SRI GANGANAGAR

It is named after Maharaja Ganga Singh and is a great agricultural and archaeological place. It was part of the Bikaner State before Independence. It was under the supervision of the 19 year old Maharaja Ganga Singh who after witnessing the miseries of the great 1899 famine, vowed to end starvation by building a canal in his State. The British pussyfooted, refusing water rights from the Sutlej river in Punjab. Ganga Sigh persevered and raised a loan of 15 million for his irrigation scheme. The Ganga Canal, begun in 1921, was completed in 1927. One of the longest concrete lined canals in the world, it has changed the desert's face around Ganganagar. Bumper crops of wheat, cotton, mustard and citrus fruit have generated industry and a building boom. Ganganagar has a large population of Sikhs and is a major military base. Sriganganagar city has a population of about 3.5 lakhs. It is 350 km from Delhi, 550 km from Jaipur, 325 km from Chandigarh and 170 km from Bikaner. It is well connected by railways and surface transport. The nearest airports are at Delhi, Jaipur and at Chandigarh. There are direct trains to Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Haridwar.The city has a good telecommunication system. Sriganganagar is well known as a very healthy place.