal role in Kota's history, having held a 'Mansab'of five thousand and being the first in his dynasty to have the title ofMaharao. Zalim Singh, a diplomat, and statesman, emerged as another prominent figure of the state in the 18th century. Although initially being a general of Kota's army, he rose to the regent of the kingdom after the king died leaving a minor on the throne.He remained a direct administrator of the state. In 1817, a treaty of friendship was signed between him and the British on his condition of carving out part from the existing state for his descendants resulting inJhalawarcoming into existence in 1838.Kota was not involved in the earlier events of theIndian Rebellion of 1857. However, when in October 1857 rebels murdered the local British resident and his two sons, British forces responded by storming the city and, after some resistance, capturing it in March 1858.
In the 1940s, social activistGuru Radha Kishanorganised trade union activities and campaigned against the colonial government. He left Kota after the local administration learned of the arrest warrant issued against him for his participation in Indian Independence activities.
Kota is located along the banks of theChambal Riverin the southern part ofRajasthan. It is the 3rd largestcityof Rajasthan afterJaipurandJodhpur. The cartographic coordinates are25°11′N75°50′E﻿ / ﻿25.18°N 75.83°E﻿ /25.18; 75.83.It covers an area of 221.36 km(85.47 sq mi).It has an average elevation of 271 metres (889 ft). The district is bound on the north and northwest bySawai Madhopur,TonkandBundidistricts. The Chambal River separates these districts from Kota district, forming the natural boundary.
The city of Kota is situated at the centre of the southeastern region of Rajasthan a region very widely known asHadoti, the land of theHadas. Kota lies along the banks of the Chambal river on a high sloping tableland forming a part of the Malwa Plateau. The general slope of the city is towards the north. The comparatively rocky, barren, and elevated land in the southern part of the city descends towards a plain agricultural land in the north. The Mukundara hills run from southeast to northwest axis of the town.
Kota has fertile land and greenery with irrigation facilities through canals. The two main canals; called as left main canal (towards Bundi) and right main canal (towards Baran) originate from the reservoir created byKota Barrage.The tributaries of these canals make up a network in the city and surrounding areas of Rajasthan andMadhya Pradeshand supplements the irrigation of these areas.
Kota has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSh), bordering on atropical savanna climate(Koppen: Aw), with high temperatures throughout the year. Summers are long, hot, and dry, starting in late March and lasting till the end of June. The temperatures average above 40 °C in May and June, frequently exceed 45 °C with temperatures as high as 48.5 °C also been recorded.The monsoon season follows with comparatively lower temperatures, but higher humidity and frequent, torrential downpours. The monsoons subside in October and temperatures rise again. The brief, mild winter starts in late November and lasts until the last week of February. Temperatures hover between 26.7 °C (max) to 12.0 °C (min). This can be considered the best time to visit Kota because of intense heat in the summer.
The average annual rainfall in theKota districtis 800.6 mm.Most of the rainfall can be attributed to the southwestmonsoonwhich has its beginning around the last week of June and may last till mid-September. Pre-monsoon showers begin towards the middle of June with post-monsoon rains occasionally occurring in October. The winter is largely dry, although some rainfall does occur as a result of theWestern Disturbancepassing over the region.
Kota has been ranked 38th best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.
According to the2011 census of India, Kota City had a population of 1,001,694 of which male and female are 528,601 and 473,093 respectively.The provisional results of census 2011 reported city's population as 1,001,365.The urban agglomeration of Kota consists of city only.The sex ratio was 895 and 12.14% were under six years of age. The effective literacy rate was 82.80%, with male literacy at 89.49% and female literacy at 75.33%.
According to 2011 census,Hinduismis the majority religion in the city practised by about 80.5% of the population.Muslimsform a large minority (15.9%) followed byJains(2.2%),Sikhs(0.9%) andChristians(0.4%).
Harauti, a dialect ofRajasthaniis widely spoken in Kota withHindi,MarwariandEnglishbeing the other languages spoken.
Governmental institutions in Kota include:
Instrumentation Ltd is a Public Sector company based in Kota.Its clientele includes public sector entities such as theIndian Railways,BSNLandVSNL. Presently, it has been shut down.
TheDistrict courtprovides court and notary services.
The city is the trade centre for an area in whichcotton,millet,wheat,corianderandoilseedsare grown; industries include cotton and oilseed milling, textile weaving, distilling, dairying, and the manufacture of metal handcrafts.Kota also has an extensive industry of stone-polishing (tiles) of a stone calledKota Stone, used for the floor and walls of residential and business buildings. Since last 15 years Kota has emerged as an Education hub of the country as producing excellent results inIIT-JEEand medical entrance exams.
Kota is known as a major center for competitivetest preparation, attracting around 150,000 students each year, as reported in 2023. These students come from across the country to enroll in coaching institutes that prepare them for national entrance exams for engineering and medical colleges. The industry generates an estimated $350–$450 million annually, with over 300 coaching centers, including the Allen Career Institute, which tutors more than one million students nationwide.
