Taranagar

Taranagar Reni
city
Taranagar Location in Rajasthan, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Rajasthan
District	Churu
Elevation	232 m (761 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	32,640
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Telephone code	1561
Vehicle registration	RJ-10

Taranagar is a city and a municipality in Churu district in the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated at 28° 41'N 75° 3'E, about 120 miles northeast of Bikaner. Taranagar was earlier known as Reni, named for the lady Rinkali who came here to live from Vishalnagar Koyalapatan, currently Foga in Sardarshar (Rajasthan). Reni was the headquarters of the nizamat and the tehsil of the same name in the state of Bikaner in Rajputana. The nizamat consisted of five eastern tehsils of Bhadra, Churu, Nohar, Rajgarh and Reni. In 1948, the town was renamed for King Tara Singh, who ruled it in mid-18th century.

History

The first king of Taranagar was Ranakpal. He lost the empire to Chayal Rajputs, who ruled it for more than 1000 years, then Rao Bikaji conquered it. Reni was part of Jangladesh and capital of the Jakhar gotra jat, ruled prior to its annexation by the Rathor rulers. The present name of the town is Taranagar. Taranagar is a very old village, famous for its temples, ancient Havelies, paintings inside them and chatries. Taranagar is surrounded by a number of small villages, inhabited mostly by farmers.

Taranagar also has an old fort, locally known as Gadh, that is now is being used as the Tehshil headquarters and is surrounded by the market place. Taranagar is surrounded by a number of small villages, the residents of which trade in Taranagar.

It also had some popular seths like Seth Shubh karan ji kandoi.

Sir Dinkar Rao succeeded his father as Subadar of the Taranager District.

Places of interest and importance

Taranagar is well known for its antiquity is a famous Jain temple built in 942. It has very old statues of Jain Tirthankars. Chhatri of Anand Singhji and Tara Singhji, or saints' homes, are quite popular. These are 2 km distance from the town.

A temple, a little away from the town, is known as Shyam Pandia. It is said to be as old as Dwapar Yug. As the legend goes, it is believed that Bhima of The Mahabharata fame was sent here to call for the services or blessings of the then pujari of the temple, Saint Shyam Pandia, for the Tilak ceremony of Yudhishthira after the Battle of Kurukshetra was won by Pandavas.

Apart from private hospitals and practicing doctors, Taranagar has a referral hospital set up by late Onkar Mal Mintri and run by the state government where health care facilities are available for general public and for the people from nearby villages. There is another hospital building that has been converted into a veterinary hospital catering to cattle.

Though the town does not have a railway station, it is well connected by road. It is served by roadway organization of many states, private buses, and taxi operators. Gandhi Upwan, in the east of the town, close to the bus stand and police station, is a moderate garden maintained by the municipality. There is a rest-house used by visiting officials that is run by Rajasthan state PWD. The same locality houses the famous Govt. Higher Secondary School, Taranagar.

A public library is almost in the middle of the Taranagar that also houses a free reading room, that over the decades has helped growth of local intellect even if the facilities have been meager and maintenance falls short of needs; nonetheless, it has been providing a space for developing minds.

Since last decade or so Taranagar has been emerging as a place counted in its vicinity of its surrounding villages — for providing facilities for children's education, selling their produce, shopping, trade, institutional interaction etc. Besides the Main Bazar that is in the center of town, there are a number of shop-clusters or markets specializing in merchandise like footwear, vegetables and fruits, medicines etc. There are some trading firms, bank branches, organizations, government offices. Almost a dozen institutions impart graduate courses including an upcoming veterinary medical college providing the feel of a self-sufficient town. Taranagar boasts an industrial estate promoted by RIICO primarily for the manufacture of plaster of Paris.

Nearby cities and villages

Sadulpur (also known as Rajgarh, its connecting railway station), a junction on the Northern Zone of Indian Railways is on east side at a distance of about 40 km and Churu, the district city is on its south side at a distance of about 50 km while Sardar Sahar is on its south-west side. Apart from these cities, the town is surrounded by a large number of small villages on all sides that are populated by mostly by small to medium-sized land holders, farmers and artisans. The town of Taranagar is used by them as a Mandi for selling their agricultural product as also a center for education, health services and connectivity. The nearby villages include Kharatwas, Nethawa, Togawas, Bhaleri, Chalkoi, Bhanin, Kalwas, Dabri Chhoti, Dheerwas Bara, Sahwa, Bain, Buchawas, Dadrewa, Jigsana, Nyangli, Hadiyal, Bhamara etc. Brahmanwasi is an agricultural locality situated on the western side of the town. The main crops raised in the area are millets, bajra, guar, gram and lately even mustard. Historically, it was a zamindari that was initially vested in the Vyas family (Pushkarna Brahmins) by the late Raja Shri Joravar Singhji, the then ruler of princely state of Bikaner. The current scion of the family Mool Raj holds the original handwritten document of transfer of Brahmanwasi. Vyas were further patronized by vaishya community mainly Swetambar Jains, who held prominent position in business and commerce. Googa medi in Degawas mohalla is also a famous temple. Built 50 years ago Pujari Shree Bihari Lal ji Sankholia, where a fair is held On occasion of googa navmi. More prominent of fairs held in the town include Ramdevji Ka mela, where cattle are sold and the Gaur Magaria, a festival when a procession of Gaurajja is taken out with a lot of fanfare.

Geography

Taranagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 232 meters (761 feet). A part of Thar desert, it experiences extremities of climate both in summer and in the winter, that are however considered good for build-up of immunities, for general health.

Town is located in the tehshil by the same name, under the Rajgarh subdivision of the Churu district. Historically, even the city of Churu used to be a part of Taranagar Tehshil. The town grew with its Mohallas (or localities) earmarked for different castes (that is to say known by caste names) that are even today referred to for the ease of practical identification but is officially now divided into different numerical wards for the postal, election or voting purposes.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Taranagar had a population of 27,073. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Taranagar has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 46%. 18% of the population is under 6 years of age. Despite its moderate size, the town boasts of cosmopolitan nature of its populace that comprises diversity of castes, creeds, religion and regional inhabitants as also its diaspora spread over the various nooks and corners different states of the country as also abroad. Composition of this diaspora is also quite varied and comprises industrialists, traders, businessmen, professionals, social workers and others. One person from the town, Late Sri Ram Krishna Sarawagi (son of a reputed disciple of Mahatma Gandhi late Sri Tulsiram Sarawagi) rose to become a minister in the state of West Bengal in the 1970s.

Industry

Taranagar is known for its Plaster of Paris industry and for its tea markets like-Agarwal trading company and Arun tea.

External links

• http://www.taranagar.tk
• Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 21, p. 278