North India · Rajasthan
Kota, Rajasthan
About Kota
- Riverside
Where it is
Kota is a city in the Hadoti region of south-eastern Rajasthan, on the east bank of the Chambal River, which flows through a deep gorge upstream of the city.
History
Kota was held by the Hada Chauhan Rajputs as part of the Bundi kingdom until 1631, when Rao Madho Singh, a son of Bundi's ruler, became its first independent ruler with Mughal backing. The Kota school of miniature painting flourished at its court, and the state joined Rajasthan after independence. Dams on the Chambal and new industries followed, and from the late 20th century Kota became India's best-known centre of coaching for entrance exams.
People
Hadoti (Harauti), a dialect of Rajasthani, is spoken alongside Hindi, and students from all over India fill its coaching districts. Weaving, stone-cutting and farming support many families, and the city's National Dussehra Fair is one of the biggest in the region.
Known for
- Coaching institutes for entrance exams
- Kota Doria saris
- Kota stone
- City Palace and Kishore Sagar lake
- Garadia Mahadev's view of the Chambal gorge
Did you know?
Kota Doria saris are woven with a fine grid of tiny squares, called khats, from a blend of cotton and silk on traditional pit looms in Kaithoon near Kota.
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