The coaching industry in Kota originated in the 1980s whenVinod Kumar Bansal, a mechanical engineer, began tutoring students after being diagnosed with a degenerative condition that confined him to a wheelchair. His methods, inspired by theKumonmethod of learning, emphasized systematic problem solving. Bansal's success in helping students gain admission to prestigious institutions like theIndian Institutes of Technology(IIT) drew more students to the city. Over time, other coaching centers were established by former colleagues and associates, eventually transforming Kota into an educational hub.
Weaving in Kota was started by Maharana Bhimdev in the 18th century.
The Kota saris like most traditional piece of work had started becoming lost before designer Vidhi Singhania moved to Kota and started working with the workers to revive its market.Many textile shops in the city sell different varieties of Kota doriya. These saris have become one of the trademarks of the city.
The fine-grained variety of limestone quarried from Kota district is known as Kota stone, with rich greenish-blue and brown colours. Kota stone is tough, non-water-absorbent, non-slip, and non-porous. The varieties include Kota Blue Natural, Kota Blue Honed, Kota Blue Polished, Kota Blue Cobbles, Kota Brown Natural and Kota Brown Polished.
Kota is famous for Dal Kachori.
Kota is one of the industrial hubs innorthern India, with chemical, cement, engineering and power plants based there. The total number of industrial units in the district in 2010–11 stood at 12908 with 705 registered units.The district power plants show annual growth of 15–20% due to their strategic locations.
Kota is surrounded by five power stations within its 50 km radius.
Main Article:Education in India.
The city is especially known in India as a centre for the preparation of various national level competitive examinations through which the students seek admissions in various engineering and medical colleges of the country. Often termed as the "Kota Factory", the town contains more than 40 large coaching institutes for aspiring students trying to pass entrance exams forIndian Institutes of Technology (IIT), through theIIT-JEEand prominent medical colleges such as theAll India Institutes of Medical Sciences(AIIMS)of India usingNEET-UG.
Since 2000, the city has emerged as a popularcoachingdestination for competitive exams preparation and for profit educational services. The education sector of Kota has become one of the major contributors to the city's economy.Kota is popularly referred to as "the coaching capital of India".Over 150,000 students from all over the country flock every year towards the city for preparation of various exams such asIIT-JEEandNEET-UGetc.Many  hostels and PGs are located in Kota near the vicinity of coaching centres for students. Students live here for 2–3 years and prepare for the exams. The annual turnover of the Kota coaching industry is about ₹1500 crore.The majority of the students here are enrolled in schools, providing the facility of "dummy schooling", which gives students admissions without the need to attend it regularly. However, it is an illegal practice.In 2019,The Viral Feverlaunched aWeb SeriescalledKota Factoryto depict the lives of students who study at Kota.
Kota's emergence as a coaching hub began in 1985 whenVinod Kumar Bansal, an engineer set up Bansal Classes that eventually becameBansal Classes Private Limited.
In 2024 , Kota has also witnessed a significant decline in the number of students enrolling from 2-2.5 lakh students to just 85000-1 lakh students and revenue from ₹6,500-7,000 crore to ₹3,500 crore which is a decline by 50%, owing to the significant rise in student suicides and stricter rules implemented for coaching institutes by theRajasthan Governmentand theMinistry of Education (India).
Main Article:Suicide in India.
In the past few years, reports of students dying by suicide in the city have increased.These suicide incidents have sparked nation-wide outrage and debate on mental health and well-being of students inIndia.As per reports, students feel stressed and get pressurized in order to crack their target competitive exam. As perNational Crime Records Bureaureport of 2014, 45 suicide cases of students were reported in the city. In year 2015, 17 such cases were found.For the same cause, many coaching centres have also appointed counsellors and are organising recreational activities to help students. TheMinistry of Education (India)has launched the UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Emphatize, Empower, Develop) scheme in view of the rising suicide cases in Kota.
TheRajasthan Governmenthas proposed a new law "Rajasthan Coaching Centre (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2024" to address the alarming rise in student suicide cases in Kota the "Coaching Capital Of India".
Kota has earned the city, the notorious tag of "Suicide capital" of students. In 2023 26 cases of suicides were reported which was the highest ever recorded in the history of Kota.
In 2024, Kota has witnessed a 50% decline in student suicide cases due to the various measures being implemented by the Kota District Administration.
In January 2025, Kota has again witnessed a surge in student suicide cases with a total 6 students ending their lives in less than a month.
Some of the popular visitor attractions in and nearby the city includeChambal Riverfront, City ParkChambal Garden,Seven Wonders Park,Kishore Sagar Lake,Jag Mandir Palace,Garh Palace,Umed Bhawan Palace,Chatra Vilas Garden,Ganesh Udyan, Traffic Garden, Godavari Dham Temple,Geparnath Mahadev Temple,Garadia Mahadev Temple, Chattaneshwar Mandir, Kota Zoological Park, Abheda Biological Park, City Park(IL Oxizone), Chatrapati Shivaji Park, Maharao Madho Singh Museum, Kota Government Museum, Brijraj Bhawan Palace, Abheda Mahal, Royal Cenotaphs at Kshar Bagh,Kota Barrage, Khade Ganesh Ji Mandir, Shiv Puri Dham, Maa Trikuta Mandir, Kansua Shiv Mandir,Darrah National ParkandJawahar Sagar Dam.
Kota is well connected with road and rail to all major cities within Rajasthan as well as those located outside the state.
Kota have two major interstate bus terminals, namely, Nayapura Bus Stand at Nayapura and Roadways New Bus Stand at Ramchandrapura.National Highway No.27 (viaUdaipur,Kanpur,Gorakhpur,Guwahati) and National highway No.52 (viaHisar,Churu,Sikar,Jaipur,Indore,Aurangabad,SolapurandHubli) pass through the Kota City.National Highway No.27 is a part of East-West Corridor(Porbandar-Silchar) and National Highway No.52 connects Punjab to Karnataka (Sangrur,Punjab—Ankola,Karnataka). The total road length in Kota district is 2,052 km as of March 2011. There are also three upcoming expressway projects in the form ofDelhi–Mumbai Expressway(Via Kota, Rajasthan andVadodara),Kota–Hyderabad Expressway(ViaIndore) andChambal Expressway.
Kota is well connected to all the major cities of India with rail.Kota Junctionis one of the divisions inWest Central Railway.It is a station on theNew Delhi–Mumbai main line. There are four railway stations within Kota and in its vicinity. One Substation of East Kota City is Sogariya(Kota Bypass) Railway Station and Another suburban station of South Kota city isDakaniya Talav railway stationwhich has a stoppage of Avadh Express, Dehradun Express and Ranthambore Express.
The city is a halt for over 182 trains,includingMumbai Rajdhani Express,August Kranti Rajdhani Express,Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express,Madgaon Rajdhani Express,Mumbai New Delhi Duronto Express,Golden Temple Mail,Paschim Express,Bandra Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express,Kevadiya–Hazrat Nizamuddin Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express,Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express,Maharashtra Sampark Kranti Express,Goa Sampark Kranti Express,Kerala Sampark Kranti Express,Indore–Jaipur Express,Gangaur SuperFast Express,Mewar Express,Dayodaya Express,Jodhpur – Indore Intercity,Hazrat Nizamuddin - Indore Express,Garbha Express,Marusagar Express(Ajmer – Ernakulam Express / Ernakulam Express),Jaipur–Mysore Superfast Express,Swaraj Express,Chennai Central–Jaipur Superfast Express,Coimbatore–Jaipur Superfast Express, Jodhpur – Puri Express, Bandra Terminus–Gorakhpur Avadh Express, Bandra Terminus–Muzaffarpur Avadh Express,Jodhpur – Bhopal Express.
TheDelhi—Mumbairailway line passes through the Kota Junction.
The district has 148.83 km of railway line in the Kota – Ruthia section, 98.72 km onNagda—Mathura(Mumbai-Delhi) section and 24.26 km on Kota —Chittorgarhsection.
A broad-gauge railway facility between Kota andJodhpurviaJaipurexists.
Kota Airportis a civil airport serving Kota, Rajasthan, India. Spread over 447 acres, Kota Airport was originally built by the royal family of the princely state ofKotaand was taken over by the government in 1951. This Airport Also Known As Rajputana Airport. Originally serviced byIndian AirlinesDakotaaircraft and later byVayudootandJagson Airlines, shutdown of major industries and Kota becoming a major railway junction effected decreased demand for air transport and the withdrawal of the airlines.Kota Airport has had no scheduled services operating since 1999.The nearest international airport isJaipur International Airportsituated around 240 km away from Kota.
The development ofKota greenfield airporthas been approved 15 kilometres outside of the city.
The city is home toJay Kaylon Cricket Stadiumlocated in Nayapura area. Among several matches, sixRanji Trophymatches have been played in the stadium.The stadium also hostedRCL T20 2016, an inter state cricket league with six participating teams.Kota has majority of sports teams like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Badminton, Shooting, Table Tennis, and Lawn Tennis.
There are five major regional TV Channels in Kota.
A wide range of other Hindi, English, and other language channels are accessible viacable subscriptionanddirect-broadcast satellite services.Dish TV,Tata Sky, Radiant Digitek,Airtel digital TVare entertainment services in Kota.
Major daily newspapers in Kotainclude:
There are five radio stations in Kota, with four broadcasting on theFMband, and oneAll India Radiostation broadcasting on theAMband.